Developing Countries Take Lead at Climate Change Agreement Signing

An unprecedented 175 countries signed the Paris Climate Change Agreement here Friday, with 15 developing countries taking the lead by also ratifying the treaty.

How the Definition of Development Aid is Being Eroded

The traditional definition of aid is being eroded at the same time that governments have committed to achieving the UN's ambitious Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Jeffrey Sachs special adviser to the UN Secretary-General on development told IPS Thursday.

Developing countries left out of global tax decisions

Over one hundred developing countries continue to be left out of global tax cooperation negotiations despite leaks such as the Panama papers showing the high cost of tax avoidance.

Will the UN’s new leader stand for the powerful or the powerless?

After hundreds of questions were posed to nine candidates vying for the role of United Nations Secretary-General this week, a lasting question remains; will the UN’s new leader stand for the powerful or the powerless?

Timor-Leste Brings Maritime Dispute with Australia to United Nations

Timor-Leste which won independence from Indonesia in 1999 is now engaged in a new struggle with Australia over rights to oil and gas reserves in the Timor Sea.

Plan for Poorer Countries to Fund HIV Response Raises Concerns    

Calls for low and middle income countries to contribute an additional 6.1 billion dollars to the global HIV response by 2020 could see some vulnerable groups left behind, said HIV activists meeting at the United Nations last week.

World Health Day: Rapidly Rising Diabetes Closely Linked to Poverty

Diabetes, which now affects more than 400 million people worldwide, is closely linked to poverty in most regions of the world, World Health Organization Medical Officer Alessandro Demaio told IPS Thursday.

War Zones Littered with More than Just Land Mines

Land mines are not the only type of explosive devices that families returning home after conflicts risk stumbling across, representatives from the UN’s Mine Action Service (UNMAS) told journalists here Monday.

African Staple Plantains at Risk of Same Diseases as Bananas

Anna Gamusi, has been growing ‘matooke’ - plantains - for over 20 years. She originally learnt how to grow them in her home village of Busolwe in Eastern Uganda, but says that they are no longer grown there.

Campaign to End Sexual Violence Targets Civilian Peacekeepers First

“We can really argue as much as we want but if we put ourselves in the skin of victims, we just have to do something to stop this.”

Development and Taxes, a Vital Piece of the Post-2015 Puzzle

Public funds are vitally important to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), making corporate tax avoidance trends a pressing issue for post-2015 Financing for Development discussions.

Nobel Peace Laureate Calls for Global Human Compassion to Combat Child Slavery

Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi has called for globalised human compassion to combat the global and persistent problems of child labour and child slavery.

Contradictions Beset U.N. Response to Sexual Abuse by Peacekeepers

An internal United Nations expert report released Monday by the non-governmental organisation AIDS-Free World reveals serious contradictions in the U.N.’s reporting of sexual exploitation and abuse by U.N. peacekeepers.

Four Ways Women Bring Lasting Peace to the Table

2015 marks anniversaries for two significant commitments made to increasing women’s participation at peace tables.

200 Million Fewer Women than Men Online

Two hundred million fewer women have access to the internet than men, according to a report released Monday.

From the Mountains to the Sea, Timorese Women Fight for More

In Timor-Leste, the gap between rich and poor is most keenly felt by rural women and children. But while women are working hard to help rebuild Timor-Leste, their contributions are not always recognised, in a country where men’s narratives still heavily dominate.

The 15 Journalists Putting Women’s Rights on the Front Page

Media coverage of maternal, sexual and reproductive health rights is crucial to achieving international development goals, yet journalists covering these issues often face significant challenges.

Can Indigenous and Wildlife Conservationists Work Together?

Indigenous and wildlife conservationists have common goals and common adversaries, but seem to be struggling to find common ground in the fight for sustainable forests.

Reporting on Violence in Mexico Brings Its Own Perils

Organised criminals in Mexico are forcing the media to stop reporting on crime, by turning their violence against journalists.

Analysis: Mass Rapes and the Future of U.N. Darfur Mission

The future of the U.N. African Union Hybrid Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) could depend largely on determining what exactly happened in the town of Tabit in Northern Darfur at the end of October last year.

Measles Still Kills Thousands of Children Each Year

Measles remains one of the leading causes of death for young children worldwide, even though a safe vaccine is available.