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Photo: Makoma Lekalakala (left) and Liz McDaid (right). Credit: Goldman Environmental Prize.

South African Women Honoured For Anti-Nuclear Effort

By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network

NEW YORK (IDN) – Using the knowledge gained in the anti-apartheid struggle, two South African women challenged a secret, multibillion-dollar nuclear deal that would have dotted South Africa with nuclear power plants from Russia.

The women, Makoma Lekalakala and Liziwe McDaid, waged a five-year court battle against the plants. Against all odds, including a secret agreement between Russian leader Vladimir Putin and former President Jacob Zuma, the High Court ruled on April 26, 2017 that the $76 billion nuclear power project was unconstitutional – a landmark legal victory that protected South Africa from an unprecedented expansion of the nuclear industry and production of radioactive waste.

: Global Information Network; THE WORLD; Africa; 24 April 2018

'Fire and Fury' in Danger of Becoming Trump's 'Mantra'

Viewpoint by Jonathan Power*

LUND, Sweden (IDN-INPS) – A speech of General George Patton, a famous World War 2 warrior, has an uncanny resemblance to the philosophy of Donald Trump. “All real Americans love the sting and clash of battle. Americans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser – Americans despise cowards. Americans play to win – all the time. That’s why Americans have never lost, not ever will lose a war, for the very thought of losing is hateful to Americans.”

Then came the Korean War (a stalemate), Vietnam (a loss), Afghanistan (mired in unconquerable mountains), Iraq 2 (a quagmire).

: Jonathan Power; THE WORLD; USA and Canada; 24 April 2018

'Sri Lanka Unites' Prepares Leaders for Tomorrow

By Jayantha Dhanapala

This article was first carried by The Island, a Sri Lankan newspaper, on 21 April 2018.

KANDY (IDN-INPS) – On a hot Saturday afternoon, I sat in the Father Mervyn Fernando Auditorium at the Subodhi Institute, Piliyandala to observe the concluding session of the Sri Lanka Unites Leadership Development Program "Let Them Lead". A portrait of the saintly Father Mervyn looked down on the audience benignly – and perhaps secretly chastising us all for not recognizing the depth of the thinking of the Jesuit Pierre Teilhard de Chardin for whom he held a life-long admiration in the midst of his own social welfare and mentoring.

: IDN-INPS Asia Editor; THE WORLD; Asia-Pacific; 24 April 2018

Photo: High Representative Izumi Nakamitsu at the 16th UN-Republic of Korea Joint Conference on Disarmament and Non-proliferation Issues. Credit: UN

Nuclear-Weapon States Leading 'A New Qualitative Arms Race'

By Izumi Nakamitsu

Following are extensive excerpts from a statement by Izumi Nakamitsu, UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs to Second Session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2020 NPT Review Conference from 23 April to 4 May 2018 in Geneva. – The Editor

GENEVA (IDN-INPS) – Secretary-General Guterres is currently developing his agenda for disarmament, which is aimed at re-energizing the international discourse. It will seek to offer new perspectives on the traditional agenda in order to mobilize new constituencies. It will seek to identify areas where more coherent and collaborative efforts within the United Nations system can better support Member States' responsibilities for advancing disarmament.

: IDN-INPS UN Bureau; OPINION; 23 April 2018

Photo: The walkway of the UN Headquarters in Nairobi. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.

Africa Grapples With Financing Climate Change Programmes

By Justus Wanzala

NAIROBI (ACP-IDN) – African countries are faced with the huge challenge of funding climate change mitigation and adaptation programmes to ensure sustainable development. Hard hit by the impacts of climate change manifested in persistent droughts, floods, storms, rising sea levels and other forms of disasters, they are linking actions on tackling climate change as key to attainment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

A joint project of the 79-nation African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States is providing support for the purpose as part of a joint project with the Global Climate Change Alliance+ (GCCA) by way of offering technical assistance, promoting knowledge sharing, initiating regional dialogue, and facilitating regional partnership on climate change issues.

