By Somar Wijayadasa* | IDN-InDepthNews Viewpoint
NEW YORK (IDN) – The United Nations marked its 70th Anniversary in September with world leaders making grandiose statements. With over 160 world leaders in town, the General Assembly was described as one of the greatest geopolitical spectacles in UN memory.
By Bhumika Muchhala* | IDN-InDepthNews Analysis
GENEVA (TWN | IDN) – The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution on principles to guide sovereign debt restructuring processes on September 10.
This landmark resolution was submitted to the General Assembly by South Africa (current chair of the Group of 77 and China developing countries). It was initiated by Argentina in the wake of the vulture funds lawsuit by an international hedge fund against the country.
The resolution yielded a ‘yes’ vote from 136 countries from Latin America, Asia, Africa and the Caribbean. A ‘no’ vote was registered by 6 countries: the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada and Israel. An ‘abstain’ vote, meaning that these countries abstained from voting either yes or no, was registered by 41 countries.
By INPS* | IDN-InDepthNews Analysis
Washington DC (IDN) – An emerging-markets focused U.S. hedge fund that bought Peru’s 5.1 billion dollar decades-old military debts is threatening to sue the country.
Gramercy argues that the Peruvian government’s current repayment plan is inadequate and that if payments do not increase, it will sue Peru through a tribunal system embedded in the United States-Peru Free Trade Agreement (PTPA) that entered into force on February 1, 2009.
Von Shailendra Singh*
SUVA, Fidschiinseln (IDN) – Diskussionen über die Idee einer ‘Globalen Bürgerschaft’ gewinnen in internationalen Foren an Dynamik. In den pazifischen Inselstaaten ist dieses Thema jedoch bisher kaum vertieft worden. Ron Israel, Mitbegründer von ‘The Global Citizens’ Initiative’ ist der Überzeugung, dass Globale Bürger über ihr Lebensumfeld und die gemeinsame Identität hinaus denken und sich als Teil einer größeren, aufstrebenden Weltgemeinschaft begreifen.
By J C Suresh | IDN-InDepthNews Analysis
TORONTO (IDN) – A high-ranking UN official has warned against ‘toxic public debates’ in the face of 60 million forcibly displaced people living in a troubled global landscape of increased conflict and called for a global compact on refugee and asylum matters.
By Ramesh Jaura | IDN-InDepthNews Analysis
BERLIN (IDN) – Major nuclear disarmament groups are deeply concerned over speculations whether a Russian Tupolev Tu-160 supersonic bomber, intercepted late September in British airspace, was planning to attack the country and unleash World War 3. They have urged Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Barack Obama to agree to “an immediate reduction in nuclear risks”.
By International Press Syndicate | IDN-InDepthNews Report*
TORONTO (IDN) – As migrants and refugees from Africa and the Middle East continue to arrive in Europe in unprecedented numbers, a new World Bank/IMF report says that large-scale migration from poor countries to richer regions of the world will be a permanent feature of the global economy for decades to come as a result of major population shifts in countries.
By Shailendra Singh* | IDN-InDepthNews Analysis
SUVA, Fiji (IDN) – Discussions about the concept of ‘Global Citizenship’ are gaining momentum in various international forums, but remain largely unexplored in the Pacific Islands.
According to Ron Israel, co-founder of The Global Citizens’ Initiative, Global Citizens think beyond communities based on shared group identities, and see themselves as part of a larger, emerging world community.
In the Pacific, the late Tongan academic and philosopher, Professor Epeli Hau’ofa, had gone as far as proposing a common regional identify he called the “new Oceania”, comprising of people with a common Pacific heritage and commitment, rather than as members of diverse nationalities and races.
By Kalinga Seneviratne* | IDN-InDepthNews Analysis
SINGAPORE (IDN) – Making a statement during its latest session in Geneva, UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) chief Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein lamented that many of their member states do not tolerate criticism and scrutiny and there is an increasing trend of governments moving to restrict and persecute voices of civil society.
“I, together with many of my colleagues at the office, feel exhausted and angry,” Zeid said. “Exhausted, because the system is barely able to cope, given the resources available to it, while human misery accelerates . . . And angry, because it seems that little that we say will change this. Unless we change dramatically in how we think and behave as international actors.”
By Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka* | IDN-InDepthNews Viewpoint
NEW YORK (IDN) – Over the past two years, Boko Haram has grown in influence and spread across the West African region with specific impacts on the rights of women and girls. The 500th day anniversary of the kidnapping of the Chibok girls in Nigeria recently passed. Despite a global movement calling for their return, most remain missing, with more women and girls abducted by Boko Haram each week. Millions have been displaced as a result of Boko Haram violence.
In light of this ongoing and deepening insecurity, UN Women welcomes the release of the report this week by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on violations committed by Boko Haram.
We underline the call to affected States and the international community to place gender equality at the heart of interventions. This is the only sustainable, systemic way to prevent and respond to the spread of violent extremism. Empowered women and empowered communities are the best defense against radicalization and further violence. We must engender counter-terrorism.
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