Global Partnerships

Photo: A general Conference view on January 10. The Vienna Conference Session on Empowering Female Leaders: Systems and strategies for ensuring equal opportunities for women regarding leadership at all levels of decision-making on January 10. Credit: Robert Bosch AG/APA-Fotoservice/Schedl

Bodies as Battlefields – Dangers Women Face During Conflicts

By Julia Zimmerman*

This is the second in a series of reports on the Vienna UN Conference from January 10-12, 2018, which discussed actions and challenges linked to the Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5) and in the spirit of SDG 17. The Vienna Liaison Office of the Academic Council on the United Nations System (ACUNS) organized this Conference co-ordinated by Heather Wokusch. – The Editor

VIENNA (IDN) – When thinking of war and its inherent dangers, the first thought is probably death on the battlefield and the profound loss of human life that accompanies it; however, soldiers are not the only victims of war. Civilians are also greatly affected, and the impact can be especially devastating for women.

: UN Bureau; SUSTAINABILITY; Gender Equality; 26 January 2018

Paving the Way to Empowering Female Leaders

By Ourania Roditi *

This is the first in a series of reports on the Vienna UN Conference from January 10-12, 2018, which discussed actions and challenges linked to the Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5) and in the spirit of SDG 17. The Vienna Liaison Office of the Academic Council on the United Nations System (ACUNS) organized this Conference co-ordinated by Heather Wokusch. – The Editor

VIENNA (IDN) – "We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back." This profound remark by the 16-year old 2014 Nobel Peace Laureate Malala Yousafzai underlines a self-evident truth, which has yet to be reflected in global reality.

: UN Bureau; SUSTAINABILITY; Gender Equality; 26 January 2018

Money is Not Wealth: Cryptos vs. Fiats!

By Hazel Henderson*

JACKSONVILLE, Florida (IDN) – After a few drinks, most bankers, economists and investors will admit that money is not wealth. Like inches and centimetres, money is a metric, and it used for tracking real wealth: human ingenuity and technological productivity interacting with natural resources and biodiversity undergirding all human societies along with the daily free photons from our Sun.

So brainwashed are we by the false money meme of “money as wealth” that whenever anyone proposes needed infrastructure maintenance, better schools and healthcare or any public goods, we are intimidated by some defunct economist who says “Where’s the money coming from?” They ought to know better, since, of course money is not scarce, it is just information.

: Phil Harris; SUSTAINABILITY; Global Partnerships; 18 January 2018

Concern Over Using Aid To Promote Rich Countries' Commercial Interests

Viewpoint by Jesse Griffiths

The writer is Director of Eurodad, the European Network on Debt and Development, a network of 46 civil society organisations (CSOs) from 19 European countries, which works for transformative yet specific changes to global and European policies, institutions, rules and structures.

BUSSELS (IDN) – At first glance, the latest figures on Official Development Assistance (ODA) – or aid – make encouraging reading. According to the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC), which compiles the data and sets the rules on what counts as aid, global ODA increased by more than ten percent to $145 billion in 2016. But dig behind the headline figure and the picture is less rosy, with only six of the DAC’s 30 member countries meeting the UN target of 0.7 per cent of gross national income. The average is less than half that.

: UN Bureau; OPINION; 17 January 2018

Photo: Human rights : Letting values prevail over politics. Credit: The Geneva Centre for Human Rights Advancement and Global Dialogue.

CSOs, Experts Address the Plight of People on the Move

By Geneva Centre for Human Rights Advancement

GENEVA (IDN-INPS) – In response to the protracted migrant and refugee crisis that has affected primarily Europe and the MENA region, a coalition of international organizations took the initiative to adopt the 2017 Geneva Declaration entitled “Mobility and human solidarity, a challenge and an opportunity for Europe and the MENA region” pledging increased cooperation between decision-makers to address the adverse impact of the crisis.

The Geneva Declaration is the fruit of a panel debate entitled “Migration and human solidarity, a challenge and an opportunity for Europe and the MENA region” that was organized by the Geneva Centre for Human Rights Advancement and Global Dialogue – a think-tank holding special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council - on 14 December 2017 at the United Nations Office at Geneva.

