By Rosemary A. DiCarlo Ms DiCarlo is the UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs. NEW YORK (IDN) — United Nations Security Council sanctions are no longer the “blunt instrument” they once were, having transformed since the 1990s into “a vital tool” that minimizes negative consequences for civilians, and States that are not directly being […]
Two UN Agencies Working Together to Ensure Safe Delivery of Cancer Treatment
By Reinhard Jacobsen VIENNA (IDN) — The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have a long-standing collaboration to support Member States to address their cancer burdens. The two specialized agencies of the United Nations work together to help countries improve cancer control planning, ensure safe delivery of cancer treatment through […]
WHO and the Commonwealth To Reinforce Cooperation on Equitable Access to Vaccines
By Jamshed Baruah GENEVA (IDN) — The World Health Organization (WHO) and the London-based Commonwealth Secretariat have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that focuses on ending the COVID-19 pandemic, advancing Universal Health Coverage, addressing vaccine equity, strengthening digital health systems and working towards global health security
Chadian Filmmaker Takes a Strong Stand for Women’s Rights
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) — Mahamat-Saleh Haroun was seven years old when he first heard that a newborn baby was found dead in the trash. A few weeks later, another baby was similarly found. Tragically, this was nothing out of the ordinary in a repressive society that denied women the […]
New Round of Cultural Festivals Planned in West Africa Despite Sanctions
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) — Festival season is around the corner in West Africa despite ongoing insurgencies that have hurt tourism. The region has long been known for its music, dance and cultural shows, among them the Amani festival in Goma, the Democratic Republic of Congo, which opened on Febuary […]
Are Democracies Slowly Dying in The Age of Authoritarianism and Populism?
Viewpoint by Jan Servaes * BRUSSELS (IDN) — Military coups d’état posed the greatest threat to democracies during the Cold War, until about 1990, and were responsible for nearly three out of every four democratic collapses. Democracies in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Thailand, Turkey and Uruguay all […]
African Troops Heading for Guinea Bissau After Failed Coup Linked to Narcos
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) — ECOWAS, a West African trade union, has voted to send troops to the coastal nation of Guinea Bissau after unidentified coup plotters brazenly threatened the lives of government leaders. While the identity of the coup plotters is still unknown, the nation’s president, Umaro Sissoco Embalo, […]
As Threats of War Loom Over Ukraine, the Illegality of NATO Is Laid Bare
Viewpoint by John Scales Avery* COPENHAGEN (IDN) — Russia understandably fears the eastward expansion of NATO. Recently NATO countries, led by the United States, have supplied arms to Ukraine. There is a threat that the tensions building up in the region will lead to war. Such a development would be catastrophic for the entire world. […]
China’s Olympic Battle for Legitimacy: The Prehistory of Beijing 2022
Viewpoint by Charles Xu This article was first published on Qiao Collective and was adapted in partnership with Globetrotter. Charles Xu is a member of the Qiao Collective and of the No Cold War collective. Source: Globetrotter NEW YORK (IDN) — Much has been made of the “diplomatic boycott” by the United States and its […]
A Push to Further Bolster the Global Nuclear Non-Proliferation Regime
By Reinhard Jacobsen VIENNA (IDN) — The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Mariano Grossi, has launched an initiative to convince more countries to join the majority of states in giving Agency inspectors wider access to locations and information as part of a push to further bolster the global nuclear non-proliferation regime. […]