IDN-InDepthNews

ARTS & CULTURE2016-11-242023-07-10

Beer Drinking and Rumba among Choices for Heritage List

By A.D. McKenzie

PARIS (IDN | SWAN) – Many people know of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites, which include structures such as China’s Great Wall and Tanzania’s Stone Town of Zanzibar – “places on earth that are of outstanding universal value to humanity” – but fewer perhaps know of the UN agency’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

This is an international register of cultural practices that are important for communities, in both traditional and modern ways, and 171 UNESCO member states have ratified a convention to safeguard these types of customs.

UN INSIDER2016-11-232023-07-10

UN Chief Decries ‘Chronic Stalemate’ Over Disarmament

By Rodney Reynolds

NEW YORK (IDN) – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who has been unwavering in his longstanding campaign to usher in “a world without nuclear weapons”, has expressed strong disappointment over “a deep division” among the UN’s 193 member states over the future of multilateral disarmament.

On the one hand, nuclear-weapon States, along with many of their allies, argue that they have taken steps to reduce their arsenals, he said.

On the other hand, non-nuclear-weapon States point to the lack of disarmament negotiations; the persistence of thousands of nuclear weapons; and plans for modernizing existing nuclear arsenals decades into the future with costs that run well over $1 trillion, said Ban in a November 22 keynote address before the New York University’s School of Professional Studies.

MULTIMEDIA2016-11-222023-07-10

UNIDO Celebrates 50th Anniversary

OPINION2016-11-222023-07-10

The Challenge of Sustainable Industrial Development

By Dr. Patrick I. Gomes, ACP Secretary-General

Note: The following text is based on ACP Secretary-General’s address on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) on 21 November 2016 in Vienna.

VIENNA | BRUSSELS (ACP-IDN) – UNIDO cooperation has been very fruitful in strengthening investment capacities in the 79 member states of the ACP Group, particularly to promote sustainable energy, value addition to commodities and development of small and medium enterprise.

In responding to the questions: How the ACP Secretariat is contributing and will be contributing to the promotion of 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Developments Goals we are happy to highlight two principles that underlie the approach of the ACP Group to sustainable development.

OPINION2016-11-222023-07-10

Peace with Russia is Possible

By Jonathan Power

LUND, Sweden (IDN-INPS) – Trotsky, the one-time close comrade of Lenin, reportedly said, “You may not be interested in war but war is interested in you”.

This is how it seems to have been with President Barack Obama when it comes to his policy towards Russia. Having come to power with President Vladimir Putin open to a closer relationship after the aggressive pushing forward of NATO’s frontier during the time of presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, Obama will leave the presidency with a state of hostility between the Russia and the U.S. that most thought had evaporated once the Cold War ended in 1991.

UN INSIDER2016-11-222023-07-10

Seeking Nuclear Disarmament in Dangerous Times

By Alice Slater

Alice Slater is the UN NGO Representative for the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation and serves on the Coordinating Committee of World Beyond War.

NEW YORK (IDN) – UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has championed efforts for nations to make good on their pledges to abolish nuclear weapons. In 2009 he published a five-point proposal for nuclear disarmament, urging nuclear weapons states in particular to fulfill their promises under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to negotiate for the total elimination of nuclear weapons as well as other complementary steps to that end such as banning missiles and space weapons.

Quality Education2016-11-212023-07-10

Disaster Relief ICTs SDG Enabler

Note: This article is moved in association with ITU’s media unit

BANGKOK (IDN-INPS) – Participants of an expert panel representing governments, private sector and NGOs at the ITU World Telecom 2016 event here argued that ‘disaster relief’ ICTs could be a Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) enabler.

Disasters (earthquakes, floods, cyclones, hurricanes, epidemics etc.) continue to undermine economic development, social development, and environmental protection. Thus existing and emerging ICTs can mitigate the impact of these disasters increasing the chance for countries to attain the SDGs by 2030.

Food security, nutrition & sustainable agriculture2016-11-212023-07-10

Agriculture Should Be at the Heart of the Climate Agenda

By Fabíola Ortiz

MARRAKECH (IDN) – The African continent is responsible for emitting only four percent of greenhouse gas emissions, yet six of the ten countries most threatened by the climate change effects of such emissions are in Africa.

With the continent currently receiving just five percent of funds to combat or cope with climate change, and a very small proportion of these being allocated in the agricultural sector, experts at the latest United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP22) in Marrakech have warned that agricultural yields in Africa could fall 20 percent by 2050 if agriculture does not adapt to climate change.

There is a strong need to increase the continent’s resilience to the impacts of climate change, Mohammed Badraoui, head of Morocco’s National Institute for Agronomic Research (INRA), told IDN.

UN INSIDER2016-11-202023-07-10

UN and Islamic Conference to Counter Global Terrorism

By J Nastranis

NEW YORK (IDN) – The UN Security Council members have affirmed the importance of enhancing cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in conflict prevention and counter-extremism, as well as the need for a comprehensive global counter-terrorism strategy supported by all regional partners.

In that regard, most speakers during an open debate of the UN Security Council on November 17 stressed “the importance of fighting terrorism, not only through security efforts, but also through development initiatives, conflict-resolution measures and the dissemination of voices challenging extremist ideology, including prominent religious voices”.

Global Partnerships2016-11-192023-07-10

Eurasia Boosts South-South Cooperation

By Bernhard Schell

DUBAI (IDN) – The rise of emerging economies in the Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (ECIS) region has boosted South-South cooperation, according to a new report.

The study by the UN Office for South-South Cooperation and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) is the first of its kind. It explores how mutual support has intensified over the last twenty years, following the region’s fundamental changes in economic, political, and social structures.

The study covers 31 countries and territories, highlighting the wealth of South-South Cooperation (SSC) in the region. It cites many interesting examples of SSC, and provides concrete suggestions to national policy-makers and other relevant stakeholders on how to catalyse SSC to achieve development objectives and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).