IDN-InDepthNews

USA and Canada2016-11-112023-07-10

Trump Win an Indictment on the Republican Party

By Somar Wijayadasa*

NEW YORK (IDN) – After an acrimonious election that lacked a dialogue on policy issues but filled with animosity and innuendo, Donald J. Trump won the presidency in a stunning upset that has surprised the whole world.

He single-handedly won the election despite the Republicans in Washington shamefully spurned the Republican nominee with disdain and contempt. Even the major media outlets jumped on the bandwagon indiscriminately bashing Trump’s every word. Even three days after elections, the media was still stirring the cesspool.

Trump’s win is not a win for the Republican Party because Americans voted to prove their absolute repugnance and distrust of the “established political order” in Washington.

Asia-Pacific2016-11-102023-07-10

Mixed Reactions in Southeast Asia To Trump Triumph

Analysis by Kalinga Seneviratne

BANGKOK (IDN) – Republican Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential elections has drawn mixed reactions. Thailand hopes that a Trump presidency will adhere to a “balanced” foreign policy, while Singapore, Vietnam and Malaysia have expressed concerns that he will dismantle the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement. Indonesia cautioned its citizens not to react negatively to Trump’s anti-Islamic stance and Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte welcomed Trump’s victory because both are “alike”.

Climate Action2016-11-102023-07-10

After U.S. Elections, Environmentalists Vow to Keep Fighting

By A.D. McKenzie

PARIS (IDN) – As news of Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential elections spread around the world, some of the first reactions came from organisations working to combat climate change: they vowed to fight any attempts to block environmental action or the Paris Agreement.

The date of the elections, November 8, coincided with the second day of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 22) in Marrakech, Morocco, and a range of groups quickly made their positions clear.

“President-elect Donald Trump threatens our environment and we vow to fight him every step of the way,” stated Erich Pica, president of Friends of the Earth U.S.

Responsible Consumption & Production2016-11-102023-07-10

Thailand Takes Key Role in Cooperative Agricultural Plan to Promote SDGs

By Pratch Rujivanarom

This article is being moved with special arrangement with Thailand’s Nation newspaper

BANGKOK (IDN-INPS | The Nation) – Eight countries signed a ministerial declaration in Chiang Mai on November 6 to cooperate on improving irrigation systems among member countries to ensure food and water security.

A high-level advisory group on ‘Partnerships for Agriculture Water Management’ was established by the Chiang Mai Declaration to facilitate improved agricultural water productivity and management. It aims to ensure food security according to sustainable development goals, amid fears of water scarcity caused by climate change.

UN INSIDER2016-11-092023-07-10

UN to Step Up Implementation of 2030 Development Agenda

By J Nastranis

NEW YORK (IDN) – In a significant move, UN General Assembly President Peter Thomson has set up an expert team to push for implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), ‘leaving no-one behind,’ ensuring human rights for all, and engaging young people.

The SDG implementation team is tasked with motivating everyone at global, regional, national, and community levels to ensure realization of the Goals.

The team is led by Special Adviser Ambassador Dessima Williams of Grenada along with experts from the UN Secretariat and secondees from the UN Development Programme (UNDP), World Bank Group, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and Member States. Ambassador Macharia Kamau of Kenya will serve as the Special Envoy on SDG Implementation and Climate Change.

Sustainable Cities & Communities2016-11-092023-07-10

Faith Leaders Play Crucial Role in Disaster Risk Reduction

By Jaya Ramachandran

GENEVA (IDN) – Representatives of faith-based organizations (FBOs), United Nations agencies, NGOs and academic institutions have stressed the need for engaging with local faith communities to reduce vulnerability to disaster risk, listening to and taking into account the voices especially of women who are often worst affected.

A round-table ahead of the International Day of Disaster Reduction observed on October 13 also pleaded for supporting local faith communities with local disaster risk reduction (DRR) activities, and maximizing the contribution of FBOs, by ‘using’ their spiritual capital.

Africa2016-11-082023-07-10

Developing Africa Through Green Industrialization

By Kingsley Ighobor*

NEW YORK (IDN | Africa Renewal) – For environmentalists and development experts, green is not just a colour; it also refers to activities that benefit the environment – the careful use of the earth’s finite resources.

Africa’s policy wonks are already on the green bandwagon, having identified “green industrialization” as the Holy Grail of the continent’s socioeconomic transformation. They believe infusing green initiatives into value-chain activities – during the sourcing and processing of raw materials, and the marketing and selling of finished products to customers – can cure economic stagnation.

OPINION2016-11-082023-07-10

What If Obama Were President for the Third Term

By Jonathan Power

LUND, Sweden (IDN-INPS) – An interesting question is what would happen to American foreign policy if President Barack Obama were allowed to have another four year term in office?

It would be a less interventionist presidency than what is about to become. This is not to say that I think the way Obama has handled the war in Afghanistan has been successful. Nor do I believe the attack on Libya was a sensible idea. Nor do I think the way he dealt with Russia and Ukraine in the last four years has been anything but counterproductive.

ARMAMENTS2016-11-072023-07-10

NATO Shores Up Hegemonial Power Through Nuke Deterrence

By Xanthe Hall, IPPNW and ICAN Germany

Note: This article first appeared in the IPPNW Peace and Health Blog on November 3, 2016.

BERLIN (IDN-INPS) – For once, the United States, France and the United Kingdom are in agreement with Russia: plans to negotiate a nuclear weapons ban need to be stopped. Before the vote on October 27 in the UN First Committee, they pulled out all the stops to pressurise other states to vote against or abstain on a draft resolution co-sponsored by 57 states for a conference to be convened in 2017 to negotiate a nuclear ban.

UN INSIDER2016-11-062023-07-10

Kudos for Kazakh Commitment to Peace and Nuke-Free World

By J Nastranis

NEW YORK (IDN) – A close look at the voting on a ground-breaking resolution adopted by the Disarmament and International Security Committee of the United Nations General Assembly on October 27 underlines Kazakhstan’s unflinching commitment to a nuclear-weapons free world. And a U.S. foreign policy expert has commended this.

The resolution Taking forward multilateral nuclear disarmament negotiations approved by 123 votes – as against 38 rejections and 16 abstentions – establishes a UN conference in 2017 “to negotiate a legally binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total elimination”.