The world’s hungry cannot afford another conflict
4/3/2022: As its emergency operation in Ukraine moved into high gear the World Food Programme expressed deep concern that the crisis could have consequences well beyond Ukraine's borders. The Russian Federation and Ukraine are responsible for 29% of the global wheat trade
Source: World Food Programme
The human rights situation in Russia
4/3/2022: The UN Human Rights Council has been alerted by campaign organisations to the intensified crackdown on human rights in Russia. A fully-fledged witch hunt against independent groups human rights defenders media outlets and political opposition is decimating civil society.
Source: Human Rights Watch
Just how far will Russian forces go in Ukraine?
3/3/2022: The executive director of Human Rights Watch draws on the evidence of Russian tactics in Syria to anticipate what happens next in Ukraine. Serious violations of the laws of war including cluster bombs and deliberately targeting civilians cannot be ruled out.
Source: The Guardian
UN General Assembly backs condemnation of Russia’s invasion
2/3/2022: 141 UN member states out of a total of 193 backed a UN General Assembly resolution to demand Russia withdraw its troops from Ukraine. It is only the 11th time such a meeting has been called in the UN's 77-year history. The resolution is not legally binding.
Source: DW
Countries request ICC inquiry into war cimes in Ukraine
2/3/2022: Thirty-eight governments have asked the International Criminal Court prosecutor to open an investigation into potential war crimes in Ukraine. Human Rights Watch and others have documented serious violations of the laws of war by Russian forces including the use of cluster munitions.
Source: Human Rights Watch
Historic day in the campaign to beat plastic pollution
2/3/2022: Governments have endorsed a historic resolution at the UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi to End Plastic Pollution and forge an international legally binding agreement by 2024. The resolution addresses the full lifecycle of plastic including its production design and disposal.
Source: UN Environment Programme
UNHCR calls on UK to amend Nationality and Borders Bill
2/3/2022: The UN Refugee Agency calls on the UK government to back amendments made to the Nationality and Borders Bill which have been passed in the House of Lords. The Bill threatened to remove the rights of refugees claiming asylum in direct breach of the Refugee Convention.
Source: UN Refugee Agency
Time for a multi-phased reform strategy of the WTO
2/3/2022: The rules-based trading system is losing steam. If the World Trade Organisation is to reassume its role as the regulator of rules-based trade changes in both its substantive rules and institutions must take place.
Source: East Asia Forum
Ukraine exodus triggers refugee movement through Europe
1/3/2022: Around 660,000 refugees have now fled Ukraine to neighboring countries in the past six days according to the latest government data compiled by the UN Refugee Agency. At this rate the situation looks set to become Europe's largest refugee crisis this century.
Source: UN Refugee Agency
Standing with Ukrainian refugees should extend to all refugees
1/3/2022: European Union member states have relaxed cross-border controls in response to the movement of displaced Ukrainians. Why have borders not been opened or visas waived for Syrian and Kurdish refugees also victims of Russian military action? Why is solidarity reserved for white Europeans?
Source: African Arguments