Indigenous Land Rights Bring Economic, not just Environmental Benefits

Secure indigenous land rights not only bring environmental benefits, they can also foster economic development, according to a new report released by the World Resources Institute.

$90tn Infrastructure Investment Could Combat Climate Change: Report

The world will need to more than double its current infrastructure stock over the next 15 years - a massive undertaking which could either contribute to or combat catastrophic climate change - according to a new report.

Antonio Guterres Selected as Next UN Secretary-General Faces Tremendous Challenges

The 15 members of the UN Security Council jointly announced Wednesday their decision to select Antonio Guterres of Portugal as the ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations.

What Does Leaving No One Behind Really Mean?

One year after UN member states adopted the ambitious 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda their repeated vow to “leave no one behind” seems almost as idealistic and impractical as ever.

Governments Band Together to Address Antibiotic Resistance

The looming threat of a world where even minor infections are deadly has led governments to commit to collective action against antibiotic resistance at the UN General Assembly earlier this week.

Developing Countries Innovative Drivers of Sustainable Development

Developing countries are creating and sharing their own innovative solutions to development problems, Jorge Chediek, Director of the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation told IPS in a recent interview.

Myths, Secrets and Inequality Surround Ugandan Women’s Sex Lives

Mambera Hellem tells her friends and neighbours about all forms of contraception, yet despite their high HIV risk she knows many of the women she speaks to will not use condoms.

Female Political Leaders like Hillary Clinton Still Extremely Rare

Despite their prominence on the world stage, female political leaders like Hillary Clinton and Angela Merkel are part of a tiny minority of women who have risen to the top of politics.

Rich Countries Should Take Development Goals Seriously Too

The UN’s new Sustainable Development Goals apply to all 193 UN member states, yet one year in some say that rich countries aren’t taking their critical role quite as seriously as they should be.

UN Negotiations Focus on What Lies Beneath the High Seas

The high seas - oceans which fall beyond the jurisdiction of any country - make up about two thirds of the world’s ocean and half of the total surface of planet earth.

Thailand’s Sufficiency Economy Philosophy and the Sustainable Development Goals

The UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) don’t just define development in terms of economic growth, they also call for sustainable use of the world’s limited natural resources.

Deadly Yellow Fever Spreading, Amid Global Vaccine Shortages

As deadly yellow fever spreads to seven provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), new measures have been introduced to ensure that as many people as possible are immunised, despite global shortages of the yellow fever vaccine.

133 Organisations Nominate Syria’s White Helmets for Nobel Peace Prize

Syria’s White Helmets - the volunteers who rescue civilians from collapsed buildings - could be the “most popular” nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize ever, according to human rights group, the Syria Campaign.

Time for a Woman to Lead the UN

Judging by the latest polls it now seems more likely that the United States will have a female President in 2016, than the United Nations will have a female Secretary-General.

President of UN General Assembly Continues Push for Openness, Transparency

The President of the 70th Session of the UN General Assembly, Mogens Lykketoft, has helped spearhead a push for a more open and transparent selection process for the next UN Secretary-General.

Feminism Slowly Gaining Support at United Nations

Achieving gender equality has long been one of the United Nations’ top priorities yet the word feminism has only recently begun to find its way into speeches at UN headquarters.

South Sudan Tense but Calm Following Intense Fighting: UN

The situation in Juba, South Sudan on Thursday was "tense" but "calm" following recent intense fighting, UN Spokesperson for the Secretary General Stephane Dujarric told journalists here Thursday.

Fighting Violence Against Children as a Global Problem

One billion children experienced physical, sexual or psychological violence in the last year, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), prompting the launch of a new global partnership to tackle the problem here Tuesday.

Closing the Gaps in Sexual Education for People with Disabilities

From forced sterilisation to sexual abuse, young women and men with disabilities are much more likely to have their sexual and reproductive health rights violated than other people.

Five Years After Independence South Sudan Faces Myriad Challenges

South Sudan, the world’s newest country faces myriad problems five years after achieving independence, aid agencies warned this week.

Civil Society Under Serious Attack

Despite their contribution to social justice, civil society organisations came under “serious attack” in 109 countries in 2015, according to a new report published by CIVICUS Monday.