: Justus Wanzala; THE WORLD; Africa; 23 April 2018

Photo: CTBTO Executive Secretary Lassina Zerbo speaks to the press on the nuclear test by the DPRK in September 2017 and its detection by the monitoring system of the CTBTO. 20 September 2017. United Nations, New York: Credit: UN Photo/Kim Haughton

UN and CTBTO Hail End to Nuclear Testing by North Korea, Denuclearization Remains a Mirage

By Ramesh Jaura

BERLIN | VIENNA (IDN) – UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) Executive Secretary Lassina Zerbo have welcomed the announcement by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to halt its nuclear testing programme and to dismantle the test site.

The announcement came six days ahead of the DPRK leader Kim Jong-un's meeting with President Moon Jae-in of the Republic of Korea (South Korea/ROK) taking place on April 27. After the inter-Korean summit, Kim is expected to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in June 2018.

: Ramesh Jaura; ARMAMENTS; Nuclear Weapons; 22 April 2018

Image: Map of the Ganges (orange), Brahmaputra (violet), and Meghna (green) drainage basins. Credit: CC BY-SA 3.0

Modi Government's Plan to Interlink Rivers Splits the Nation

By Sudha Ramachandran

BANGALORE (IDN) – As another scorching summer grips India and rivers begin running dry, the government's Interlinking of Rivers (ILR) program to solve the country's water problems is being heatedly discussed.

Drawing attention to the water shortage and unequal distribution of water in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a strong champion of the program, recently pointed out that while some rivers are in spate others are running dry. "If there is inter-linking [of rivers], the problem can be solved," he said.

: IDN-INPS Asia Editor; THE WORLD; Asia-Pacific; 22 April 2018

Photo: Launch of new publication providing tools for achieving sustainable energy for all. Credit: UN DESA

Wanted Urgent Action on Energy to Achieve Global Goals

By J Nastranis

NEW YORK (IDN) – About one billion people around the world live without electricity. Close to three billion lack access to clean cooking solutions and are exposed to dangerous levels of air pollution, which results in millions of deaths each year, mostly among women and children.

Against this disquieting backdrop, a new publication supported by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) has called for urgent action. Without such action, the world will fall short of its 2030 energy targets and, consequently, fail to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

: J Nastranis; SUSTAINABILITY; Affordable Clean Energy; 21 April 2018

Photo: India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin (right) casting vote for election to the ECOSOC Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations. Credit: twitter.com/MIB_India

India Elected To Key United Nations ECOSOC Committees

By Santo D. Banerjee

UNITED NATIONS (IDN) – India has been elected to several important subsidiary bodies of the 193-member UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) which is at the heart of the United Nations system to advance the three dimensions of sustainable development – economic, social and environmental.

It is the central platform for fostering debate and innovative thinking, forging consensus on ways forward, and coordinating efforts to achieve internationally agreed goals. It is also responsible for the follow-up to major UN conferences and summits.

: Santo D. Banerjee; UN INSIDER; 21 April 2018

Photo: Mushroom-shaped cloud and water column from the underwater nuclear explosion of July 25, 1946, which was part of Operation Crossroads. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.

Strong Plea for Early Entry into Force of Nuclear Ban Treaty

By Jamshed Baruah

GENEVA (IDN) – On the eve of a crucial international conference, an eminent Buddhist organization advocating a nuclear-weapon-free world has called for the signing, ratification and early entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) adopted by 122 UN member states as a sign of their resolve to overcome nuclear terror in the interest of protecting human rights and dignity.

Since the adoption of the TPNW in July 2017, non-nuclear-weapon, nuclear-weapon and nuclear-dependent states are meeting for the first time in the Second Session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2020 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) – Second PrepCom of the 2020 NPT Review Conference – from April 23 to May 4 in Geneva.