Iran nuclear talks end as EU submits ‘final text’
8/8/2022: Diplomats involved in the negotiations in Vienna to revive the Iran nuclear deal have returned to their capitals with a draft for a new agreement. Iran has massively expanded its nuclear activities since the pact collapsed in 2018 following Washington's decision to pull out.
Source: DW
Nuclear-free world is possible, test-ban treaty chief says
5/8/2022: A UN conference is under way to review progress towards implementing the 50-year-old Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Although only one country has tested weapons this millennium, the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty has not been ratified due to a small number of hold-out countries.
Source: UN News
Nuclear weapons a ‘loaded gun’, UN chief warns in Hiroshima
6/8/2022: On the 77th anniversary of the Hiroshima atomic bomb, UN head Antonio Guterres warned of the risk posed by nuclear weapons held in state arsenals worldwide. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, President Vladimir Putin has made thinly veiled threats to deploy tactical nuclear weapons.
Source: CNA
Healthy life expectancy in Africa up by nearly 10 years
4/8/2022: Life-expectancy on the African continent increased from 46 to 56 years between 2000 and 2019, a rise greater than any other region in the world. The World Health Organization warned that the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic could undermine the improvement.
Source: UN News
African climate diplomats reject pro-gas stance for COP27
4/8/2022: The executive council of the African Union has proposed that the continent should promote gas as a bridge fuel alongside development of renewable energy. They argue that 570 million people in Africa will otherwise remain without access to modern energy by 2030. Negotiators have quashed a proposal as too controversial.
Source: Climate Home News
South Sudan extends transitional government by two years
4/8/2022: South Sudan’s leaders have failed to achieve their timetable for organising elections in accordance with the 2018 peace agreement. The troika of the US, UK and Norway, donors of the peace process, boycotted the announcement of an extension of the transitional government.
Source: The East African
Yemen truce renewed for another two months
2/8/2022: The UN-brokered truce that first came into effect on 2 April has been extended to October, marking the longest period of relative calm in Yemen in more than seven years of conflict. The extension includes a commitment by the Government and Houthi rebels to intensify negotiations to reach an expanded agreement.
Source: UN News
Press freedom increasingly under threat in Cambodia
3/8/2022: All of the 65 journalists interviewed for a report now published by the UN Human Rights Office said they had faced some form of interference in the course of their work. For years, Cambodian authorities have adopted legislation restricting civic space generally, and press freedom in particular.
Source: UN News
DRC loses faith with UN peacekeeping mission
3/8/2022: The UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been in the DRC since 2010 but recent incidents have undermined confidence. Citizen protests may prompt greater involvement of East African peacekeeping resources.
Source: The East African
Senegal’s disputed elections test the country’s democracy
2/8/2022: Senegal's reputation as a stable democracy could suffer serious dents as its electoral commission prevented many opposition leaders from running in Senegal's recent parliamentary elections. Observers fear that disrespect of the rule of law and the constitution plays into the hands of extremists.
Source: DW