: UN Bureau; SUSTAINABILITY; Peace & Justice; 16 January 2018

Photo: Secretary-General António Guterres (centre) delivers his report entitled “Making Migration Work for All” to the UN General Assembly on 11 January 2017. Credit: UN Photo/Mark Garten

UN Chief Pleads For 'Making Migration Work for All'

By António Guterres

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks at the launch of the report 'Making Migration Work for All', in New York on 11 January. – The Editor

UNITED NATIONS (IDN-INPS) – I am very pleased to be with all of you to present the report “Making Migration Work for All”. This serves as my principal input to the zero draft of the global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration. The adoption of this compact stands as one of our most important collective priorities for 2018.

As we look forward to the zero draft, I would like to commend your efforts to date under the wise stewardship of Mexico and Switzerland, aided by the President of the General Assembly and my Special Representative, Louise Arbour. Allow me to express a very deep gratitude to Louise Arbour and her team — your extraordinary contribution was absolutely vital for me to be able to present a report that, I hope, you will find both bold and constructive.

: UN Bureau; OPINION; 11 January 2018

EU and 79 ACP Countries Plan a 'Modernised Partnership'

By Reinhardt Jacobsen

BRUSSELS (IDN) – As the European Union (EU) and the African, Caribbean, and Pacific Group of States (ACP) gear up for talks on future relations between the two groupings after the Cotonou Agreement expires in February 2020, some areas of agreement on their respective stances have emerged.

The agreement that was signed in June 2000 in Cotonou – Benin’s largest city – is the most comprehensive partnership treaty between developing countries and the EU. Its fundamental principles include equality of partners, global participation, dialogue and regionalisation.

: Reinhard Jacobsen; GLOBAL GOVERNANCE; ACP Group of States; 07 January 2018

Photo: Women planting to combat desertification. Credit: UNCCD

Launch of the Fund to Fight Desertification a Key Achievement

By Rita Joshi

BONN (IDN) – The official launch of the Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) Fund is an outstanding achievement for the United Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in 2017. It is a first-of-its-kind investment vehicle leveraging public sector funds to raise private sector capital for sustainable land management and landscape restoration activities worldwide.

It was launched during the thirteenth session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNCCD (COP13) held in Ordos, China, in September 2017, which adopted 36 decisions and one resolution, including the new UNCCD 2018-2030 Strategic Framework with an initial target size of USD 100 million.

: Rita Joshi; UN INSIDER; 24 December 2017

Photo: Fekitamoeloa Katoa 'Utoikamanu (centre), Under-Secretary-General, High Representative of the Secretary-General for the LDCs, LLDCs and SIDs, and the UN Secretary-General’s representative on the Council of the Technology Bank for LDCs with Council members.

Technology Bank for the World’s Poorest Set to Start in 2018

By Santo D. Banerjee

NEW YORK (IDN) – Seven years after the Fourth UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries charted out the international community's vision and strategy for sustainable development of the world's poorest countries, a new institution called the Technology Bank is set to start operations in 2018.

The Conference, held in Istanbul, Turkey, in May 2011, adopted the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2011-2020, along with the Istanbul Declaration. The implementation of the Istanbul Programme of Action (IPoA) requires contributions from donor and developing countries, parliaments, the private sector, civil society, the UN system and international and regional financial institutions.

: Santo D. Banerjee; UN INSIDER; 24 December 2017

Photo: Secretary-General António Guterres addresses the global Universal Health Coverage Forum on December 14, in Tokyo, Japan. UN Photo/Curtis Christophersensik

Global Forum Underlines Need for Universal Health Coverage

By Jaya Ramachandran

GENEVA | TOKYO (IDN) – Nearly half of the world's population of 7.6 billion lacks access to essential health services at present and for almost 100 million people health expenses are high enough to push them into extreme poverty.

Against this perturbing backdrop, revealed by a recent report, a global Forum in Tokyo has underlined the need to extend by 2023 the health services coverage to 1 billion additional people and halve to 50 million the number of people being pushed into extreme poverty by health expenses.

The year 2023 is the midpoint towards 2030, the target date for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), says the 'Tokyo Declaration on Universal Health Coverage' emerging from the global Universal Health Coverage Forum 2017 from December 12-15.