Yearly Archives: 2009
Author of Tech in Emergencies report answers your questions
Q&A with Diane Coyle, co-author of the UN Foundation and Vodafone Foundation report New Technologies in Emergencies and Conflicts.
What key advantages does use of social media and new technologies bring in disasters?
Clinton’s $100 Billion Proposal
I’m sure Lindsay, Aaron or Abhishek will have more on this later, but I wanted to flag Secretary Clinton’s big announcement that the United States will help set up a $100 billion fund to help poor countries adapt to the consequences of climate change and help developing countries grow in non-carbon intensive ways. This has always been an important part of the international diplomatic puzzle.
Day 10 in Copenhagen: The Pressure Mounts
Tempers flared in Copenhagen today as protesters were beaten back by police outside the Bella Center, where the international climate talks were taking place. The police used tear gas to subdue the protests, and they arrested around 250 people.
Should the US Should Give Away its Swine Flu Vaccine Stockpiles?
The San Francisco Chronicle ran an editorial yesterday by three leading global health experts, calling for the US and other wealthy countries to immediately donate ten percent of their H1N1 vaccine stocks. This isn’t as radical as it sounds – the sticking point is the time frame, not the quantity. The US has already committed to donating ten percent of its swine flu vaccines to low income countries.
Human Rights on the Agenda
Human Rights is back in the news. On Monday, Hillary Clinton delivered a long speech on the topic at Georgetown University in Washington, DC.
CERFin’ USA
When a disaster strikes somewhere in the developing world, the UN Office of the Coordinator of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) generally issues an appeal for donations to assist in recovery and clean-up. Sometimes, the disaster makes global headlines and funds come pouring in (think: the 2004 Tsunami). Sometimes, though, disaster can unfold slowly, like drought in the Sahel. And sometimes, the disaster occurs in a country whose leadership has generally hostile relations with donor countries (e.g., Zimbabwe).
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The SC; HRC; DPRK; South Sudan
The SC: The Security Council today held its last consultations under the Council Presidency of ROK. Tomorrow, Russia will take over the rotating Presidency of the Security Council for March under Ambassador Vitaly Churkin.
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The SG; Mali; Middle East; Palestine
The SG: At the Fifth Global Forum of the UN Alliance of Civilizations in Vienna, Austria today, the SG emphasized the role of youth in ensuring a “prosperous, equitable and peaceful future.”
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The SG; DRC; HRC; Palestinian Prisoner
The SG: In Ethiopia over the weekend, the SG is now in the United Arab Emirates. Today he met with Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashed Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, where the two discussed developments in the region, including Syria, Iran, Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan, and in the Middle East Peace Process.
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