IPS UN: Inside the Glasshouse Archives

Violent Conflict in Sudan Has Impacted on Nearly Every Aspect of Women’s Lives

I had the privilege to speak at the UN Security Council open debate last week on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS), an important opportunity to reflect on the urgency of this work and why women’s rights must be central to addressing any conflict or crisis.

The UN’s 78th Birthday: Revisiting the Operational Credibility of the United Nations

By Anwarul K. Chowdhury

I thank the United Nations Asia Network for Diversity and Inclusion (UN-ANDI) for inviting me to present the keynote speech on this special occasion for the observance of the United Nations Day.

A World, Mostly Dominated by Men, in Turmoil

By Azza Karam

This year – 2023 - started with a commemoration of one year of war in, and on Ukraine, which has dramatically impacted the price of basic needs for the world’s populations in every corner of the world. It is an ongoing calamity for a world already living its worst collective food, public health and conflict-based insecurities.

What is Happening in Gaza is “Inhumane, illegal, and Unacceptable”

By Thalif Deen

Last August, 91 UN member states, “in a demonstration of solidarity and commitment”, signed a U.S.-Led Joint Communiqué condemning the Use of Food as a Weapon of War. Roughly 345 million people – in 79 countries – face acute food insecurity, often caused or exacerbated by armed conflicts, the US said, pointing out that the joint communiqué was born out of the United States’ resolve to once again use its UN Security Council presidency to draw attention to conflict-induced food insecurity.

A Tug of War and Peace in Yemen

By Magdalena Kirchner

For the first time since the beginning of a war that claimed the lives of over 220,000 people, a senior Houthi delegation travelled from Yemen to Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh in mid-September.

The Palestinians Subject to 56 Years of Suffocating Occupation

By Antonio Guterres

The situation in the Middle East is growing more dire by the hour. The war in Gaza is raging and risks spiralling throughout the region. Divisions are splintering societies. Tensions threaten to boil over. At a crucial moment like this, it is vital to be clear on principles -- starting with the fundamental principle of respecting and protecting civilians.

Gender Parity: Rise of Denmark and Downfall of Afghanistan

By Thalif Deen

The UN agency, which advocates women’s rights and gender empowerment, has predicted that gender equality is “300 years away.” Addressing the UN Commission on the Status of Women last March, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres not only quoted the estimates provided by UN Women but also warned that progress toward gender equality is “vanishing before our eyes.”

The Road to Hell is Paved with Not-So-Good Intentions: Quo Vadis Israel-Palestine?

By Purnaka L. de Silva

“God Is Truth” – Mahatma Gandhi. The bloodletting in Israel-Palestine is nothing new, perhaps the ferocity and intensity has become much worse and more frenetic. Ever since the Zionist project to establish a Jewish nation took hold in 1948, and flourished thereafter, the local inhabitants, mostly Arab Muslims and Christians, were displaced in the power equation and became dispossessed in every sense of the word.

Damning Evidence of War Crimes in Gaza

By an IPS Correspondent

Amnesty International (AI), one of the leading human rights organizations, has accused Israeli forces of continuing “to intensify their cataclysmic assault on the occupied Gaza Strip.”

American Weapons Used in Gaza Trigger War Crime Accusations Against US

By Thalif Deen

The widespread use of American weapons by Israel, which has killed thousands of civilians in Gaza, has triggered accusations of war crimes against the United States. But US has always escaped these charges in contemporary military conflicts –particularly in the killing fields of Afghanistan and Iraq --and also in the use of American weapons in Yemen where thousands have been killed.

Crisis Resilient Urban Futures: The Future of Asian and Pacific Cities 2023

By Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana

Cities have always been dynamic hubs of culture, education, economic growth and opportunity, and most importantly, centres of social interaction attracting residents and visitors alike.

Big Changes Coming to the World Bank—But it’s Not Enough

By Andrew Nazdin

It’s official: The World Bank officially has a mission to combat climate change. At least on paper. This week, the World Bank governing body approved a new vision statement that clarifies that the Bank can tackle climate change as part of its mission to alleviate global poverty on “a livable planet.” Also this week, the new World Bank President Ajay Banga suggested that he’ll be consider redirecting subsidies away from fossil fuels and towards climate action.

In Gaza, Civilians Have No Escape from Bombs and Missiles– & No Water or Food Either

By Joyce Msuya

The humanitarian situation in and around the Gaza Strip—which continues to unfold as we speak—can only be described as an utter catastrophe.

Israel Must Remember Its Moral Values in Its Quest to Crush Hamas

By Alon Ben-Meir

Israel will recover over time from its colossal intelligence failure and its tardiness in responding militarily to Hamas’ massacre. But it cannot do so unless it upholds its moral values and makes every effort to spare the lives of innocent Palestinians as it pursues Hamas’ destruction

UNRWA Warns of Unprecedented Humanitarian Catastrophe in Gaza

By Philippe Lazzarini

As of today, my UNRWA colleagues in Gaza are no longer able to provide humanitarian assistance. As I speak with you, Gaza is running out of water and electricity. In fact, Gaza is being strangled and it seems that the world right now has lost its humanity.

UN Chief Urged to Create Civil Society Envoy

By Thalif Deen

When the United Nations commemorated the 75th anniversary of the UN Charter back in 2020, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres paid a supreme compliment to Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).

Seize Opportunity to End Last Major Mercury Device

By Charlie Brown

As the Minamata Convention on Mercury’s fifth Conference of the Parties (COP5) approaches, momentum builds to adopt the Africa Region’s proposed amendment to phase out dental amalgam – a cavity filling material that is approximately 50% mercury.

It’s Time to Close the Sustainable Energy Gaps in Asia & the Pacific

By Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana

This year we pass the halfway mark both on our journey towards implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, and the signing of the Paris Agreement on climate change.

“Israel’s 9/11” is a Slogan to Rationalize Open-Ended Killing of Palestinian Civilians

By Norman Solomon

When Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations spoke outside the Security Council on Sunday, he said: “This is Israel’s 9/11. This is Israel’s 9/11.” Meanwhile, in a PBS NewsHour interview, Israel’s ambassador to the United States said: “This is, as someone said, our 9/11.”

El Niño’s Impact on Central America’s Small Farmers Is Becoming More Intense

By Edgardo Ayala

The effects of El Niño on agriculture in Central America are once again putting pressure on thousands of small farmer families who are feeling more vulnerable economically and in terms of food, as they lose their crops, due to climate change.

To End Child Marriage in Southern & East Africa, Governments Need to Strengthen Laws & Implementation

By Divya Srinivasan

Almost one third (32%) of women aged 20 to 24 in Eastern and Southern Africa - around 50 million – were married before 18 years old. To address this pervasive problem, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Parliamentary Forum has adopted the SADC Model Law on Eradicating Child Marriage and Protecting Children Already in Marriage, a legal framework providing a comprehensive, integrated approach to ending child marriage and protecting children already married.