INTER PRESS SERVICE

In precarious environments all around the world, women are being seized into the throes of conflict and poverty. Where war is being waged, women are either caught in the crossfire or bear the brunt of exclusion and attacks on their family, livelihood and emotional wellbeing.

Portuguese-Speaking Nations Endorse FAO Director-General for Second Term

By an IPS Correspondent

A summit meeting of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP), also known as Comunidad de Paises de Lengua Portuguesa, last week reaffirmed the right to food and called for the eradication of hunger.

Study Shows Worsening Humanitarian Disaster in CAR

Violence has resulted in widespread deaths in the Central African Republic (CAR) in one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

Less Vulnerability & Better Resilience, Urges HDR

Although global poverty is declining, human development growth across all regions is slowing down, according to the 2014 Human Development Report (HDR) launched Thursday by the U.N. Development Programme (UNDP).

Ethiopia Shoulders Heavy Refugee Burden

Ethiopia plays host to a refugee population higher than the entire population of Luxembourg, in large part due to the recent conflict in South Sudan.

CAR With the “Most Abandoned People,” Says Mia Farrow

“I came away thinking that the people of the Central African Republic (CAR) were surely the most abandoned people on earth,” said Mia Farrow.

U.S. Counter-Terrorist Sting Ops Overstep Proper Bounds

In its zealous pursuit of terrorism since September 11, 2001, the U.S. government created terrorists out of law-abiding individuals in sting operations and alienated the American Muslim community, according to a new Human Rights Watch (HRW) report released Monday.

Reallocation of Finance Needed for Sustainable Development

Successful sustainable development financing will require a reallocation of investment and the creation of innovative partnerships, according to the Intergovernmental Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development Financing (ICESDF).

Seeking Leadership & Innovation in Sustainable Development

By a Global Information Network correspondent

Sustainable energy and sustainable development are key components of a new initiative launched by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA) and the China Energy Fund Committee (CEFC) .

Survivors of Biafran War in New Push for Reparations

Survivors of the Nigerian civil war that raged for 3 years and whose horror was captured in unforgettable photographic images that shocked the world have renewed their demand for compensation for the suffering of those years.

Noncommunicable Diseases Receive Vital Attention

Less than two percent of all health-related development assistance is directed at noncommunicable diseases, despite the fact they are responsible for more than 60 percent of all deaths worldwide.

As Population Advances, a New Younger Generation on the Rise

By Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin

Today’s 1.8 billion young people are a powerful force, individually and collectively. They are shaping social and economic realities, challenging norms and values and building the foundation of the world’s future.

Asia, Africa See Faster Urbanisation than Rest of the World

Asia and Africa are seeing a faster pace of urbanisation than the rest of the world and the trend is expected to continue, posing challenges for governments to provide public services and manage migration issues.

Amnesty International Calls for Accountability in CAR

Perpetrators of human rights atrocities in the Central African Republic operate with complete impunity because of the country’s feeble judicial system and ongoing instability, according to an Amnesty International report released Thursday.

NGOs Warn of Slowing Poverty Reduction

Poverty reduction has been slowing despite the swift economic development worldwide in the past 20 years, as a result of increasing inequality between countries and within the nations.

U.N. Proposes Pathways to Decarbonisation

National teams in 15 of the world’s largest carbon emitting countries collaborated to produce a 194-page report, which outlines the vast technological transformations that each country must make to prevent global warming from exceeding 2°C.

Environment Should be Priority in China’s Urbanisation Spree

Environment should be among the top issues to be addressed by China in its urbanisation spree to ensure sustainable development, according to panelists at a discussion here Tuesday.

Opium Production Rises to Record Levels Worldwide

Illicit opium production rose last year to nearly 300,000 hectares, the largest since estimates became available, with Afghan heroin reaching new markets, according to a United Nations report.

If One Wing is Broken, No One Can Fly

By Kanya D'Almeida

Before an audience of over a thousand people in the historic Apollo Theatre in West Harlem, UN Women launched a major global campaign Thursday to mark the 20^th anniversary of the 1995 Beijing World Conference on Women.

U.N. says Violence Kills Over 1,000 People in Iraq