If we value human rights, we must fight for climate justice
23/3/2023: The island state of Vanuatu is leading more than 100 countries in tabling a resolution at the UN General Assembly to refer the issue of climate change to the International Court of Justice. The motion seeks to clarify the obligations of states under international law to protect future generations from climate change.
Source: Inter Press Service
Water security lags behind in UN environmental protection
25/3/2023: The UN’s first water conference in nearly 50 years claims to have secured over $300 billion of promises of global action. But there is no legally binding international agreement to protect water resources and no UN special envoy.
Source: Devex
UN warns of’imminent global water crisis
22/3/2023: The UN has released the World Water Development Report 2023, painting a grim picture of rising global water scarcity. It finds that about 10% of the global population lives in countries where water stress is considered "high or critical."
Source: DW
Covid vaccine doses stranded in East Africa
19/3/2023: Up to 40 million Covid-19 vaccines could go to waste in East Africa as the fight against the virus slows down due to apathy and logistical hitches. The region’s countries cannot dispense of the vaccines due to lack of support for their inoculation programmes.
Source: The East African
Black Sea grain deal extended
18/3/2023: The UN has announced that a deal allowing for the safe export of grain from Ukrainian ports had been extended, on the day it was due to expire. Since July last year the agreement has helped bring down global food prices.
Source: DW
UN Refugee Agency appeals for aid for Afghan refugees
14/3/2023: The UN Refugee Agency has launched an appeal for $613 million to support over 5 million Afghans sheltering in five neighbouring countries. An estimated 1.6 million have arrived in the region since 2021.
Source: UN Refugee Agency
Half of Syria’s population faces hunger
14/3/2023: Over 12 million people, more than 50% of Syria's population, are currently food insecure and a further 3 million are at risk of sliding into hunger, as the country grapples with the impact of recent earthquakes and the 12-year-long conflict. A funding crunch for the World Food Programme in Syria threatens to curtail food aid, exactly when people need it most.
Source: World Food Programme
FIFA reverses Saudi sponsorship of women’s World Cup
17/3/2023: In an off-field victory for human rights, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association has reversed its sponsorship plans with Visit Saudi, Saudi Arabia’s state tourism authority, for the 2023 Women’s World Cup. Saudi Arabia is a global outlier on women’s rights and also violates the rights of LGBT people.
Source: Human Rights Watch
International Criminal Court issues arrest warrant for Putin
17/3/2023: The UN-backed International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin of Russia, in connection with alleged war crimes concerning the deportation and “illegal transfer” of children from occupied Ukraine. Neither Russia nor Ukraine are parties to the ICC.
Source: UN News
Global hunger set to spiral as debt crisis bites
6/3/2023: A panel of experts warns that the global food crisis has entered a dangerous new phase as developing country debt skyrockets. They observe that these countries are locked into exporting cash crops to pay off dollar-denominated debts at the expense of feeding local populations.
Source: iPes Food