UN Insider

Photo: American soldiers overseeing training of their Afghan counterparts at Camp Bastion in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Source: The Indian Express.

The West Spins A “Humanitarian” Tale, China Speaks at Human Rights Council of War Crimes in Afghanistan

By Kalinga Seneviratne

SYDNEY (IDN) — To cover up America and its allies humiliating defeat in Afghanistan, the Anglo-American media is spinning tales of a great “humanitarian” airlift to save Afghani women from assumed brutality when Taliban consolidate their power across Afghanistan. But, at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva on August 24 the Chinese changed the narrative calling for the US, UK, Australia and other NATO countries to be held accountable for violations of human rights committed during the two-decade-long war in Afghanistan.

: Kalinga Seneviratne; UN INSIDER; 28 August 2021

ALCAP’s “Documentaries for Development” at World Forum 4.0

Viewpoint by Niba Mirza*

NEW DELHI (IDN) — Documentaries have always been a potent medium to exchange ideas, information and knowledge. They manifest an inherent tendency of the human beings to document reality of their times and communicate with each other.

Among others, this year’s World Forum 4.0 shall feature “Documentaries for Development,” a unique concept developed by Mr. Manish Uprety F.R.A.S., Special Adviser - Asia and Africa, of the Audiovisual Regional Hub of the Asociación Latinoamericana de Comunicación Audiovisual Parlamentaria, ALCAP, or the Latin American Parliamentary Association of Audio-Visual Communication.

: Asia Editor; SUSTAINABILITY; Health & Well Being; 28 August 2021

Photo: United Nations (UN) General Assembly hall at the UN Headquarters, New York City. CC BY-SA 2.0

Will Mandatory Vaccinations Apply to UN Staff & Diplomats?

By Thalif Deen

NEW YORK (IDN) — The rigid new restrictions imposed by New York city—currently facing a surge in the deadly Delta corona virus variant—have prompted scores of US companies to impose mandatory vaccinations on all employees, mostly returning to work after temporary lockdowns.

The mandate follows the approval on August 23 of the Pfizer vaccination by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after a prolonged study of its effectiveness.

: Thalif Deen; UN INSIDER; 26 August 2021

Photo: View from the Herat Citadel, also known as the Citadel of Alexander the Great, in Afghanistan. CC BY 2.0

Would "Reformed" Taliban Respect Other Religions, Cultural Heritage and Non-Believers?

Viewpoint by Sugeeswara Senadhira

COLOMBO (IDN) — The Taliban’s fanatical yearning to attack everything opposed to what they mistakenly believe as Islam was displayed in two acts of destruction in the year 2001. The return of Taliban as rulers of Afghanistan raise question whether the remaining remnants of a Buddhist civilization in the region would be wiped out in coming years.

: Opinion Editor; SUSTAINABILITY; Peace & Justice; 26 August 2021

Countries Around the World Are Still Ill-Prepared to Deal with Multiple Overlapping Crises

Viewpoint by Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana

Ms. Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana is the United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific (ESCAP).

BANGKOK (IDN) — Over the past two decades, the Asia-Pacific region has made remarkable progress in managing disaster risk. But countries can never let down their guard. The COVID-19 pandemic, with its epicentre now in Asia, and all its tragic consequences, has exposed the frailties of human societies in the face of powerful natural forces. As of mid-August 2021, Asian and Pacific countries had reported 65 million confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 1 million deaths.

: Opinion Editor; OPINION; 25 August 2021

Photo: The ministers of foreign affairs of Germany, the United Kingdom, China, the United States, France, Russia, the European Union and Iran meeting in Geneva for the interim agreement on the Iranian nuclear programme (November 2013). Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Americans, Not the Europeans, Are Dilly-Dallying in The Iran Nuclear Deal

Viewpoint by Jonathan Power

LUND, Sweden (IDN) — The panic button on Iran is being pressed again. A report by the UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), suggests that Iran has taken more significant steps towards developing a nuclear weapon. At the same time the warnings from Israel are coming thick and fast, reminding us that if necessary Israel will bomb Iran's nuclear research facilities.

All this is grist for the mill for the doomsayers who say it won't be long before countries such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt decide to develop their own bomb.

: Jonathan Power; OPINION; 24 August 2021

Photo: Crowds celebrate on the streets of Sudanese capital Khartoum as reports suggest President Omar al-Bashir has stood down. Video: WDMUSA24

Genocide Trial Looms for Former Sudanese Leader and Aides Over Darfur Conflict

By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network

NEW YORK (IDN) — The architects of crimes against humanity and genocide in the Sudanese region of Darfur may finally appear before the International Criminal Court, at least a decade after the atrocities occurred.

Ex-president Omar al-Bashir is among the group wanted by the court in The Hague since 2009 over atrocities committed by his government in Darfur, where at least 300,000 people were killed and 2.7 million displaced in a war from 2003 to 2008, the United Nations estimates.

: SUSTAINABILITY; Peace & Justice; 22 August 2021

Top Photo: San Jose, Batangas (22 January 2020) —An evacuation centre in San Jose, Batangas where over 700 families are staying due to the continued eruption of Taal Volcano. The Philippines is one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries. Photo credit: OCHA/P. Peron

The Human Race Against the Climate Crisis Clock

By Kirsten Mildren

The writer is Head of Campaigns & Advocacy, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

NEW YORK (IDN) — On 19 August 2003, a bomb attack on the Canal Hotel in Baghdad, Iraq, killed 22 humanitarian aid workers, including the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello. Five years later, the General Assembly adopted a resolution designating 19 August as World Humanitarian Day.

: UN Bureau; OPINION; 21 August 2021

Development Banks Must Prioritize Childcare to Improve Women’s Economic Standing During and After COVID-19

Viewpoint by Megan O’Donnell

Megan O’Donnell leads the Center for Global Development’s COVID-19 Gender and Development Initiative, which aims to promote gender equality and long-term prosperity in low- and middle-income countries by informing global and national decision-makers’ policy responses to the current pandemic and future crises.

WASHINGTON DC (IDN) — Lack of access to quality childcare has been a longstanding issue, especially in low- and middle-income countries, with consequences for children’s and caregivers’ well-being and countries’ overall development.

: UN Bureau; OPINION; 20 August 2021

Photo: Vienna Global meeting of the Foreign Ministries Science & Technology Advice Network (FMSTAN) & Global meeting of the Science Policy in Diplomacy and External Relations Network (Spider) in November 2019. Credit: Mahmoud CCBY 2.0

Jeffrey Sachs Should Lead a Knowledge Coalition to Enhance Power to Reduce if not Stop the Exploitation of Africa

Viewpoint by Babafemi A. Badejo, Ph.D

The writer is Professor of Political Science/International Relations, Chrisland University, Abeokuta, Nigeria, and former Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia. He can be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. +2348055331448

ABEOKUTA, Nigeria (IDN) — The United Nations held a pre-Summit on Food Systems on July 26-28, 2021, as a primer for its first Global Food Summit coming up in September 2021. At this meeting, Jeffrey Sachs, American and popular Economist as well as UN Special Envoy on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), made an important intervention.