Viewpoint by Roberto Azevêdo and Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Following is the text of a joint statement by WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on April 20. GENEVA (IDN) – COVID-19 has rapidly progressed to become a global pandemic, causing unprecedented, far-reaching impact on the health, social and economic well-being of communities […]
Proposal to Convene NPT Review Conference in January 2021
Why Peaceful Vienna Is More Suitable than Toxic New York Viewpoint by Tariq Rauf * VIENNA, (IDN) – In my previous posts on IDN InDepthNews, Update: Postponed 2020 NPT Review Conference, Challenge for the NAM: Move the NPT Review Conference to 2021 in Vienna, and Postpone the NPT Review Conference to 2021 and Convene in […]
The Chinese Experience in Fighting COVID-19 and the Imperative of a Global Coalition – Part 2
Viewpoint by Teshome Toga Chanaka This is the second of a two-part article by Teshome Toga Chanaka, currently Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ethiopia to China. Click here for Part 1. Any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the government and IDN, the flagship […]
The Chinese Experience in Fighting COVID-19 and the Imperative of a Global Coalition – Part 1
Viewpoint by Teshome Toga Chanaka This is the first of a two-part article by Teshome Toga Chanaka, currently Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ethiopia to China. Any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the government and IDN, the flagship of non-profit International Press Syndicate. […]
UN Travel Organization Predicts Revival of Holiday Traffic
By Ronald Joshua ROME | MADRID (IDN) – Tourism has been brought to a near-standstill by COVID-19, but the World Travel Organization (UNWTO) believes that once the pandemic has passed, the industry, which accounts for 10 per cent of global GDP, is in a unique position to help put the global economy back on its […]
COVID-19 : An Unprecedented Crisis and Also an Exceptional Opportunity
Viewpoint by Dr Palitha Kohona The writer is former Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations, and former Foreign Secretary. Henry Kissinger, in one of his infrequent statements said, “When the COVID-19 pandemic is over, many countries’ institutions will be perceived as having failed. Whether this judgment is objectively fair is […]
UN Institute Expects COVID-19 Fallout to Push Half a Billion People into Poverty
By J Nastranis NEW YORK (IDN) – New research published by the UNU World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER) warns that the economic fallout from the global pandemic could increase global poverty by as much as half a billion people, or 8% of the total human population. This would be the first time that […]
Coronavirus Shows World Not Prepared for Security Threat of Climate Change
Viewpoint by Kate Guy* OXFORD (IDN) – How might a single threat, even one deemed unlikely, spiral into an evolving global crisis which challenges the foundations of global security, economic stability and democratic governance, all in the matter of a few weeks? My research on threats to national security, governance and geopolitics has focused on […]
COVID-19: Brazil Implements Basic Income Policy Following Massive Civil Society Campaign
By Pedro Telles The writer is 2018-19 Atlantic Fellow for Social and Economic Equity at the International Inequalities Institute, London School of Economics. SÃO PAULO (IDN) – Tens of millions of Brazilians have begun receiving basic income payments aimed at addressing the economic impact of COVID-19, following Congress’ approval of a bill prompted by a […]
WHO Cautions Against Relaxing Lockdown Measures in Europe
By J Nastranis NEW YORK (IDN) – The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of a potential “second wave” of COVID-19 infections. The warning comes as some European countries have begun to relax lockdown measures following weeks of confinement introduced to halt the spread of the new coronavirus. In an update to strategic advice to […]