By Loraine Rickard-Martin*, Passblue NEW YORK (IDN) – At the $79.4 billion United Nations pension fund, continuing tensions came to a head this month when the UN participant representatives to the pension board — elected representatives of 85,000 active UN staff members — wrote on December 2 to the General Assembly body that oversees the […]
EEPA Report on Horn of Africa Situation on December 25
By EEPA BRUSSELS (IDN) – The United States has expressed deep concern “for the safety and security of Eritrean refugees in Ethiopia”, calling on “the Ethiopian government to uphold its obligations under international law and to take appropriate measures to ensure the protection and safety of all refugees in Ethiopia. Those responsible for egregious abuses or violations […]
Sufficient Uranium Resources Exist to Support the Sustainable Use of Nuclear Energy
By Reinhard Jacobsen VIENNA (IDN) – A new report by the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says that sufficient uranium resources exist to support the long-term, sustainable use of nuclear energy for low-carbon electricity generation as well as for other uses such as industrial heat applications and hydrogen production.
Ethiopia Said to Be Jeopardising Organisation of African Unity’s Principles
EEPA Report on Horn of Africa Situation on December 24 BRUSSELS (IDN) – Ethiopia took the lead in creating Africa’s continental organisation, the African Union (AU). But Alex Dewaal, Executive Director of the World Peace Foundation at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, believes that its actions are now jeopardising the […]
Holidays: A Time to Renew Hope
Viewpoint by Dilkhush Panjwani * The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the writer and do not express the views or opinions of people, institutions or organizations that he is affiliated with in a professional or personal capacity. TORONTO (IDN) – George Clooney said in a recent interview: “It’s been […]
Portugal: Mainstreaming Food Systems in The Presidency of The European Council
Viewpoint by Paulo Caruso Dias de Lima The writer is a Liaison Officer at the FAO Brussels Office. BRUSSELS (IDN) – As announced two weeks ago, the Portuguese Presidency of the European Council, in the first half of next year, is set to position its priorities to promote a fair, green and digital recovery from […]
Desert Locust Upsurge Continues to Threaten Food Security in the Horn of Africa
FAO Needs Funds To Safeguard Agricultural Production and Livelihoods By FAO ROME (IDN) – A new generation of Desert Locust swarms is threatening Agricultural and pastoral livelihoods and the food security of millions of people in the Horn of Africa and Yemen, despite intense efforts to control the pest throughout 2020, according to the Food […]
Withdrawal of US Troops from Somalia Underlines Critical Situation in the Region
EEPA Report on Horn of Africa Situation on December 23 BRUSSELS (IDN) – The situation in the Horn of Africa is getting increasingly critical in the Horn of Africa. A case in point is that the Expeditionary Sea Base USS Hershel “Woody” Williams is “conducting maritime operations off the coast of Somalia” to “reposition U.S. […]
Iran Joins China, Russia, EU, France, Germany and UK in Reaffirming Commitment to ‘Nuclear Deal’
By Robert Johnson BRUSSELS (IDN) – Amid speculations about Iran’s reaction to the assassination of the country’s eminent nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh on a road outside of Tehran on November 27, participants in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) have reiterated their commitment to preserving the agreement and stressed their respective efforts in this […]
Time to Resurrect the Iran Nuclear Deal
The thirteenth Presidential elections are scheduled to be held in Iran on June 18, 2021. The moderate Rouhani will be stepping down and there is the likelihood that a hard-line conservative will succeed him – someone who is less keen on negotiations. Viewpoint by Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden (IDN) – John le Carré died December […]