In 2002, the Human Development Report (UNDP) focused on ‘Deepening Democracy in a Fragmented World’. It was an important discourse then [and still is] that evoked lot of insightful cross-regional exchanges of ideas. It reiterates that politics matter for human development because people everywhere want to be free to determine
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Can Pakistan-India Nuclear Deterrence Hold?
Halfway to 2030: Our 5 asks at the SDG Summit
At the UN SDG Summit in New York, the Forus global civil society network is calling for decisive action on SDG implementation. Clearly, as we hit the midpoint towards the “finish line” of the Agenda 2030, progress is stagnating. The 2023 Special Edition of the SDG Progress Report emphasized that we’re
UN report offers solutions for decarbonization of buildings, construction sector
The building sector may be overdue for a significant overhaul of the processes in which infrastructure is built to be more environmentally conscious and reduce carbon emissions, a new UN report reveals. On September 12, 2023, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Yale Center for Ecosystems + Architecture (Yale
Six issues to watch at the UN General Assembly 78
Another UNGA (UN General Assembly High-Level Week, September 18-23, 2023) is almost here. Leaders and other senior representatives of the world body’s 193 Member States will gather again for this truly one-of-a-kind annual congregation in New York for high-stakes diplomacy and plenty of domestic political posturing. While who’s not coming this
A global survey of democracy finds both sobering and alarming results
The recent epidemic of coups in Africa — including military take-overs in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Gabon– have triggered the inevitable question: Is multi-party democracy on the retreat? The Open Society Barometer, an annual global survey from Open Society Foundations, launched September 12, reflects the positive and negative aspects of
World leaders offered ‘15 Minutes of Fame’ at UN’s high-level meeting
What happens in the Arctic does not stay in the Arctic
While climate change is relentlessly progressing, threatening life on earth, world leaders continue to meet while planning for a future where this immense menace to human existence remains a minor item on the agenda. Recently, the BRICS countries held their 15th annual summit in Johannesburg. BRICS, an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India,
Can the G-20 be a champion for the Global South?
Change is coming to the G-20. Nearly a quarter century ago, the world’s 20 largest economies joined together to respond to the global financial crises of the 1990s. Though the group includes many countries from the global south, its wealthy Western members have often exercised the greatest influence while leaving
Elevating farmers’ income through organic poultry rearing
Even after toiling hard for an entire year, Shivaji Rao, a 37-year-old farmer, would find it hard to cover the basic expenses of his family. He cultivates maize from his one-and-a-half-acre land in India’s Southern State of Telangana. Roa told IPS that the prices of fertilisers and seeds in his home state