By J Nastranis NEW YORK (IDN) – Moments after the UN General Assembly unanimously agreed on August 10 to appoint Chile’s former President Michelle Bachelet as the seventh UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Secretary-General António Guterres tweeted: “Ms. Bachelet is a pioneer, a visionary, a woman of principle, and a great human rights leader […]
Rising Nuclear Tensions Call For Elimination Of Atomic Weapons
Viewpoint by Izumi Nakamitsu Ms Izumi Nakamitsu is High Representative, United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA). Following is the text of the message she delivered to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Service on 6 August 2018 on behalf of the UN Secretary-General. – The Editor HIROSHIMA (IDN-INPS) – It is a privilege to pay tribute […]
UN Chief Begins To Walk The Talk For Promised Reforms
By J Nastranis NEW YORK (IDN) – United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has taken a vital step towards creating a ‘21st century UN‘ by introducing wide-ranging reforms to the way the world body works and how it delivers on its mandate – thus translating into action the announcement of his intention soon after taking office […]
Kazakh Chair of UN Sanctions Committee Calls for Support to Peace in Horn of Africa
By Santo D. Banerjee NEW YORK (IDN) – Applauding the landmark rapprochement between Ethiopia and Eritrea, ending two decades of hostility, the UN Security Council has called for providing all necessary support to build peace in the Horn of Africa. The appeal came in the briefing on July 30 on the Council’s recent visit to the […]
AIDS 2018 Concludes Underlining $6 Billion Gap In Funding
By Reinhard Jacobsen AMSTERDAM (IDN) – Since the first cases of HIV were reported more than 35 years ago, 78 million people have become infected with HIV and 35 million have died from AIDS-related illnesses, says UNAIDS, a United Nations organization that is leading the global effort since1996 to end AIDS as a public health […]
UN Conference Warns Of Huge Backlogs Before Achieving Global Development Goals
By Ramesh Jaura UNITED NATIONS (IDN) – Three years since the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by the UN, at first glimpse progress seems to have been made in “transforming our world” by implementing “a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity.” But senior UN officials admit that a […]
291 Million Youth Live With No Electricity, No Computers, No Printers – UN Laments
By Shanta Roy NEW YORK (IDN) – When the United Nations commemorated World Youth Skills Day on July 16, there was one strong underlying theme that overshadowed the event. Despite marked progress in the role of youth in a society increasingly characterized by high technology and artificial intelligence, the new generation, particularly in the developing […]
For Albania EU Accession and Agenda 2030 Go Hand in Hand
By Ramesh Jaura UNITED NATIONS (IDN) – Since the political turbulence of 1989 after the fall of the Berlin Wall, which engulfed entire Eastern Europe, Albania has been resolutely sailing west. In 2009 the country became a full member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), and it has made great strides towards membership of […]
Competitive Diplomacy Under the Trump Administration – Part 1
Viewpoint by Michele Nobile* This is the first of a two-part article which was written before the July 11-12 NATO summit in Brussels – The Editor. ROME (IDN) – The goal of the diplomacy of George W. Bush under his National Security Strategy (NSS) was to be “transformative”, that is, aimed at building and supporting […]
Global Compact on Migration Agreed Despite Differences
By J Nastranis NEW YORK (IDN) – When Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed the agreement an all-encompassing Global Compact to better manage international migration, address its challenges, strengthen migrant rights and contribute to sustainable development, calling it “a significant achievement” and General Assembly President Miroslav Lajčák described it as a “historic moment,” it was far more […]