Speaking Out for People, Planet and Peace

Viewpoint by Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka

The following statement by Executive Director of UN Women is for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November 2019. [Also available in ar, es, fr, ru]

NEW YORK (IDN) – If I could have one wish granted, it might well be a total end to rape. That means a significant weapon of war gone from the arsenal of conflict, the absence of a daily risk assessment for girls and women in public and private spaces, the removal of a violent assertion of power, and a far-reaching shift for our society.

By J W Jackie

RENO, Nevada, USA (IDN) – Greta Thunberg and Arnold Schwarzenegger are two names uncommonly seen together, but they made November headlines after sharing a cycle ride together. Generations apart and from wildly different backgrounds, it would be easy to think the two would have little in common, but they share a passion about fighting climate change, and together illustrate its impact on everyone, no matter what their age and background.

By Kwame Buist

ROME (IDN) – Almost daily violent attacks in the Sahel nations of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have displaced nearly one million people and caused emergency levels of malnutrition, the World Food Programme (WFP) has warned.

“Conflict is moving forward and moving fast,” says Margot van der Velden, Director of WFP’s Emergencies Division, referring to the three countries, where it is estimated 20 million people are living in areas affected by conflict and 2.4 million people are in need of food assistance – a figure that could rise due to continued displacements.

By Sean Buchanan

NEW YORK (IDN) – Although there have been historic gains over the last 30 years in improving children’s lives, urgent action is needed if the poorest children are to feel the impact, warns a new UN report.

The report, published on November 18 by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and released ahead of World Children’s Day on November 20, calls on countries to recommit to promises made under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted in 1989.

By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network

NEW YORK (IDN) – It’s not a piece of cake these days for leaders of African countries plotting to rewrite their constitutions and give themselves another decade or two in power, frustrating efforts by citizen groups to give other leaders a chance to rule.

That’s the endgame facing Guinean President Alpha Conde who is poised to approve a new constitution favourable to extending his stay in power.

By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network

NEW YORK (IDN) – Unions representing more than half of South African Airways (SAA) workforce called a strike last week after the airline refused to meet wage and job security demands.

The unions, representing more than 3,000 workers, walked out on November 15 after the state-owned airline rejected their demand for 8% raises, offering 5.9% instead. The airline is also planning to cut 944 positions. The strike forced the cancellation of most flights.

Viewpoint by Jonathan Power

LUND, Sweden (IDN) – Of all the present foes of America it is Iran which has consistently been over time the number one. Since its Islamic Revolution in 1979 that overthrew the secular-minded Shah and supplanted him with a militant, sometimes warlike, Islamic theocracy, it has been America’s Great Satan. (But for Europe rather less so, although no country has broken ranks with Washington.)

By Kwame Buist

GENEVA (IDN) – A form of insect birth control – Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) – that sterilises male mosquitoes using radiation will soon be tested as part of global health efforts to control diseases such as dengue, chikungunya and Zika.

The technique involves the mass production, sex-separation and sterilisation of male mosquitoes by exposing them to low doses of radiation. Sterile males released into the wild mate with wild female mosquitoes of the same species, resulting in the production of unviable eggs that lead to a decline in wild mosquito populations.

By Kalinga Seneviratne

SINGAPORE (IDN) – The emphatic win by former Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Presidential elections held in Sri Lanka on November 16 could herald in a new era for the strategically-placed South Asian island that could be modeled on the successful economic path of the Asian Tigers such as Singapore.

By Justus Wanzala

NAIRBI (IDN) – ICPD25, held in the Kenyan capital Nairobi from November 12-14 and marking the 25th anniversary of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo, Egypt, ended with bold commitments towards attainment of the rights of women and girls.

The conference, attended by more than 6,000 world leaders, scholars, rights advocates and faith leaders saw partners announce commitments to end all maternal deaths, satisfy unmet need for family planning and tackle gender-based violence and harmful practices against women and girls by 2030.

By J Nastranis

NEW YORK | BRASILIA (IDN) – Leaders of BRICS states comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa have called for strengthening and reforming the multilateral system, including the United Nations, the World Trade Organization (WTO), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other international organizations, and reiterated their commitment to shaping a more fair, just, equitable and representative multipolar international order.

By Global Times*

BRASILIA (IDN-INPS) – Chinese President Xi Jinping on November 14 night urged an end to violence and chaos in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), which he said is the most pressing task for the city, in his latest remarks that have been seen as a strong support for tougher actions against violent criminals.

In comments made at a meeting of major emerging markets in Brazil, Xi also stated China's determination to protect its national sovereignty and security, and opposition to external influence in Hong Kong affairs, in what analysts call a clear bid to gain understanding from the international community and warn radical elements in Hong Kong and their foreign backers.

By Kingston Reif and Shannon Bugos*

WASHINGTON, DC (IDN | Arms Control Association) – Top Russian Foreign Ministry officials have issued a fresh set of warnings about the future of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) because, they say, the Trump administration continues to refuse to engage in talks on extending the treaty.

Washington “is evading any serious discussion, making public discouraging signals regarding the future of this treaty,” said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov November 8 at a nonproliferation conference in Moscow.

By J C Suresh

TORONTO (IDN) – The broad-based Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh claims to have “liberated Iraq and northeast Syria from Daesh/ISIS’s grip” over five years of “military and civilian engagement”. At its peak, Daesh/ISIS controlled nearly 110,000 square kilometers of territory, including major cities in both Iraq and Syria and attracted more than 40,000 Foreign Terrorist Fighters. According to the communique emerging from the Ministerial Meeting on November 14 in Washington DC. The Coalition campaign has liberated approximately 7.7 million people from Daesh/ISIS’s control.

By Emil Fulajtar and Joanne Liou*

VIENNA (IDN) – Harmless traces from nuclear testing more than half a century ago are helping researchers assess soil erosion rates. In Africa, about 65 percent of the continent's farmland is affected by erosion-induced losses of topsoil and soil nutrients, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Benin is among those countries severely impacted by soil erosion, which poses a major problem for economic development since agriculture represents approximately 35 percent of the country’s GDP and 80 percent of its export income. A recent study applied a nuclear technique to assess rates of soil erosion and support land conservation in Benin.

By Joanne Liou*

VIENNA (IDN) – As over two thirds of the world’s operating research reactors are now over 30 years old, operators and regulators are focusing on refurbishing and modernizing reactors to ensure they can continue to perform in a safe and efficient manner. This is also one of many topics that will be discussed from November 25 to 29 at the International Conference on Research Reactors of the UN nuclear watchdog International Atomic Agency’ (IAEA) in Buenos Aires, Argentina.