IDN-InDepthNews – Page 699 – News for a Sustainable World, Peace and Security

OPINION2017-02-072023-07-10

NATO is Indeed Obsolete

By Jonathan Power

LUND, Sweden (IDN-INPS) – So what does President Donald Trump think about NATO? Twice during his campaign he rubbished it publically, saying it was “obsolete”. Yet early February when he met the UK’s prime minister, Therese May, it was all hunky dory. He told her he supported NATO 100%.

There are some – a few – influential people who have argued that NATO is indeed obsolete. One of these was William Pfaff, the late, much esteemed, columnist for the International Herald Tribune. Another is Paul Hockenos who set out his views in a seminal article in World Policy Journal. Their words fell on deaf ears.

UN INSIDER2017-02-062023-07-10

A Swedish Billionaire Invites Ideas for a New UN

By J Nastranis

NEW YORK (IDN) – Laszlo Szombatfalvy, a Swedish billionaire of Hungarian origin, is willing to pay US$5 million to anyone who comes up with innovative ideas for revamping the global governance system as currently manifested in the 71-year old United Nations now facing a huge funding challenge from the U.S. with Donald Trump as the President.

It is officially described as ‘The Global Challenges Prize 2017: A New Shape – Remodelling Global Cooperation’. The award has been issued by the Global Challenges Foundation, which is urging “big thinkers, from all disciplines, everywhere” to use their “brainpower” and “best ideas as never before” to “help to reshape our world”.

UN INSIDER2017-02-052023-07-10

Chamber of Commerce Gets Direct Voice in UN Decision Making

By Svenja Brunkhorst and Jens Martens

BONN | NEW YORK (IDN | Global Policy Forum) – In an unprecedented and historic move, the Sixth Committee of the UN General Assembly recently granted observer status to the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).

The resolution was submitted by France, Albania, Colombia, the Netherlands and Tunisia and was adopted during the seventy-first session of the General Assembly. The resolution sets out the ICC’s position as observer in the General Assembly from January 1, 2017 on. For the first time, the Sixth Committee of the General Assembly (GA) has approved a business organization as an observer to the UN General Assembly.

ARMAMENTS2017-02-052023-07-10

The Rapidly Increasing Urgency of Nuclear Zero

By Rick Wayman*

SANTA BARBARA, CA, USA (IDN) – October 24-25, 2016, the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation brought together a small group of academics, activists and thought leaders to discuss how to shift the global discourse toward nuclear disarmament. The symposium, entitled “The Fierce Urgency of Nuclear Zero: Changing the Discourse,” discussed the current state of nuclear threats, geopolitical and psychological obstacles to nuclear zero, and the path forward.

The symposium’s final statement was delayed in order to incorporate the new political realities following the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States, which took place just two weeks after the symposium.

Asia-Pacific2017-02-042023-07-10

The Role of Independence in an Interchanging World Order

By Asanga Abeyagoonasekera*

“Geographic facts do not change, but their meaning for foreign policy will.” – Nicholas J. Spykman,

COLOMBO (IDN) – A new world order has begun with roles interchanging. United States as the leader of the free world and the architect of globalization is advocating nationalism in a close of its borders while China who earlier spoke about national values is now praising globalization.

President Xi during his visit to Davos clearly gave leadership toward the case of globalization. According to President Xi, “There was a time when China also had doubts about economic globalization, and was not sure whether it should join the World Trade Organization. But we came to the conclusion that integration into the global economy is a historical trend. To grow its economy, China must have the courage to swim in the vast ocean of the global market.

UN INSIDER2017-02-032023-07-10

UN Women Urges Renewed Efforts To Eliminate FGM

By Jaya Ramachandran

NEW YORK (IDN) – While there has been an overall decline in the prevalence of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) across countries, this progress is likely to be offset by rapid population growth in states where FGM occurs, unless efforts to eliminate the practice are renewed in light of recent research, and urgently stepped up, UN Women has warned.

In a statement on the occasion of the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation on February 6, UN Women – United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women – refers to a 2016 report of the UN Secretary-General. The single largest factor influencing the continuation of female genital mutilation is the desire for social acceptance and avoidance of social stigma, the report found.

UN INSIDER2017-02-022023-07-10

UNDP Succeeds in Diversifying Funding Sources

By J Nastranis

NEW YORK (IDN) – While uncertainty persists over U.S. contributions to the United Nations, UN Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Helen Clark says that “there is significant potential to attract new supporters and funding” beyond the organisation’s traditional partnership base.

“These relationships take time to nurture, but over time can yield good results,” she told the first regular session of the UNDP Executive Board for 2017 on January 30, pointing to significant steps to diversify UNDP’s resource base.

UN coordination is a key priority for UNDP and a commitment in its Strategic Plan. The UNDP Administrator is the Chair of the UN Development Group (UNDG), which unites the funds, programmes, specialized agencies, departments and offices of the UN system that play a role in development.

Asia-Pacific2017-02-022023-07-10

Sri Lanka: Celebrating ‘Independence’ in a Mess

By Kalinga Seneviratne

BANGKOK (IDN) – On February 4 each year Sri Lanka celebrates the gaining of independence from British colonial rule. 69 years since then, it is appropriate to ask: “what independence?” The country is currently in a real mess brought about by a successful regime change campaign orchestrated by “civil society” groups, which toppled the government of “war-winning” President Mahinda Rajapakse in January 2015.

Today, the country’s foreign minister acts like a colonial era British Viceroy and not as the country’s top diplomat safeguarding the nation’s interests and dignity. The Prime Minister while trying to drum up foreign “investments” acts as if he is willing to sell any part of the country to the highest bidder and the President roams around the island like a colonial-era “gate mudaliyar” attending functions and trying to assure the natives that they are in good hands.

UN INSIDER2017-02-012023-07-10

UN Chief Pleads for High-level Interaction with Africa

By J Nastranis

NEW YORK (IDN) – The United Nations and the African Union (AU) have agreed to establish regular, high-level interaction between the two organizations in the interest of “enhanced energies and avenues of cooperation”, according to UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

“We have agreed that Agenda 2063 (the development agenda of the African Union) and the 2030 Agenda (for sustainable development) will be aligned,” Guterres said at a press encounter at the UN Headquarters, in New York on February 1 after his return from Africa and his participation at the African Union Summit on January 30-31.

Africa2017-02-012023-07-10

African Union Denounces US Ban on Muslim Immigrants

By Global Information Network

NEW YORK | ADDIS ABABA (IDN) – An outraged African Union (AU) recalled the kidnapping of Black Africans as it considered the controversial new US anti-immigrant rules. After forcibly bringing Africans to the U.S. as slave labour, noted the AU, Washington now slams the door on Muslim immigrants entering the U.S.

“It is clear that globally we are entering very difficult times,” cautioned outgoing AU Commissioner Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, speaking at the January 30-31 summit of 53 member states in Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

“The very country to which many of our people were taken as slaves during the transatlantic slave trade has now decided to ban refugees from some of our countries,” she said.