By Jacob Goldberg* The New Humanitarian issued this article, and it is being republished with their permission. BANGKOK | 6 December 2024 (IDN) — Dozens of Sri Lankan Tamil asylum seekers arrived in the UK this week, ending a three-year legal battle to avoid being deported by British authorities from Diego Garcia, a British-held militarised […]
World Trade Is on Track to Hit a Record USD33 Trillion In 2024
By Jaya Ramachandran GENEVA | 5 December 2024 (IDN) — Global trade is poised to hit an all-time high of nearly $33 trillion in 2024. This marks a growth of 3.3% or $1 trillion increase driven by a 7% rise in trade in services, according to the latest Global Trade Update by UN Trade and […]
Volunteerism: The Untapped Force to Help Tackle World’s Problems
By Simone Galimberti International Volunteer Day, commonly known as IVD, is celebrated on 5 December every year. It started as an international observance mandated by the United Nations General Assembly in 1985. It is a day where volunteers are acknowledged, and the spirit of volunteerism is promoted at the local, national and international levels. United […]
UNHCR Hits a Record USD 1.5 Billion in Early Funding to Support Refugees
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS | 4 December 2024 (IDN) — As humanitarian emergencies in the Middle East and Africa keep escalating—including in Gaza, Lebanon, Sudan and most recently in Syria—there was a glimmer of hope to millions starved of food and deprived of shelter and medication in war zones. According to the Office of […]
Lebanon: Can Diplomacy Rise from the Ruins?
By Medea Benjamin and Nicolas J. S. Davies* NEW YORK | 4 December 2024 (IDN) — On 26 November, Israel and Lebanon signed an agreement for a 60-day truce, during which Israel and Hezbollah are both supposed to withdraw from the area of Lebanon south of the Litani River. The agreement is based on the […]
Global Drought Resilience Partnership Secures USD 2.15 Billion in Commitments
By Bernhard Schell RIYADH, Saudi Arabia | 3 December 2024 (IDN) — Saudi Arabia, as host of the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP16), has announced the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership, which will leverage public and private finance to support 80 of the […]
Tear Down Those Walls and Fences — Manifestations of Shallow Thinking
By Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden | 3 December 2024 (IDN) — At first, I was a bit surprised to find that the English admonition, “Good fences make for good neighbours” exists in many other languages. I shouldn’t have been taken aback. A moment’s reflection should have told me that fences and walls to divide off […]
Relief Deliveries to Gaza and Syria Halted — Yet Another Summit Seeks to Combat Desertification
NEW YORK | 3 December 2024 (IDN) — While organized looting has constrained UNRWA to pause relief deliveries to Palestinian refugees, the sudden escalation of fighting in Syria’s northwest is continuing to impact aid deliveries there. Meanwhile, UN summit has got underway in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to combat desertification, drought and promote land restoration, writes […]
Africa: Sustained Partnership with Russia in Mutual Interest
By Kester Kenn Klomegah MOSCOW | 2 December 2024 (IDN) — After the first Ministerial Conference on Russia-Africa, Louis Gouend, founder of Hello Africa and founding Executive Director of the African Business Club, noted that instability and security is still fragile across the African continent, but with an innovative and balanced approaches with Russia’s engagement, […]
The BRICS Plan for a New Financial Architecture
By Anuradha Chenoy* This article was published in Economic&Political Weekly (Vol. 59, Issue No. 48, 30 Nov. 2024) and is being republished with the author‘s permission. NEW DELHI | 1 December 2024 (IDN) — The Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) has established itself as a multilateral organisation distinct from others, evident from […]