Monthly Archives: November 2011
Aid Effectiveness Forum in Busan; Middle East peace process; Afghanistan; Libya and more
Speaking at the Fourth High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Busan in the Republic of Korea, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged countries today to fulfill their aid commitments and invest in the world’s poor, adding that success will only be attained if donors unite their efforts and ensure their financial support is accountable, flexible and country-driven. Mr. Ban said governments must not let the global economic crisis keep them from supporting those most in need.
What to Expect from the Durban Climate Talks
I’ll admit, my expectations are low. That said, this teleconference with the Energy and Climate team at the UN Foundation did leave me optimistic that at least some progress will be made in Durban, South Africa where leaders will meet for another round of international climate negotiations.
Sneak Preview of the 2011 mHealth Summit
The 2011 mHealth Summit kicks off next week at the National Harbor near Washington, DC. Listen to the audio of a teleconference previewing the summit.
Middle East peace process; Lebanon; Iran; Somalia; Yemen and more
Middle East peace process: Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today led a chorus of United Nations officials in stressing the need for a just and lasting solution to the question of Palestine and achieving a comprehensive peace in the Middle East. “The establishment of a Palestinian State, living in peace next to a secure Israel, is long overdue,” Mr. Ban said, in a message marking the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, which is observed annually on 29 November.
Human Rights Council Once Again Proves Its Worth
At some point in the near future, the ICC will issue an arrest warrant for Bashar al Assad. When that day comes, remember that it was the Human Rights Council that kicked off the series of events that lead to Assad ending up on a most-wanted list.
Bananas from Jersey: How the world is losing trillions to tax havens
According to a report by the Tax Justice Network, trillions of dollars are lost every year to tax evasion – a problem which affects developing and industrialized nations alike.
Top of the Morning: Gbagbo at the ICC; Human Rights Council to Condemn Syria; More Fallout from UK Embassy Raid in Iran
Top stories from the Development and Aid Workers News Service — DAWNS Digest. Sign up for the full digest.
Negotiating our Way Out of the Climate Apocalypse
Via Grist, a nice curtain raiser from Andrew Light, coordinator of international climate policy at the Center for American Progress, about COP 17–the international climate conference taking place in Durban next month.
UK Embassy Ransacked. What’s Next For Iran
The kind of blatant disregard of one of the pillars of international consular relations that was on display in Tehran today may yet nudge China and Russia more toward the west.
Why Pakistan’s Boycott of the Bonn Conference Matters
In what could be a major setback to the upcoming Bonn II conference on Afghanistan, Pakistan has apparently decided to boycott the event after NATO helicopters reportedly killed at least 25 of its soldiers.
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The top United Nations refugee official today voiced his alarm at new inflows of refugees into Rwanda and Uganda, fleeing fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). More than 8,200 refugees have crossed from DRC into Rwanda since 27 April, according to staff of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). These are in addition to the 55,000 Congolese refugees that Rwanda is already hosting.
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Syria: U.N.-Arab League mediator Kofi Annan is urging Syria’s government to accept U.N. conditions for expanding the distribution of humanitarian aid to roughly 1 million Syrians in need of assistance, the United Nations said today. Meanwhile, three vehicles belonging to … Read more
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Sustainable Future Symposium; ICT for Development; IAEA/Iran; Global Financial Transaction Tax; and more
Partnerships and development cooperation among countries will play a key role in accelerating sustainable development, the Secretary-General of the UN Sustainable Development Conference (Rio+20), Sha Zukang said today, stressing that assistance will need to focus on helping developing countries find longer-term solutions to eradicate poverty and transition into a green economy.The two-day Australia High-Level Symposium, “Shaping a Sustainable Future – Partners in Development Cooperation,” which began today, seeks to facilitate an informal dialogue on development cooperation among high-level policymakers, multilateral and civil society organizations, philanthropic foundations and the private sector.
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DR Congo; South Sudan; UNHCR and OIC; and more
Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Ivan Šimonovic, today voiced concern over the human rights situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which has experienced a recent upsurge in violence. Mr. Šimonovic said he was “appalled” by the heightened levels of recent violence triggered by defections in the Congolese armed forces, including former members of certain militia groups, and welcomed joint efforts between the peacekeepers of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DR Congo (MONUSCO), humanitarian actors and the authorities to protect civilians and respond to human rights violations.
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Asia-Pacific Human Development Report; Syria; Horn of Africa; UNRWA
Countries in the Asia-Pacific region must find ways to continue to grow economically and lift millions out of poverty while also responding to climate change and environmental concerns, according to UN report released today, which stresses that new methods of production are needed to meet this goal.UNDP’s Asia-Pacific Human Development Report 2012 argues that policies and actions in the region will have a global impact as it is home to more than half of the world’s population and half of the planet’s megacities.
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SG on Rio/Post-2015 Development; Syria; Middle East; Global Fund; and more
Appealing for flexibility in reaching agreement on a final outcome document, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon today, emphasized the need for Member States to agree on launching a process to establish Sustainable Development Goals ahead of the Rio+20 conference while also announcing the appointment of three co-chairs to his High-Level Panel on Post-2015 Development Planning. We should agree on launching a process to establish Sustainable Development Goals that build on the Millennium Development Goals … find better ways to measure progress that goes beyond Gross Domestic Product …and advance action to improve people’s lives through decent work, social protection and the empowerment of women and young people,” the UN chief said in his address to the UN General Assembly.
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Syria; Guinea-Bissau; UNAIDS; Afghanistan; and more
Amid concerns from the international community over the prospects of a “full civil war” in Syria, the Joint Special Envoy Kofi Annan, said today that the ongoing levels of violence and human rights abuses in the Middle Eastern country are unacceptable and the UN observer mission is possibly the only remaining chance to stabilize it.
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Peacebuilding; South Sudan; Indigenous Issues; Rwanda
The United Nations is determined to do everything possible to assist societies torn by war from sliding back into conflict, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told an audience in the United States capital today, adding that while there have been setbacks, peacebuilding remains a crucial element of the world body’s efforts.In a speech to the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D. C., Mr. Ban highlighted the work of the UN’s 16 peacekeeping operations and 15 political missions in the area of peacebuilding – a core mandate of the Organization.
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Counter-terrorism; South Sudan; Iran; Rights of Indigenous Peoples; and more
At the Security Council’s high-level debate on Counter-terrorism today, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today he hoped Member States will decide to create the position of a UN Counter-Terrorism Coordinator to promote better coordination, collaboration and cooperation among all players.Mr. Ban told the Security Council, during its debate on threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts, that terrorism is a significant threat to peace and security, prosperity and people, and the global community continues to pursue a robust and comprehensive response.
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Sudan/South Sudan; North Korea; Afghanistan; “Born too Soon” report; and more
The Security Council today adopted a unanimous resolution calling on Sudan and South Sudan to immediately end hostilities and resume negotiations within two weeksto resolve all outstanding issues, and voiced its intention to take appropriate measures if the parties do not comply. The Council decided that the two countries shall, among other measures, “immediately cease all hostilities; unconditionally withdraw all of their armed forces to their side of the border; activate, within one week, the necessary border security mechanisms; and immediately cease hostile propaganda and inflammatory statements in the media”.
