The humanitarian community is “not entirely prepared” for growing challenges facing the world in the next two or three decades, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres has said.
In his keynote address at InterAction’s 2013 Forum, Guterres said the fracturing of power relations in the post-Cold War period is undermining humanitarian operations and the prospect of long-term peace. Consensus is becoming harder to achieve as a result.
President Barack Obama unveiled his budget on Wednesday, making broad commitments to invest in U.S. efforts to tackle global health and food security.
NGO leadership responded to the president's proposals shortly after, saying that it paves the way for Congress to discuss a robust and cost-effective approach to U.S. foreign assistance.
Sustainability goals should be built into the post-2015 development framework, the US representative on the UN high-level panel (HLP) has said. Speaking at a UN Foundation briefing on Friday, John Podesta called on the post-2015 framework to “pursue a number of sustainability goals and targets that are universal in their nature,” including meeting current targets to abolish fossil fuel subsidies and cutting food waste. He emphasized the need for sustainable practices to underscore a broad and inclusive vision of development.
Submitted by Ellis Tsang on Fri, 04/26/2013 - 9:53am
Along the coast between the Bay of Bengal and southern Bangladesh lies the Sundarbans, a vast stretch of woodland and wildlife covering more than 6,200 square miles of land and sea. Home to the world’s largest mangrove forests, the region is also a hotspot for extreme weather. In 2007, Cyclone Sidr struck the entire southern coast, killing more than 3,000 people, according to Bangladesh officials. It was followed by Cyclone Aila, in 2009, which environmentalists say submerged the Sundarbans region in more than 20 feet of water.
Submitted by Ellis Tsang on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 3:27pm
Information is power. That's the mantra on the lips of those who want a sea change in the narrative of poverty. It’s a timely issue, considering ongoing discussions around the post-2015 development agenda. Actors from UN member states, civil society and the NGO community are attempting to steer a new course that builds on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
