UPDATING LIVE: Small island States meet in Antigua and Barbuda charting new course to sustainable prosperity

UPDATING LIVE: Small island States meet in Antigua and Barbuda charting new course to sustainable prosperity

09:45 AM Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Brown was the last speaker in the cultural segment, in a video clip from the UN General Assembly, appealing for more support for SIDS in the light of corrosive climate change. 09:35 AM Now it’s a performance of pure joy, showcasing some of the great attractions of…

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In Antigua, island youth build ‘wall of commitment’ to turn tide against climate crisis

In Antigua, island youth build ‘wall of commitment’ to turn tide against climate crisis

The SIDS Global Children and Youth Action Summit taking place this weekend on the University of the West Indies campus of the beautiful island nation of Antigua and Barbuda, which is hosting SIDS4, bonded together 80 or so young people from all three official SIDS regions – the Caribbean, Pacific and AIS (Indian Ocean and South…

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Security Council denounces attacks against aid workers, UN personnel

Security Council denounces attacks against aid workers, UN personnel

Adopting resolution 2730 (2024) with 14 votes in favour and one abstention (Russia), the Security Council also denounced disinformation, information manipulation and incitement to violence against humanitarian and UN personnel. Led by Switzerland and co-sponsored by over 90 nations, the resolution noted “deep concern” about the particular vulnerability of national and locally recruited personnel who…

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Civilians in Ukraine describe continued Russian attacks in north-eastern regions

Civilians in Ukraine describe continued Russian attacks in north-eastern regions

The spokesperson for the UN human rights office (OHCHR), Liz Throssell, said that people left the Kharkiv region frontline and have been forced to stay in “cold, dark basements, with no electricity” due to aerial bombardments, drone and missile strikes, and artillery shelling. Displaced civilians Ms. Throssell reported that many homes and civilian infrastructure have…

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Nations agree landmark treaty on traditional knowledge, protecting Indigenous Peoples’ rights

Nations agree landmark treaty on traditional knowledge, protecting Indigenous Peoples’ rights

The Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge also includes key provisions aimed at protecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities. Its approval by consensus, in Geneva, marked the conclusion of negotiations that began in 2001. “Today we made history in many ways. This is not just the first new…

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COVID-19 eliminated a decade of progress in global level of life expectancy

COVID-19 eliminated a decade of progress in global level of life expectancy

According to the UN agency, between 2019 and 2021 – the early years of the global health emergency – life expectancy around the world dropped by 1.8 years to 71.4 years, which is the 2012 level.  Responding to the findings, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus highlighted the fragility of global health advances when confronted with…

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