Tropical deforestation increased in 2022
11/12/2023: Emissions from deforestation in the world's tropical forests rose by 5% in 2022, although Indonesia and the Congo Basin bucked this trend. A new carbon mapping tool developed by California-based nonprofit CTrees aims to help countries around the world input to the global stocktake of emissions.
Source: Mongabay
No ‘phase-out’, but COP28 puts oil and gas sector on notice
13/12/2023: Countries have agreed on the need to shift away from burning fossil fuels for the first time in the UN climate process, at Cop28 talks in Dubai. The “UAE consensus” did not go so far as to call for a “phase-out”, as more than a hundred countries wanted. It settled on “transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems”.
Source: Climate Home News
Negligible US contribution to loss and damage fund
12/12/2023: Contributions by various countries at COP28 towards the new World Bank-hosted Climate Loss and Damage Fund have reached $700 million, of which the US accounts for just $17.5 million. This equals nine minutes of Pentagon spending, says Jeffrey D. Sachs, a world-renowned economist.
Source: Inter Press Service
UN General Assembly overwhelmingly demands Gaza ceasefire
13/12/2023: The UN General Assembly has passed a non-binding resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza, piling pressure on Israel and Washington. The vote came after the Security Council responsible for global peace has repeatedly failed to make such a call, blocked by the US veto.
Source: The East African
Is Bangladesh heading toward another ‘one-sided’ election?
12/12/2023: The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party has said it will boycott the general election on January 7, citing the arrest of its entire leadership, along with thousands of activists, over the past five weeks. The past two elections were marred by allegations of massive vote rigging. A fourth successive term for the Awami League and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina seems the likely outcome.
Source: DW
Challenges loom a week from DR Congo election
13/12/2023: Confidence in conduct of the elections in Democratic Republic of Congo is strained, as conflict rages in the east, logistical problems remain unresolved and fears over fraud linger. The sheer size of the DRC is a logistical nightmare. The European Union cancelled its election observation mission after it failed to receive permits to use satellite equipment.
Source: The East African
UN human rights declaration turns 75
10/12/2023: The UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 1948. Germany's Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock, has warned of the threat posed to the principles enshrined in that document. She opposed the position that "human rights were for fair-weather politics that are only important when there are no other problems."
Source: DW
Somalia secures $4.5bn debt relief from lenders
10/12/2023: The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have led the way to reducing Somalia's debt to $600 million from a high of $5.2 billion, under the enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative. Over the past few weeks, Somalia has also been admitted to the East African Community and the UN has lifted its arms embargo.
Source: The East African
COP28 is a farce rigged to fail
9/12/2023: George Monbiot outlines alternative voting systems that could replace the consensus rule for UN conferences on climate and biodiversity. This permits minority special interests, led by fossil fuel countries, to block progress.
Source: The Guardian
Finance for adaptation is Africa’s call to action at COP28
4/12/2023: The chair of the African Group at COP28 highlights the shocking gap between the adaptation needs of vulnerable countries and the funding that has been made available so far. The UN’s Adaptation Gap report has estimated that adaptation needs are now 10-18 times as great as the flows of international public finance.
Source: African Arguments