IDN-InDepthNews

UN INSIDER2016-12-162023-07-10

Designated UN Chief Appoints 3 Women for 3 Key Posts

By J Nastranis

NEW YORK (IDN) – Antonio Guterres, who takes over as the United Nations Secretary-General on January 1, 2017, delivered on his pledges on gender parity and geographical diversity when he confirmed three key appointments on December 15.

In a statement he confirmed, as widely expected, that he is appointing Amina J. Mohammed of Nigeria as his Deputy Secretary-General. He also announced the appointment of Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti of Brazil as his Chef de Cabinet.

“I also intend to create the position of Special Advisor on Policy, and to appoint Ms. Kyung-wha Kang of the Republic of Korea to this new role,” Guterres said.

ARMAMENTS2016-12-152023-07-10

Australia’s No to Prohibit-Nukes Resolution Triggers Debate

By Neena Bhandari

SYDNEY (IDN) – As the curtain falls on 2016, the year that marked the fifth anniversary of Fukushima and the 30th anniversary of Chernobyl nuclear disasters, sending a sombre reminder of the devastating humanitarian and environmental consequences of these weapons of mass destruction, the resolve to free the world of nuclear weapons is stronger than ever before.

The United Nations Resolution A/C.1/71/L.41, which calls for negotiations on a “legally binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading toward their total elimination”, was adopted at the 71st session of the First Committee of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on October 27, 2016 with 123 members, including nuclear North Korea, voting in favour of taking forward the multilateral nuclear disarmament negotiations, 38 voted against and 16 abstained.

Migration2016-12-152023-07-10

South Pacific: ‘Sea-Level Rise’ Migrants Posing a Problem

By Henry Oritimae and Sonal Shivangani*

This is the second in a series of features on the South Pacific produced in collaboration with Wansolwara, an independent student newspaper of the University of the South Pacific.

SUVA, Fiji (IDN) – With sea levels rising rapidly across the South Pacific and the resulting movement of people within and across countries, the region is facing a new problem of a lack of proper migration policies to address the issue, according to experts.

Inhabitants of artificial islands in the Soloman Islands are migrating to settle in the bigger islands because of sea-level rise and coastal inundation.

UN INSIDER2016-12-152023-07-10

UN Honours Three Activists for Biodiversity Protection

By J Nastranis

NEW YORK (IDN) – The United Nations has honoured activists for their relentless commitment to biodiversity protection: India’s Dr. Vandana Shiva, Founder and Director of Navdanya, Mexico’s Dr. Alfonso Aguirre-Muñoz, Executive Director of Grupo de Ecología y Conservación de Islas, A.C., and Russia’s Dr. Yury Darman, Director of WWF-Russia Amur Branch.

They received the prestigious MIDORI Prize for Biodiversity at an Award Ceremony on December 2, 2016 in Cancún, Mexico, in conjunction with the high-level segment of the thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.

UN INSIDER2016-12-142023-07-10

Kenyan President’s Engagement with the UN a Big Deal

By Siddharth Chatterjee

NAIROBI (IDN) – President Uhuru Kenyatta warmly welcomed dozens of U.N Agencies, development partners and senior Government officials to the State House on November 2, 2016 to discuss the joint development plan from 2014-2018.

He is perhaps the only head of state in Africa to take on this responsibility personally and believes in the transformational power of the Government-UN partnership to address national priorities for sustainable development. (Speech/audio)

The United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) is a critical document that guides government and U.N, partnership, ensuring the UN system is fit for purpose and contributes effectively to national development priorities.

Africa2016-12-142023-07-10

UN Praises Ghana Polls as New President Awaits Inauguration

By Global Information Network

NEW YORK | ACCRA (IDN) – In a surprise upset for incumbent President John Dramani Mahama, Ghanaian voters turned out strongly for opposition candidate Nana Akufo-Addo, whose campaign for the presidency gave hope to thousands of jobless.

While Akufo-Addo bagged 54% of the vote, Mahama took 44% on December 7. It was the first time in Ghana that an opposition candidate defeated an incumbent President at the ballot box – a reason strong enough for outgoing United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to congratulate Akufo-Addo on his election as President of Ghana.

Ban thanked outgoing President John Dramani Mahama for his role in defusing tensions and preserving peace during the election period. According to a statement issued by his office on December 9, Ban reiterated UN’s commitment to continue assisting the Government of Ghana in consolidating democratic and development achievements.

UN INSIDER2016-12-142023-07-10

UN Report Finds 48 Countries in a Poverty Trap

By Ronald Joshua

GENEVA (IDN) – As the first year of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be achieved by 2030 comes to a close, a new United Nations report finds that a group of 48 countries is falling further behind the rest of the world in terms of economic development.

The proportion of the global poor in those countries has more than doubled since 1990, to well over 40 per cent, and that the situation will not be remedied unless the international community takes concerted action.

“These are the countries where the global battle for poverty eradication will be won or lost,” said UNCTAD Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi, launching the Report. “A year ago, the global community pledged to ‘leave no one behind’, but that is exactly what is happening to the least developed countries (LDCs).”

UN INSIDER2016-12-142023-07-10

Funding a Serious Challenge for Malaria Control, Says WHO

By J Nastranis

NEW YORK (IDN) – “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.” This ambitious goal three enshrined in Agenda 2030 that vows to “leave no one behind” has made rather a modest advance – particularly in regard to combating malaria – as countries inch towards marking the first year anniversary of Sustainable Development Goals.

Sustained and sufficient funding for malaria control is a serious challenge, warns the World Malaria Report 2016. Despite a steep increase in global investment for malaria between 2000 and 2010, funding has since flat-lined. In 2015, malaria funding totalled US$ 2.9 billion, representing only 45% of the funding milestone for 2020 (US$ 6.4 billion).

UN INSIDER2016-12-132023-07-10

Gender Parity A Must For New UN Chief Guterres

By Rodney Reynolds

UNITED NATIONS (IDN) – Antonio Guterres, a former Prime Minister of Portugal (1995-2002) who was sworn in as the ninth UN Secretary-General, will preside over a 71-year-old Secretariat which is badly in need of institutional reforms, including the break-up of a longstanding monopoly of male-dominated high ranking appointments, described as an exclusive preserve of major powers.

Asked about his priorities in the first 100 days of his administration, beginning January 1, he told reporters: “I think that one very important element of the agenda will be to give a clear signal that gender parity is a must.”