KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Sep 06 (IPS) - After decades of resistance by rich nations, African governments successfully pushed for the United Nations to lead on international tax cooperation. All developing countries and fair-minded governments must rally behind this initiative.

Marking the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies, on Thursday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a powerful call for increased international cooperation to address the “global emergency” of worsening air pollution.

The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) on Wednesday launched a new global campaign to rally support and firm commitments from nations to protect the rights of people fleeing conflict, violence and persecution.

An independent UN human rights expert on Wednesday expressed concern over Canada's temporary foreign worker programmes, describing them as “a breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery”.

The top UN humanitarian official in Ukraine on Wednesday strongly condemned Russian attacks, including on a busy market in the town of Kostiantynivka in the Donetsk region, that reportedly caused dozens of civilian deaths and injuries, including children.

The UN human rights office (OHCHR) on Wednesday emphasized the pressing need for Sri Lanka to address its accountability deficit, ranging from war crimes to rights violations, corruption and abuse of power.

Amplified by wildfires and desert dust fanned by climate change, more frequent heatwaves are leading to a sharp drop in air quality and human health, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said in a new report on Wednesday.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, Sep 05 (IPS) - The Role of the New Development Bank in Monitoring Project Impacts on Communities

The 15th BRICS Summit held in Johannesburg, South Africa this month has once again put the spotlight on the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) as a shining example of multilateralism and the New Development Bank’s (NDB)commitment to financing sustainable development projects within BRICS countries and other developing countries.

During the 2023 BRICS Summit, the New Development Bank and the Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA) signed a 3.2 billion Rands loan agreement for the implementation of Phase Two of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) in Lesotho. This funding complements contributions by other financiers, notably the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA).

NAIROBI, Sep 05 (IPS) - Africa needs approximately USD 579.2 billion in adaptation finance over the period 2020 to 2030, and yet the current adaptation flows are five to 10 times below estimated needs.  As thousands convene in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, for the Africa Climate Summit, the first time the African Union has summoned its leaders to solely discuss climate change under the theme ‘Driving Green Growth and Climate Finance Solutions for Africa and the World’, the backdrop is a country on the frontlines of a climate crisis.

NEW DELHI, Sep 05 (IPS) - Legislators from around the world, this week, officially submitted to the Sherpa of the G20 meeting set for September in New Delhi a declaration calling on governments to prioritise spending on ageing, youth, gender, human security, and other burning population issues.