Global Partnerships

Photo: ACP Secretary-General Dr Patrick I. Gomes at the first-ever United Nations Trade Forum, organized by UNCTAD in Geneva, Switzerland, from 9 to 13 September 2019. Credit: Timothy Sullivan (UNCTAD)

ACP Reiterates Call for Urgent Ambitious Climate Action

Viewpoint by Dr. Patrick I. Gomes

The writer is the Secretary-General of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP). Following are extensive excerpts from his presentation at the United Nations Trade Forum from 9-13 September 2019 in the Session ‘Climate Action and Trade’ in Geneva.

GENEVA (IDN) – The ACP Group of States shares with the great majority of well-informed persons, globally, that climate change is the most significant challenge, this century, for the achievement of sustainable development on planet Earth.

: Dr. Patrick Gomes - ACP Seretary-General; GLOBAL GOVERNANCE; ACP Group of States; 13 September 2019

Photo: Aerial view of Sochi, located on the Black Sea coast. CC BY-SA 3.0

Sochi Summit Expected to Open Russia’s Door to Africa

By Kester Kenn Klomegah

MOSCOW (IDN) – As Sochi, a Russian city located on the Black Sea coast, prepares to host African leaders, experts have been discussing the possible outcome of this first high-level event in the history of Russian-African relations, with the heads of all states of the African continent invited, as well as leaders of major subregional associations and organisations attending.

According to official sources here, the summit on October 24 will play special attention to the current state and prospects of Russia's relations with African countries and to the expansion of the political, economic, technical and cultural cooperation.

: Kester Kenn Klomegah; THE WORLD; Russia; 30 August 2019

New Climate Reality Is Frightening, But Surmountable

Viewpoint by Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana

The writer is Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).

BANGKOK (IDN) – The past five years have been the hottest on record in Asia and the Pacific. Unprecedented heatwaves have swept across our region, cascading into slow onset disasters such as drought. Yet heat is only part of the picture.

: Ramesh Jaura; OPINION; 28 August 2019

World Leaders to Focus on Climate Action in September

By J Nastranis

NEW YORK (IDN) – Issues such as highlighting how governments, civil society and individuals can take action on climate, sharing updates on the Sustainable Development Goals, and celebrating outstanding figures whose actions have had a transformative positive impact on the environment will take centre stage when world leaders gather in New York City for the high-level week of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly from September 21 to 26.

: J Nastranis; UN INSIDER; 26 August 2019

Photo: President Filipe Nyusi addressing the Russian-Mozambique Business Forum on 21 August 2019 on Moscow. Credit: World Trade Center.

Mozambique Embraces Russia’s Investment Efforts

By Kester Kenn Klomegah

MOSCOW (IDN) – Keen to intensify and widen bilateral relations, Russia and Mozambique have signed several intergovernmental documents as well as business agreements during President Jacinto Filipe Nyusi’s visit here. Its highlights were talks with President Vladimir Putin and the Russian-Mozambican business forum, the first gathering of businesspersons from Russia and representatives of companies from Mozambique, in Moscow.

The importance of the August 20-23 visit is underlined by the fact that it has taken place in the run-up to the Russia-Africa summit in Sochi on October 23-24. However, because of general elections in Mozambique on October 15, President Filipe Nyusi might not be able to attend the summit, reports said.

: Kester Kenn Klomegah; THE WORLD; Africa; 24 August 2019

Photo: Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov with Burkina Faso President Marc Kabore in Ouagadougou in July 2019. Credit: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

Russia Prepares for Africa Summit to Elevate Economic Profile

By Kester Kenn Klomegah

MOSCOW (IDN) – As Russia prepares to strengthen its overall corporate economic profile during the African leaders' summit in Sochi in October, policy experts are questioning agreements that were signed – many of them largely unfulfilled and forgotten – at least in the past decade with African countries.

Experts, such as Professors Vladimir Shubin and Alexandra Arkhangelskaya from the Institute for African Studies in Moscow, have argued that Russia needs to be more strategic in aligning its interests, and be more proactive with instruments and mechanisms in promoting economic cooperation in order to reap the benefits of a fully-fledged partnership.

: Kester Kenn Klomegah; THE WORLD; Russia; 09 August 2019

28 Corporations Pledge to Curbing Temperature Rise to 1.5°C

By J Nastranis

NEW YORK (IDN) – In the run-up to the UN Climate Action Summit on September 23, twenty-eight leading companies have responded to a call-to-action campaign and committed themselves to limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels with a view to reaching net-zero emissions by no later than 2050. In doing so, they are contributing to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), endorsed by the international community in September 2015.

: J Nastranis; UN INSIDER; 29 July 2019

Photo: Inga Rhonda King, Permanent Representative of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to @UN and outgoing President of @UNECOSOC, hands over the gavel to Mona Juul, Permanent Representative of Norway to the UN and incoming President of ECOSOC, at opening meeting of 2020 session. ‏ @UN_Photo July 25.

Top UN Economic and Social Body Has a New Head with an Ambitious Agenda

By Santo D. Banerjee

NEW YORK (IDN) – Norway's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, Mona Juul, has taken over from Rhonda King of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines the presidency of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), who chaired the recently-concluded High-level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development. Having served as one of the four ECOSOC Vice-Presidents, Juul was elected by acclamation on July 25 seventy-fifth President of the Council.

: Santo D. Banerjee; UN INSIDER; 26 July 2019

Image credit: Global Financial Integrity

As Global Leaders in Trade, G7 Are Committed to SDGs

By Edda Pleitez

The writer, a student at the University of Texas, Austin and 2019 GFI Summer Intern, explains how some of the world’s most advanced economies and free societies implement the SDGs. This article first appeared in Global Financial Integrity.

AUSTIN, Texas, USA (IDN-INPS) – The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of measurable, attainable and time-bound objectives that were accepted by all 193 Member States of the United Nations in 2015.

: UN Bureau; SUSTAINABILITY; Global Partnerships; 22 July 2019

Inclusion, Empowerment and Equality the Core of Sustainable Development

By Sean Buchanan

NEW YORK (IDN) – The world’s people are demanding “transformative change that is fair and sustainable,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said July 16, calling on government leaders to use key United Nations meetings in September to “kickstart a decade of delivery and action for people and planet.”

The key meetings are the Climate Action Summit, the Sustainable Development Goals Summit, a High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage, a High-Level Dialogue on Financing for Development and a high-level review of commitments to small island developing States and their accelerated modalities of action pathway (SAMOA).