Why 30×30 would be the worst possible outcome of COP15
8/12/2022: The principal goal of the current UN biodiversity negotiations is to agree to protect 30% of the world's land and marine areas. Opponents argue that lands managed by Indigenous peoples and local communities are more effective than protected areas in conserving biodiversity.
Source: African Arguments
Inspiring stories for Human Rights Day 2022
8/12/2022: Women protesting for their freedoms in Iran and Afghanistan have shown the heart of resistance in a challenging and uncertain year. Other inspiring human rights stories from 2022 offer a reminder of the power of people and perseverance.
Source: Human Rights Watch
Horrifying execution of young protester in Iran
8/12/2022: The Iranian authorities have executed a young protester, Mohsen Shekari, on a charge of “enmity against God” in connection with blocking a street in Tehran. Amnesty International has identified at least 18 others at risk of execution in connection with the protests.
Source: Amnesty International
Which countries might benefit from a loss and damage fund?
8/12/2022: The recent COP27 climate talks in Egypt agreed to establish a new fund for climate loss and damage, but not which countries might benefit from it. There are varying interpretations of the concept of vulnerability to extreme weather events.
Source: Climate Home News
EU law cracks down on deforestation-linked imports
7/12/2022: The European Union has finalized a law that will ban the trade of commodities associated with deforestation and forest degradation, such as beef, cocoa, soy and timber. Companies will be required to issue a due diligence statement verifying that imported goods don’t come from deforested land.
Source: Mongabay
To achieve human rights, start with food
7/`12/2022: The right to food became a legal obligation for countries in 1966 and is recognised in the Sustainable Development Goal of zero hunger by 2030. Recent projections that more than 670 million people could still not have enough to eat in 2030 raise serious concerns for human rights.
Source: Inter Press Service
World Bank warns of debt crisis for poorest nations
6/12/2022: International debt repayments have risen to levels not seen in two decades, with about 60% of low-income countries at risk. The rapid increase in loans from China is undermining established mechanisms for debt relief.
Source: Devex
Africa’s free trade agreement takes baby steps
5/12/2022: A handful of African companies have finally started shipping goods under the long-delayed AfCFTA free trade agreement. Intra-African trade is only around 15% of total trade, much lower than in other world regions, such as Europe, where it's 67%.
Source: DW
Ukraine war is not all good news for arms industry
5/12/2022: The world's top 100 arms producers continued to increase sales in 2021, according to a new report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. While both Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the West's response have driven up demand for weapons, they also have left producers facing challenges in sourcing raw materials and components.
Source: DW
The decline and fall of democracy worldwide
5/12/2022: A report released by International IDEA finds that the number of countries moving towards authoritarianism is more than double the number moving towards democracy. Problems range from restrictions on freedom of expression to distrust in the legitimacy of elections.
Source: Inter Press Service