Global Issues
News headlines
Post-Coup Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi and the Way Forward
- Inter Press Service
KATHMANDU, Nepal, Feb 08 (IPS) - The 1 February 2021 coup d’état by Myanmar’s military (Tatmadaw), has been widely condemned by all the world’s democratic leaders, human rights activists and genuine friends of the people of Myanmar around the globe. In an unusual manner for the world’s top diplomat, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has gone so far as to urge the world community to make sure that Myanmar's military coup fails.
The Struggle to End Female Genital Mutilation: A Dark Secret No More
- Inter Press Service
NEW DELHI, India, Feb 06 (IPS) - Survivors of female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C), are determined to share their stories to end this practice – even though they face ostracisation by their communities.
Masooma Ranalvi, an FGM/C survivor and founder of ‘WeSpeakOut’, an organisation committed to eliminating FGM/C or khafd/khafz/khatna explains that FGM/C is practised by various communities in India but is prominently practised among the Dawoodi Bohras.
Q&A: Documenting COVID-19 Effect on Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health
- Inter Press Service
UNITED NATIONS, Feb 05 (IPS) - With the COVID-19 pandemic adding complex layers of challenges to the issue of sexual and reproductive health for the youth, governments should prioritise documenting these effects for data collection purposes, co-founder and team leader of the Youth Alliance for Reproductive Health in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, told IPS in an interview.
Helping Survivors of Violence Seek Justice through Forensic Science in the West Bank
- Inter Press Service
UNITED NATIONS, Feb 05 (IPS) - Violence, especially against women and girls, is a worldwide systematic human rights violation that has only increased since the COVID-19 pandemic. Globally, 243 million women and girls aged 15 to 49 have suffered sexual and/or physical violence by an intimate partner in the last year.
El Aromo Solar Project Sets Precedent for Renewable Energy in Ecuador
- Inter Press Service
SANTIAGO, Feb 04 (IPS) - In December 2020, the “El Aromo” solar energy project was approved in coastal Manabí province, Ecuador. Operated by the Spanish company Solarpack, the project is expected to transform national solar output. El Aromo will occupy 2.9km2 of land that was previously cleared to build a multi-billion dollar oil refinery, plans that have since been abandoned. While El Aromo holds symbolic significance, it remains uncertain whether the project will mark a significant step toward more environmentally sustainable energy development in Ecuador.
Why its Crucial Not to Limit the Youth's Access and Use of Family Planning
- Inter Press Service
UNITED NATIONS, Feb 04 (IPS) - With the COVID-19 pandemic negatively affecting access to Adolescent and Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health (AYSRH) services, it’s imperative governments employ community-based initiatives and peer educators to ensure these services are still available to them.
Revoke Patents, Defeat the Pandemic & Deliver Global Justice
- Inter Press Service
NEW DELHI, India, Feb 04 (IPS) - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres wrote on Twitter: “We must get to work to make sure the vaccine is available to everyone, everywhere. With this pandemic, none of us are safe until all of us are safe.”
As the pandemic spills into its second year, the WHO tracker lists eight Covid-19 vaccines already in public use. Several others are awaiting regulatory approval. This is unprecedented in vaccine history and with effective international coordination, it presents the global community with a real chance for both pandemic and economic recovery in 2021.
UN Calls for an 'Ocean Science Revolution'
- Inter Press Service
UNITED NATIONS, Feb 04 (IPS) - The 2021-2030 initiative hopes to raise funding for ocean science and focus on the sustainable use of marine resources The United Nations Secretary-General has urged nations to rise to the ‘defining challenge’ of restoring the ocean’s power to support humanity and regulate the climate.
António Guterres addressed the “Brave New Ocean” high level event on Feb. 3. The virtual gathering of world leaders, scientists, philanthropists and ocean advocates marked the start of the UN Decade on Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.
China & Russia Throw Protective Arms Around Myanmar
- Inter Press Service
UNITED NATIONS, Feb 04 (IPS) - The UN Special Envoy on Myanmar, Christine Schraner Burgener, appealed to the Security Council on February 2 to unite in support of democracy in Myanmar in the wake of a power grab by the military and the declaration of a one-year state of emergency. When million-dollar arms sales knock on the door, human rights violations and war crimes fly out of the window.
As the United Nations grapples for a reaction to the military coup in Myanmar, both China and Russia, two veto-wielding permanent members of the UN Security Council (UNSC), refused to support a statement condemning the army takeover—a collective statement that warrants consensus from all 15 members.
Water Graves: Nightmare for Mexican Fishermen
- Inter Press Service
MEXICO CITY, Feb 04 (IPS) - All of Erizo's nightmares are the same. Since his return from the ocean - almost unrecognizable - every bad dream is identical. A wave punches his little boat and throws him into the deep sea where everything is so dark that he can't even see his own hands.
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