Pandemic Fund eyes funding target to kick-start strategic plan
27/5/2024: The Pandemic Fund hopes to raise an additional $2 billion over the next two years, as it launches a new five-year, medium-term strategic plan. Established in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, the Pandemic Fund is a dedicated financing mechanism to strengthen countries’ pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response.
Source: Devex
Nations agree landmark treaty on genetic resources, protecting Indigenous Peoples’ rights
24/5/2024: Member States of the World Intellectual Property Organization have agreed to a groundbreaking new treaty addressing genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge. Patent applications must disclose the country of origin and the Indigenous Peoples or local community that provided relevant knowledge.
Source: UN News
World court orders Israel to halt military operations in Rafah
24/5/2024: The International Court of Justice has issued new provisional measures that order Israel to immediately end military operations in Rafah in southern Gaza and to open the governate’s border crossing for urgent aid deliveries.
Source: UN News
Biden should oppose US sanctions on ICC
23/5/2024: Over 100 human rights and civil society groups have signed a letter to the US President calling on him to oppose threats of punitive actions against the International Criminal Court. Although the US is not a member of the ICC, Republican and Democratic administrations have supported the Court in specific cases. The Court is seeking arrest warrants for three leaders of Hamas and two senior Israeli officials.
Source: Human Rights Watch
Governments far from meeting biodiversity funding promise for low income countries
22/5/2024: A coalition of environmental organizations is calling on governments in the developed world to make good on their commitment to deliver at least $20 billion a year in nature finance to the developing world by 2025 to protect biodiversity globally.
Source: Greenpeace
ICC move to seek warrants for Israel’s leaders triggers backlash from US
21/5/2024: The International Criminal Court’s decision to seek warrants on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has triggered a strong backlash both from the Biden administration and a group of pro-Israeli Senators in the US Congress. The names in the ICC arrest warrants also include leaders of Hamas.
Source: Inter Press Service
Number of internally displaced people reaches record high
14/5/2024: Conflict in Sudan, the Palestinian territories, and beyond drove the number of internally displaced people to 75.9 million by the end of 2023, according to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre. Of these, 68.3 million were forced to flee their homes due to conflict, the remainder due to disasters.
Source: Devex
Mali talks propose junta rule for three more years
11/5/2024: Participants in Mali's national dialogue have recommended extending the military-led transition to democracy by three years. An alliance of political parties and civil society organisations refused to participate in the national dialogue. The substantial delay is likely to deepen concerns about democratic backsliding in West and Central Africa, where there have been eight coups over the past four years.
Source: The East African
Chad declares interim President Deby winner of disputed vote
10/5/2024: Chad's junta has become the first of the coup-hit countries in West and Central Africa to stage a return to constitutional rule via the ballot box. But the International Crisis Group has said that “several problems in the run-up to the balloting cast doubt on its credibility”.
Source: The East African
Kenya calls for sustainable peace in South Sudan as talks begin
10/5/2024: Kenyan President William Ruto has launched mediation talks, dubbed the Tumaini Initiative, between parties in South Sudan's peace process. He said that the initiative exemplifies the pan-African policy of African solutions to African challenges.
Source: The East African