Wars grind on in Gaza, Lebanon, Sudan, Ukraine and beyond amid starvation and famine alerts and a sinister spike in online and offline hate, antisemitism and Islamophobia. Enter the UN Alliance of Civilizations, which will convene its 10th Global Forum from 25 to 27 November in a bid to bridge gaps between divided communities around the world. But, what is it and why does its Global Forum matter now?

BAKU, Nov 23 2024 (IPS) - As COP29 draws to a close, voices from diverse regions have shed light on their contributions, challenges, and aspirations in tackling the climate crisis.

UN climate negotiations wrapped up early on Sunday morning in Baku, with wealthy countries pledging to invest at least $300 billion a year to the global fight against climate change. Developing countries who had been seeking more than $1 trillion in support called the deal an “insult” and said that it failed to provide the critical support they needed to effectively tackle the climate crisis.

Families fleeing from besieged areas of northern Gaza are leaving homes and shelters with just the shirts on their backs, Louise Wateridge, Senior Emergency Coordinator for UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, told UN News on Saturday.

The decision by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue arrest warrants citing alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former defence minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas commander Mohammed Deif, has led to huge interest in the court, and what comes next. Here is what we know so far.

How do you bring a war criminal to justice? UN Video reported on the case of Sheka, the infamous leader of a feared armed group that raped and ravaged civilians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in its award-winning film The Trial that Brought Down a Warlord.

Timor-Leste, a young island nation in Southeast Asia, is particularly vulnerable to the ravages of the climate crisis. A combination of technology, community knowledge and UN support could help to ensure that casualties and damage are kept to a minimum, the next time extreme weather hits.

BAKU, Nov 23 (IPS) - Every year, the Conference of the Parties creates a global milestone for the climate movement, setting new standards and advancing action towards a net-zero planet to sustain all life on earth. COPs provide a platform for the global community to agree on what it would take to restore planet Earth and the contributions that all signatories to the Paris Agreement should make.

Nov 22 (IPS) -
 
CIVICUS discusses the dangers arising from military uses of artificial intelligence (AI) with Sophia Goodfriend, Post-Doctoral Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School’s Middle East Initiative.

PARIS, Nov 22 (IPS) - Climate change exacerbates existing gender inequalities and gender-based violence. At COP29 in Azerbaijan, governments have been urged to prioritize gender-responsive climate policies that address the specific needs of women and girls, and serious concerns have been raised about backtracking on women’s rights during these crucial negotiations on climate action.