Xinjiang vote betrays core mission of UN Human Rights Council
6/10/2022: The UN Human Rights Council has decided not to debate the findings of its High Commissioner concerning crimes against humanity in China's Xinjiang region. The head of Amnesty International calls out this decision as a chronic dysfunction of the Council.
Source: Amnesty International
World Bank: Extreme poverty here to stay
5/10/2022: The World Bank reports that extreme poverty increased by 71 million in 2020, the biggest single-year leap in more than 30 years. COVID-19 has ended years of progress. Without a massive hike in economic growth, some 574 million people — roughly 7% of the global population — will remain in extreme poverty in 2030.
Source: DW
Is the EU doing enough to support the resistance in Myanmar?
5/10/2022: There are growing calls for the European Union to bolster its assistance to Myanmar's government-in-exile, the National Unity Government, which is at the head of a resistance movement fighting Myanmar's military junta. The European Commission has already adopted several rounds of sanctions targeting the military regime.
Source: DW
Africa can and must be a leader in clean energy
4/10/22: Kenya's new president calls on African states to accelerate the transition to renewable energy, with the aim of doubling Africa’s installed energy capacity by 2030. Almost half of Africa’s people remain underserved by fossil fuel power.
Source: The Guardian
Uyghur rights report a litmus test for global governance
3/10/2022: The Chinese government is doing everything in its power to block a debate in the UN Human Rights Council on a recently released UN report alleging crimes against humanity in Xinjiang region. The Human Rights Council was conceived in 2006 as a representative body of states expected to uphold the highest standards.
Source: Inter Press Service
How has the Amazon rainforest changed under Bolsonaro?
2/10/2022: The Amazon rainforest is regarded as one of the tipping elements capable of destabilizing the global climate. Around 60% of the rainforest's total area lies within the territory of Brazil. After several years in which deforestation rates dropped significantly, they rose again sharply after the right-wing populist Jair Bolsonaro took office as president of Brazil in 2019.
Source: DW
Secretary General signals support for UN tax convention
27/9/2022: UN Secretary General António Guterres has announced his support for the concept of a UN convention on tax. This would transfer control from the OECD to the UN, lifting the grip that richer countries exert over global tax rules.
Source: Tax Justice Network
AGRA abandons green revolution in African agriculture
28/9/2022: The Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa is dropping the "Green Revolution" from its name, having failed in its ambition to double the productivity of 30 million small-scale farmers. The focus will now be on sustainable farming through resilience to climate shocks.
Source: Devex
Guinea 2009 stadium massacre trial begins
The UN Secretary-General has paid tribute to the 150 victims of the 2009 stadium massacre in Conakry. Guinea’s former military ruler, Moussa Dadis Camara, is in the dock, along with ten other officials, as proceedings of the International Criminal Court commence.
Source: UN News
Why Africa seeks a greater role on the global stage
28/9/2022: More African leaders are calling for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. The African Union argues that the UN Security Council, with its five permanent members — the US, Russia, China, France and the UK — does not offer the continent a voice in global affairs.
Source: DW