IDN-InDepthNews

SYNDICATION, UNITED NATIONS2015-12-052023-07-12

Most Vulnerable Countries Assured of Fresh Money at Climate Conference

By Jaya Ramachandran | IDN-InDepthNews Report

BERLIN | PARIS (IDN) – The Global Environment Facility (GEF) Chairperson Naoko Ishii has welcomed pledges made at the UN Climate Conference in Paris to inject more than 252 million U.S. dollars to help the most vulnerable countries address climate change and its adverse consequences.

In an unprecedented move, Premier Philippe Couillard of Québec, Canada’s largest province by area and its second-largest administrative division, has announced a contribution of 6 million Canadian dollars to the climate fund, hosted by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) for the most vulnerable countries.

The commitment, made at the Paris COP21 climate talks, is the first-ever by a sub-national government, and brings total new financing to the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) to more than 252 million U.S. dollars.

The support for the LDCF was included in an announcement by the Québec government on December 5 of new international funding for climate cooperation.

GLOBAL ISSUES2015-12-052023-07-10

A Turkish Recluse Bridges the Western and Muslim Worlds

By Fabíola Ortiz | IDN-InDepthNews Feature

PENNSYLVANIA (IDN) – A free global and interconnected citizenship might be the pathway to foster a non-violent and peaceful culture within societies. This is the main objective of a grassroots movement that advocates enhancing education, promoting universal values, interfaith dialogue and democracy.

A Turkish Muslim scholar Fethullah Gülen is the inspiration behind the movement called “Hizmet” (‘service’ in Turkish). Seen as a moderate Muslim, he emphasizes the need for interfaith dialogue, educational projects as an emancipatory tool of society to live freely and fairly, and the idea that science and religion can go hand in hand.

Over the five decades, the movement grew in Turkey and spread over 100 countries through the Turkish diaspora around the world. It is estimated that around 10 to 15% of the Turkish population is somehow engaged in this movement that has no centralized bureaucracy.

Climate Action2015-12-052023-07-10

Most Vulnerable Countries Assured of Fresh Money at Climate Conference

The support for the LDCF was included in an announcement by the Québec government on December 5 of new international funding for climate cooperation.

DEVNET2015-12-042023-07-10

Military Budgets Unexplored Source for Development Funding

UNITED NATIONS (IPS) – As the United Nations continues its intense search for trillions of dollars needed to finance 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by world leaders last September, there is one rich source that remains unexplored: world military budgets. SPANISH | GERMAN | HINDI | JAPANESE

Climate Action2015-12-032023-07-10

China’s Carbon Trading Pilot Programmes Flawed

BEIJING (IDN | UNDP) – As China prepares to launch a nationwide carbon cap-and-trade program to try to slow climate change, experts are warning of a long list of flaws in seven pilot programs that are already operating throughout the country.

Major issues ahead of the planned 2017 launch of a national carbon trading program include a lack of openness, transparency and fairness; a flawed system of allowance allocation which does not reflect real industry conditions; and an inadequate monitoring, verification and reporting system.

Asia-Pacific2015-12-032023-07-10

China’s Carbon Trading Pilot Programmes Flawed

By Wang Yan* | IDN-InDepthNews Analysis

The Group of 772015-12-022023-07-10

Developing Nations Need Hundreds of Billions To Address Climate Change

PARIS (IDN) – Warming of the climate system is unequivocal. Concentrations of greenhouse gases have increased and as a result the atmosphere and ocean have warmed, the amounts of snow and ice have diminished, sea level has risen, and the impacts are being felt in particular by developing countries. According to the latest science, the emissions gap with respect to the 2 degree or 1.5 degree goal is not closing.

Climate Change2015-12-022023-07-10

Developing Nations Need Hundreds of Billions To Address Climate Change

By Nozipho Mxakato-Diseko* | IDN-InDepthNews Viewpoint

Africa2015-12-022023-07-10

FAO Provides Critical Assistance in Northeast Nigeria

By Sonia Nguyen* | IDN-InDepthNews Feature

CHIBOK (IDN) – Repeated attacks on civilians from Boko Haram have led to massive displacements and negatively impacted livelihoods in North Eastern Nigeria. Displaced people rely on the limited resources of their host communities, placing the most vulnerable households under extreme pressure.

Africa2015-12-012023-07-10

Bribing One’s Way to Basic Necessities of Life in Africa

By Jutta Wolf | IDN-InDepthNews Analysis

BERLIN (IDN) – A man raped a nine-year old girl who was on her way to school and infected her with HIV. The Zimbabwean police initially arrested the attacker, but then released him in secret. The reason: he paid bribe.

This case is by no means an exception The police and private sector have regularly been rated as highly corrupt, says Transparency International in a report entitled People and Corruption: Africa Survey 2015, adding: “we hear stories like this every day . . . In many countries you can pay off police officers to ignore any crime, however horrific and devastating – it’s just a matter of price.”

In fact, says the report, bribery affects more than one-in-five Africans. “Shockingly, we estimate that nearly 75 million people have paid a bribe in the past year – some of these to escape punishment by the police or courts, but many also forced to pay to get access to the basic services that they desperately need.”

For this latest African edition of the Global Corruption Barometer, Transparency International partnered with the Afrobarometer, which spoke to 43,143 respondents across 28 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa between March 2014 and September 2015 to ask them about their experiences and perceptions of corruption in their country.