A human rights economy is key to sustainable development
17/1/2024: The UN Summit of the Future scheduled for September 2024 may be the final opportunity to stimulate real momentum to the Sustainable Development Goals. An alternative economic model that enables the realization of human rights within planetary boundaries has support from many development agencies.
Source: Human Rights Watch
Why Bill Gates wants a COP for global health
16/1/2024: Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the billionaire defended the need to keep health funding levels high. He expressed concern that issues such as maternal health, nutrition and vaccines lack the media coverage enjoyed by environmental threats such as climate change.
Source: Devex
African Union urges restraint over Ethiopia-Somaliland deal
18/1/2024: The African Union's Peace and Security Council has urged representatives of Ethiopia and Somalia to pursue "meaningful dialogue" after landlocked Ethiopia signed a surprise maritime accord with Somalia's breakaway region of Somaliland. Somalia has vowed to defend its territory by "all legal means."
Source: The East African
Why a Nigerian coastal town is on the brink of extinction
15/1/2024: The US Agency for International Development estimates that 27 million to 53 million Nigerians may need to be relocated if sea levels rise by 0.5 meters, which the country is expected to see by the end of this century. In the coastal town of Ayetoro, the population has already fallen from 30,000 in 2006 to 5,000 today.
Source: Devex
Wealth of five richest men doubles since 2020
15/1/2024: The world’s five richest men have more than doubled their fortunes from $405 billion to $869 billion since 2020, while nearly five billion people have been made poorer, reveals a new Oxfam report on inequality and global corporate power. Oxfam urges a new era of public services, corporate regulation, breaking up monopolies and enacting taxes on permanent wealth and excess profit.
Source: Oxfam International
Five maddening facts about climate finance
11/1/2024: High-income countries make it incredibly difficult to track their contributions to climate finance for poorer countries. Analysis by the ONE Campaign reveals awkward truths about inconsistent and inadequate reporting standards.
Source: African Arguments
Global rights crises deepen as world leaders shy away
11/1/2024: Global leaders have failed to take strong stands to protect human rights during 2023, a year of some of the worst crises and challenges in recent memory, according to the Human Rights Watch World Report 2024. Transactional diplomacy is undermining universal human rights principles.
Source: Human Rights Watch
Bangladesh: election with a foregone conclusion
12/1/2024: The general election held in Bangladesh on 7 January was preceded by a blatant campaign of intimidation by the ruling Awami League. The country’s civic space rating has been downgraded to "closed" by the CIVICUS Monitor, the collaborative research project that tracks the health of civic space in every country. This places Bangladesh among the world’s worst human rights offenders, including China, Iran and Russia.
Source: Inter Press Service
One-sided Bangladesh election raises fear of one-party rule
9/1/2024: Officials from several countries have expressed doubts over the credibility of the results of Bangladesh's January 7 election. 94% of the parliament seats will be filled by lawmakers who are members of incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League. A crackdown on opposition activists saw tens of thousands jailed in the run up to the election.
Source: VOA
What is South Africa’s genocide case against Israel?
9/1/2024: South Africa has initiated proceedings at the International Court of Justice in relation to its obligations under the Genocide Convention. Israel is confronted with allegations of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Here are the most important questions before proceedings get underway in The Hague.
Source: DW