Native Peoples Take on Threadbare Stereotypes

With the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples coming up on Thursday, native communities are increasingly using media to challenge a legacy of stereotypes.

Q&A: U.N. Spotlights Pirates in the Malacca Strait at Expo 2012

At the Yeosu World Expo 2012, the U.N. commemorated the thirtieth anniversary of the U.N. Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), highlighting efforts to quell the global scourge of piracy.

South Korea Showcases Role as Donor at Expo 2012

When South Korea took the initiative to integrate a development cooperation programme into this year’s World Expo, it stepped up its efforts to gain credibility as a donor on the international stage.

Q&A: South Korea Steps Up as Marine Conservation Champion

When South Korea picked an oceans theme for the 2012 Yeosu World Expo, it became host to the largest marine-themed event in history, with the potential to make a concrete contribution to sustainable development and simultaneously buoy the Korean global image.

Celebrating the Olympic Ideal with a Big Mac

As the 2012 London Olympics gears up to open on Jul. 27, criticism of the longstanding partnership between the Games and sponsor McDonald’s has stolen a small portion of the limelight.

Governments Challenged to Rein in Arms Flow

Talks to develop greater control of the arms trade have cast a glaring spotlight on the role of diverse countries in fuelling conflicts worldwide, offering governments a historic opportunity to rein in the flow of weapons.

New Initiative to Combat Toxic Threats

Reducing the risks associated with chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats is the goal of a new multi-country initiative known as the Centres of Excellence (CoE).

U.S. Drone Strikes Setting Dangerous Global Precedent

U.S. counterterrorism measures are under intense scrutiny from United Nations (U.N.) experts and civil rights groups declaring drone strikes illegal under current frameworks.

Former Girl Soldiers Trade One Nightmare for Another

"When I was still at school I was abducted by the Lord's Resistance Army, along with 139 other girls," says Grace Akallo. "I spent seven months in captivity, but I survived, I escaped and I went back home."

Q&A: Women Must Be at the Forefront of Rio+20, and Beyond

Unlocking women's energies and allowing them to become drivers of change could fuel the motor of sustainable development.

SYRIA: Conscience Is Their Only Armour

With the international community vowing to ratchet up pressure on the Syrian government, non-violent activists say they remain undeterred even as the situation seems to be deteriorate daily.

World Faces Stark Choice at Rio+20, UN Report Warns

Irreversible environmental damage threatens to destabilise the world's life-support systems unless urgent action is taken, according to the latest Global Environment Report (GEO-5) which looks to the Rio+20 summit as a crucial opportunity to halt this decline.

Anti-Tobacco Battle Pits Corporations Against Public Health

Lawsuits from major tobacco corporations challenging anti-tobacco policies all over the world underscore the ever greater need for a global crackdown on tobacco use, for the sake of both public health and global development goals.

Security Council ‘Unfit for Purpose’, Says Amnesty International

Amnesty International delivered a scathing condemnation of global and national leadership in its 2012 global human rights report on Tuesday, conveying profound disappointment in such leadership for its failure to match the determination and resilience of ordinary civilians in their resistance to repressive regimes.