By Robert Johnson BRUSSELS (IDN) – Dr. P.I. Gomes, Secretary General of the Organisation of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (OACPS), sees “great scope” for the 79-nation grouping in 2020 to be “a powerful catalyst and advocate to accelerate implementation” of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of the 2030 Agenda.
UN Warns of Growing Inequality Triggering New Great Divergence
By Santo D. Banerjee NEW YORK (IDN) – In the run-up to 2020, the UN has warned that despite remarkable progress on laying a solid foundation for human development, Thailand, like many other countries, is facing challenges in tackling inequality. This is also a theme on which the 2019 Human Development Report (HDR) from the […]
UN Working Group Condemns Racial Discrimination of Ecuadorians of African Descent
By Jaya Ramachandran GENEVA (IDN) – Independent experts of a UN Working Group are “deeply concerned about the human rights situation of people of African descent” in Ecuador. After an official visit, a follow-up of a similar mission in 2009, the experts said, despite the progressive provisions of the Constitution, recognition of the collective rights […]
The Fate of Indo-British Relations in The Aftermath of BREXIT
Viewpoint by Manish Uprety F.R.A.S. and Jainendra Karn * NEW DELHI (IDN) – Will Uncle Christmas fulfill Nicola Sturgeon’s wish this year? In the aftermath of the British elections that painted England blue, Nicola presented her formal request for a fresh referendum on Scottish independence and has called for the Scottish parliament to be given […]
From 1928 On War Is Deemed Illegal
Viewpoint by Jonathan Power LUND, Sweden (IDN) – When it comes to war the world does move on for the better. Right now there are no interstate wars. The longest running civil war of our era, in the Sudan, is over. The second longest, in Afghanistan and Syria, are winding down. Only one country in […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]