IMF rules continue to be rigged against the world’s poorest
19/12/2023: Two development economists explain why they believe that the latest review of quotas that determine the IMF's decision-making powers shows exactly how unfair the rules are for developing countries. It is now over ten years since the richer countries committed to rebalance the formula.
Source: Devex
Taliban’s return to international norms is non-negotiable
20/12/2023: The head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan has briefed the UN Security Council that lack of progress in resolving human rights issues continues to prevent the country obtaining a seat at the United Nations. Meanwhile, Afghanistan remains one of the countries with the highest levels of humanitarian needs, with more than 29 million people requiring assistance.
Source: UN News
Despite violence in Sudan, pro-democracy groups won’t give up
22/12/2023: As the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces take control of Sudan's second-largest city, there is little hope that violence will subside soon. Experts fear the Sudanese conflict is devolving into a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Civilian pro-democracy activists are struggling for resources and logistical space.
Source: DW
Can the US force Taliban to lift ban on girls’ education?
19/12/2023: The US has imposed sanctions on two influential Taliban ministers over their stance on girls' education. Afghanistan is the only country in the world with restrictions on female education. While the immediate impact of US sanctions on key Taliban leaders is uncertain, experts hope that persistent international pressure could contribute to reforms.
Source: DW
New loss and damage fund means many things to many people
12/12/2023: The next year or two will decide what exactly the new climate Loss and Damage fund responds to, how it will raise money, and how it will give it out. Answers to these difficult policy questions will be a crucial expression of climate justice.
Source: The New Humanitarian
Global Refugee Forum closes with over $2.2bn in pledges
15/12/2023: Held every four years, the Global Refugee Forum is the world’s largest international gathering on refugees. Over three days in Geneva, financial commitments totalling over $2.2 billion were announced by governments and other sectors, alongside a pledge to resettle 1 million refugees by 2030.
Source: UN Refugee Agency
Warning that that hunger catastrophe looms in conflict-hit Sudan
13/12/2023: Nearly 18 million people across Sudan are facing acute hunger, more than double the number at the same time a year ago. Many of these people are cornered in areas where humanitarian access has been intermittent or impossible due to ongoing fighting.
Source: World Food Programme
FAO’s net-zero plan for food systems lacks ambition
11/12/2023: Agrifood systems contribute about one-third of all anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. Experts are concerned that the UN Food and Agriculture Organization's road map to 1.5 degrees Celsius calls for marginal changes at a time when wholesale transformation is needed. The road map hardly mentions fossil fuels, upholding a status quo in which global industrialized food systems are highly energy intensive.
Source: Devex
FAO launches roadmap to eradicate hunger within 1.5°C limits
10/12/2023: The UN Food and Agriculture Organization has laid the foundation for a roadmap to eliminate hunger within the constraints of the 1.5°C climate threshold. Against the backdrop of a projected 600 million people facing chronic hunger by 2030 and rising greenhouse gas emissions, the roadmap calls for a transformative shift in agrifood systems.
Source: UN Food and Agriculture Organization
Should Africa celebrate or mourn COP28?
14/12/2023: A panel of African experts and activists give their verdict on the outcomes of the Dubai climate talks. There is a recurring sense of injustice in the overwhelming presence of 2,400 lobbyists representing fossil fuel interests.
Source: African Arguments