Delivering on our promise of universal education
24/1/2023: On the International Day of Education we should be concerned that almost 700 million children and adolescents worldwide cannot read. That’s more than 8% of the global population. World leaders will meet in February, aiming to raise $1.5 billion for education over the next four years.
Source: Inter Press Service
Richest 1% are winners in global wealth since 2020 crisis
16/1/2023: An Oxfam report finds that the richest 1% of the world’s population grabbed nearly two-thirds of all new wealth created since 2020. The number and wealth of billionaires has doubled over the last ten years.
Source: Oxfam International
Africa’s vast arable land underutilized for food security
16/1/2023: UN data shows that Africa is home to an estimated 60% of the world’s uncultivated arable land. Experts argue that pitting food crops for domestic markets against cash crops for export is not the right conversation to have.
Source: Inter Press Service
Germany calls for special Ukraine tribunal for war crimes
16/1/2023: Germany's Foreign Minister has called for a special international tribunal to prosecute Russian war crimes in Ukraine. Although the International Criminal Court has sent a team to Ukraine, its jurisdiction is questionable because Russia does not recognise the Court.
Source: DW
China’s population falls for first time since 1961
17/1/2023: China's population fell last year, a historic turn that is expected to mark the start of a long period of decline in its citizen numbers. The largest drop since the last year of China's Great Famine lends weight to predictions that India will become the world's most populous nation this year.
Source: CNA
Is aid from the richest countries really at record high?
11/1/2023: Official development assistance from the world’s largest aid-providing governments totalled $185.9 billion in 2021, the highest on record. A closer look at what counts as aid presents a less rosy picture.
Source: The New Humanitarian
A new model for global leadership on human rights
12/1/2023: The litany of human rights crises that unfolded in 2022 has opened new opportunities for human rights leadership, according to the Human Rights Watch World Report 2023. Protecting and strengthening the global human rights system demands renewed commitments by all governments that transcend current political alliances.
Source: Human Rights Watch
Africa’s maternal deaths compel action to meet Global Goals
3/1/2023: The effects of COVID-19 on Africa’s health sector have disrupted antenatal and postnatal care for women and newborns. The shortage of health workers and equipment is undermining the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal for maternal mortality across the continent.
Source: Inter Press Service
Tanzania ends ban on political rallies
9/1/2023: Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan has ended a six-year ban on politicians holding political rallies outside of election periods. Hassan continues to respond to human rights concerns associated with her predecessor, the late John Magufuli.
Source: Human Rights Watch
Fall in child mortality rate slows
9/1/2023: An estimated 5 million children died before their fifth birthday and 1.9 million babies were stillborn during 2021. The UN reports that 54 countries will fall short of meeting the Sustainable Development Goals target for under-five mortality.
Source: Unicef