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Photo: Conakry, the capital of Guinea. CC BY-SA 3.0

African Leaders Face Citizens’ Insistence on Term Limits

By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network

NEW YORK | CONAKRY (IDN) – African leaders are facing an upsurge of citizen opposed to questionable re-election schemes, including tampering with the constitution, that leave countries in the hands of one or two families for decades.

The latest upsurge is in Guinea where the political opposition has accused the president, Alpha Condé, of staging a “constitutional coup” by attempting to rewrite the constitution and pursue a third term, once his second term ends in 2020.

: Global Information Network; THE WORLD; Africa; 24 December 2019

Photo: The outgoing ACP Secretary General Dr. Patrick Gomez confers with President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya during the presentation of the revised Georgetown agreement. Credit: ACP

Nairobi Summit Leads to 'A Transformed ACP Committed to Multilateralism'

By Robert Johnson

BRUSSELS (IDN) – The heads of government and state of African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States have taken a decisive step towards “A Transformed ACP Committed to Multilateralism”. At their 9th Summit, they have revised the constitutive act, the 1975 Georgetown Agreement.

An important outcome of the December 9-10 Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, is a name change from the ACP Group of States to the Organisation of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (OACPS).

: Robert Johnson; GLOBAL GOVERNANCE; ACP Group of States; 23 December 2019

Photo: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing a rally on 22 December in New Delhi. Source: thehindubusinessline.com

India’s Citizenship Amendment Act Is ‘Pro-minorities and Not Anti-Muslim’

Viewpoint by Jainendra Karn*

NEW DELHI (IDN) – India is not a signatory to the UN’s 1951 Refugee Convention which defines a refugee yet the Government of India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has kept the promise that Mahatma Gandhi had made to persecuted people living deplorable lives in India’s neighbourhood through the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

: Asia Editor; OPINION; 23 December 2019

Photo: U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks with Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, in Tel Aviv, on 29 April 2018. (State Department photo by Ron Przysucha / Public Domain).

Pompeo Accuses the ICC of ‘Unfairly’ Targeting Israel

By J C Suresh

WASHINGTON, DC (IDN) – U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo has expressed opposition to International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda’s announcement that she “has concluded her preliminary examination into the so-called ‘situation in Palestine’ and asked the ICC judges” to confirm that the Court may exercise jurisdiction over the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza.

“By taking this action, the Prosecutor expressly recognized that there are serious legal questions about the Court’s authority to proceed with an investigation,” said Pompeo.

: J C Suresh; THE WORLD; Middle East; 22 December 2019

Photo: Jamia Millia Islamia students and locals protesting against CAA NRC. Block roads. Police presence. CC BY-SA 4.0

India No More A Refuge for The Persecuted

Viewpoint by Shastri Ramachandaran *

This article is the 11th in a series of joint productions of South Asian Outlook and IDN-InDepthNews, flagship of the International Press Syndicate.

NEW DELHI (IDN) – India has no refugee policy. It is not a signatory to the UN’s 1951 Refugee Convention, which defines a refugee. Now, India avowedly wants to be a refuge for persecuted Hindus in the region and professedly for that purpose has enacted the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

: Asia Editor; THE WORLD; Asia-Pacific; 21 December 2019

Photo: Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah (left) with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Credit: Raj K Raj | Hindustan Times.

Hindu Nationalist Govt. Leading India to the Edge of a Cliff

Viewpoint by Dr. Ram Puniyani

This article is the 10th in a series of joint productions of South Asian Outlook and IDN-InDepthNews, flagship of the International Press Syndicate.

NEW DELHI (IDN) – Citizenship Amendment Bill, while passed in both houses of Parliament has elicited diverse and negative responses all over India. On one hand we see massive protests in North East leading to death of four people. On the other there is a sever discomfort among those upholding Indian Constitution and among the Muslim community all over the country.

: Suresh Jaura; THE WORLD; Asia-Pacific; 21 December 2019

Photo: International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda. Credit: ICC

International Criminal Court to Launch Probe into Alleged War Crimes in Palestine

By Robert Johnson

THE HAGUE, The Netherlands (IDN) – The International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda has announced plans to open a formal investigation into alleged war crimes in Palestine, subsequent to a “thorough, independent and objective assessment”. At the same time, she said that she has asked the Court for a further ruling over territorial jurisdiction.

: Robert Johnson; SUSTAINABILITY; Peace & Justice; 20 December 2019

Photo: Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, briefs the members of the UN Security Council. UN Photo/Rick Bajornas

UN Criticises Iran and USA for Undermining Nuclear Deal

By Santo D. Banerjee

NEW YORK (IDN) – The UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) Rosemary DiCarlo has criticized both Iran and the United States for putting strain on the groundbreaking 2015 deal to monitor Iran’s nuclear programme, which she stressed remains a “cornerstone of international peace and security”.

: Santo D. Banerjee; ARMAMENTS; Nuclear Weapons; 20 December 2019

Photo: UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo closes the Global Refugee Forum. © UNHCR/Andrew McConnell

Historic Meeting Wraps Up With Pledges to Boost Opportunities for Refugees

By Tim Gaynor and Matthew Mpoke Bigg, UNHCR

GENEVA (IDN) – A historic meeting in Geneva wrapped up on December 18 with wide-ranging and substantial commitments to help millions of refugees and the communities they live in worldwide, including important pledges of new long-term support for their inclusion.

“I want to salute the efforts pledged by many countries — both donors and by host countries — and by business leaders, civil society and refugees themselves, to redouble efforts in support of refugee inclusion, self-reliance and solutions,” UN High Commissioner Filippo Grandi told the closing session at the first-ever Global Refugee Forum.

: Jamshed Baruah; UN INSIDER; 19 December 2019

Photo: UN Secretary-General addressing Global Refugee Forum. Screenshot UN WebTV.

Build A More Equitable Response to Refugee

Viewpoint by António Guterres

The following are extensive excerpts from the UN Secretary-General’s opening remarks at the first Global Refugee Forum (17-18 December 2019). It came at the end of a tumultuous decade in which the number of refugees has risen to over 25 million people worldwide. Guided by the Global Compact on Refugees, the Forum was an opportunity to translate the principle of international responsibility-sharing into concrete action.

GENEVA (IDN-INPS) – I have been fortunate to have had many formative experiences in my life: as a social volunteer in the poor neighbourhoods of Lisbon; being part of a democratic revolution in my country; public service in parliament and government.