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News for a Sustainable World, Peace and Security

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GLOBAL ISSUES

Two Chinese Initiatives ‘Game Changer’ in International Relations

By Martin Khor* | IDN-InDepthNews Analysis


GENEVA (IDN) – China gave a big boost to South-South cooperation when its President, Xi Jinping, made two unprecedented mega pledges totalling US$5.1 billion to assist other developing countries, during his visit to the United States in September.

Firstly, he announced that China would set up a China South-South Climate Cooperation Fund to provide RMB 20 billion or US$3.1 billion to help developing countries tackle climate change. This announcement was made at the White House at a media conference with U.S. President Barrack Obama.

GLOBAL ISSUES

Working Together for Migratory Birds and People Across Africa and Eurasia

By Jacques Trouvilliez* | IDN-InDepthNews Viewpoint


BONN (IDN) – One lesson that has been well and truly learned in nature conservation is that for policies to be really effective countries have to collaborate to address common problems.

Within the UN system it is also recognized that this applies to the different Programmes, Conventions and Agreements set up over the years. That each of these bodies has a distinct niche and a clear role does not justify a bunker mentality.  By synergizing, cooperating and collaborating they can find common cause with natural allies and seek compromises with those whose agendas do not necessarily match their own.

ARMAMENTS

World’s Major Powers, in ‘Shameful Behaviour’, Opt out of Nuclear Resolution

By Rodney Reynolds | IDN-InDepthNews Analysis


UNITED NATIONS (IDN) – When the world’s major nuclear powers express their support for nuclear disarmament, their political rhetoric usually fails to match their actions – even as they continue to modernize their arsenals. Undeterred, the UN’s Committee on Disarmament and International Security (also known as the First Committee) traditionally adopts a cluster of over 15-20 resolutions every year – mostly on arms control and nuclear disarmament.

This year there was one significant exception: the U.S., Britain and France, three of the world’s major nuclear powers, opted to abstain on a resolution, spearheaded by Japan every year, on united action towards the total elimination of nuclear weapons. All three countries voted in favour of the resolution last year, with U.S. and Britain as co-sponsors. But this year both countries were missing in action – much to the disappointment of Japan, a key Western ally.

ARMAMENTS

Need for Dialogue among Divides: A Pugwash Perspective

By Jayantha Dhanapala* | IDN-InDepthNews Analysis

NAGASAKI (IDN) – The recent Nagasaki Pugwash Conference coincided with many significant anniversaries in the history of global peace and security – on this occasion with strong links to the host country, Japan.

– It was the 70th anniversary of the United Nations Organization, which underpins the prevailing global system of peace and security with its Charter and the framework of norms and values it upholds;

– It was the 60th anniversary of the Pugwash bedrock document and surely one of the earliest formulations of the “Humanitarian Pledge” of today – the 1955 London Manifesto of the Pugwash founding fathers Albert Einstein and Bertrand Russell – one of whose co-signatories was Professor Hideki Yukawa, the Nobel Physics Laureate from Kyoto University, Japan;

– And it was the 20th anniversary of the award of the Nobel Peace Prize jointly to Pugwash and to one of its founders Sir Joseph Rotblat three months after the Pugwash Conference was held in Hiroshima in that year.

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