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Demographic Peace Likely as Russia, China and USA Turn Grey

Viewpoint by Jonathan Power

LUND, Sweden (IDN-INPS) – Traditionally old men have sent young men to fight the wars they have started. Today it may be somewhat different. Old men may be shying away from war while young men are still beholden to it.

The world, as never before, is becoming demographically lopsided, with older people concentrated in rich countries and the young in not-so-rich countries. These older societies are becoming less warlike, as the influence of the experienced and the wise filters down into the body politic.

: Jonathan Power; OPINION; 30 April 2019

Photo: Sir Ronald Sanders, Ambassador of Antigua and Barbuda to the United States and the Organisation of American States. Credit: Embassy of Antigua and Barbuda, Washington, DC.

79-Nation ACP Group Must Guard Against Lack of Unity

By Desmond Brown

This report is part of a series focusing on the European Union and the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States working to "modernize" their relations. These involve "a greater presence" of the ACP Group at the United Nations. As a minimum, an ACP-EU coordination unit should have a seat at the UN, said a landmark resolution of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly held March 18-20 in Bucharest, the capital of Romania.- The Editor.

ST. JOHN'S, Antigua (IDN) – The prospect of Brexit, the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union, continues to loom large over the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group of countries. If a no-deal Brexit happens in October, this could mean severe consequences for the ACP.

: Desmond L. Brown; GLOBAL GOVERNANCE; ACP Group of States; 29 April 2019

Photo: A general picture of the market with the trucks bringing animals to the market. (Centre) Andakulova Gulmeera with the horse. (Close to bottom): A farmer with his cattle. Credit: Kalinga Seneviratne | IDN-INPS.

Animal Market Nerve Centre of Local Economy in Kyrgyzstan

By Kalinga Seneviratne

AT-BASHY, Kyrgyzstan (IDN) – Separated by mountain ranges from the rest of the country, Naryn province in southeastern Kyrgyzstan lies at an altitude of between 1300 to 3000 meters. Sheep and cattle, raised on the extensive grasslands and alpine pastures, are the mainstay of the economy. While horses play an important role in transport, they also do so in shepherding the herds, especially in summer.

: Kalinga Seneviratne; CENTRAL ASIA; 29 April 2019

Photo: Maj Gen Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo has emerged as the second-most powerful man in Sudan after the overthrow of Omar Al Bashir. Western officials privately describe him as “potentially Sudan’s Sisi,” a reference to Egyptian general-turned-president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi who came to power in 2013 in a UAE-Saudi-supported military coup. Source: The National, UAE.

Arab Power Struggles: 'The King is Dead, Long Live the King'

Viewpoint by James M. Dorsey

James M. Dorsey – a senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, an adjunct senior research fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute and co-director of the University of Wuerzburg’s Institute of Fan Culture – offered this viewpoint to IDN.

SINGAPORE (IDN) – Political transition in the Middle East and North Africa operates so far on the principle of ‘The King is dead, long live the King.’

: Phil Harris; OPINION; 28 April 2019

Photo (left to right): Neil Paul of Ramphal Center; Sandra Husbands, Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Trade at Government of Barbados; Dr Patrick I Gomes, ACP Secretary-General; Sir Shridath Ramphal, one of the original drafters of the Georgetown Agreement; and Prof. / Ambassador Ibrahim Gambari, Nigeria. Credit: ACP Secretariat.

The Primacy of Institutionalised Unity is Key to the Georgetown Agreement

Viewpoint by Sir Shridath Ramphal

"The truly compelling lesson . . . is how critical it is to pool our resources: political, economic and intellectual in negotiating with countries beyond ourselves: globally, in Europe, in the Hemisphere," says Sir Shridath Ramphal – one of the original drafters of the 1975 Georgetown Agreement that created the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP). The following are extensive excerpts from his Opening Remarks on 26 February 2019, tracing the genesis and the process of unification for the ACP at the Inter-Regional High-Level Consultation in Barbados.

: Reinhard Jacobsen; OPINION; 28 April 2019

Photo: Group picture of high school students from Russia, Japan and USA who participated in the Critical Issues Forum conference at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. Credit: CNS

High School Students' Conference Stimulates Youth Engagement in Nuclear Disarmament

By Masako Toki*

MONTEREY, CA, USA (IDN) – The global nuclear situation appears to be more dangerous than ever, and calls for innovative solutions and involvement of the young people. Much against the widespread belief that high school students are too young to be engaged in resolving issues related to nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation, the 2019 Critical Issues Forum (CIF) conference evidenced that tomorrow's leaders are ready to contribute their share to global peace and security.

: IDN-INPS UN Bureau; ARMAMENTS; Disarmament; 27 April 2019

Photo: Geneva Centre debates 'Migration and Human Solidarity'. Credit: Geneva Centre for Human Rights Advancement and Global Dialogue.

Experts Slate 'Fortress Europe' and Push-Back Policies

By Ronald Joshua

GENEVA (IDN) – Experts with first-hand experience in the migrant and refugee crisis have underlined problems during their work on the ground, in coordinating rescue operations and aid distribution, or documenting and raising awareness of the situation caused by the current massive displacement of people worldwide turning into a politicized crisis of solidarity, with closed border policies and the rise of xenophobic, populist trends.

: Ronald Joshua; SUSTAINABILITY; Reduced Inequalities; 27 April 2019

Photo: Indonesian school girls. Source: East Asia Forum

Need to Raise Awareness about Sexual Harassment in Indonesian Schools

By Iwu Dwisetyani Utomo

CANBERRA (IDN-INPS) – A recent Gender and Reproductive Health Study in Indonesia found a surprisingly high degree of comprehension of sexual harassment among Indonesian students and teachers, but there were some worrying differences across various demographics.

The findings suggest the need for more research, education and awareness-raising on sexual harassment in Indonesia, as well as institution-building for reporting and policing sexual harassment.

: Kalinga Seneviratne; THE WORLD; Asia-Pacific; 26 April 2019

Photo (Screenshot): UN Secretary General António Guterres delivered remarks at the opening of Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing on April 26. Credit: UN China/Zhao Yun

UN Chief Expects Belt and Road Initiative to Foster 'Inclusive, Sustainable and Durable' Development

By Sean Buchanan

LONDON (IDN) – China’s international trade and economic development plan – known as the Belt and Road Initiative – could contribute to a more equitable and prosperous world, and help reverse the negative impact of climate change, according to UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

Addressing Chinese President Xi Jinping and dozens of other state leaders at the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing on April 26, Guterres urged the international community to “come together” in mobilising resources to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and “stop runaway climate change.”

: Phil Harris; UN INSIDER; 26 April 2019

Photo: Three young children wait to be evacuated from Libya to Niger, at UNHCR’s Gathering and Departure Facility in Tripoli. © UNHCR/Mohamed Alalem

Fighting in Tripoli Throws Refugees Out of the Frying Pan into the Fire

By Klara Smits

BRUSSELS (IDN) – Multiple independent sources report that at least three people were killed and around 20 injured in an attack on the Qasr bin Ghashir detention centre in southern Tripoli. The attack seemed specifically aimed at the refugees and migrants in the centre, according to witnesses who say that the rebel militia fighters of General Khalifa Haftar were behind the attack.

Reports say that after a brief lull, the fighting around Libya’s capital Tripoli has intensified in the past week. In the southern districts of Tripoli, forces loyal to the UN-recognised Tripoli-based government clashed with the forces of General Khalifa Haftar.