Growth in global economy exceeds expectations, but increased risks could threaten economic outlook, UN report says

Growth in the world economy is surpassing expectations and global GDP is now expected to expand by more than 3 per cent this year and in 2019, reflecting strong growth in developed countries and broadly favourable investment conditions, a new UN report finds.

GGGI raises bar in support of green and climate finance mobilization

The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), in 2017, helped mobilize over half a billion USD for green investments that aim to support developing countries and emerging economies transition toward environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive economic growth.

“The Spread of Equal Citizenship Rights Is the Gateway to Peace,“ Says Chairman of the Geneva Centre

The Chairman of the Geneva Centre for Human Rights Advancement and Global Dialogue Dr. Hanif Hassan Ali Al Qassim appealed to societies worldwide to embrace models of equal citizenship and to harness the collective energy of religions, creeds and value-systems in the pursuit of equal citizenship rights.

IOM Moves Thousands of Rohingya Refugees to Safer Ground

Almost 12,000 Rohingya refugees have now been moved to safer ground by IOM, the UN Migration Agency, as storms continue to lash southern Bangladesh, damaging tarpaulin shelters and raising the risk of landslides on the steep sandy slopes of the refugee settlements. IOM is racing to support the ongoing relocation of 24,000 people recognized as being highest risk.

UAE leads region in renewable energy: APICORP report says

The UAE has done impressive work to stay on track with the renewable energy targets and with phases 3 and 4 of the Dubai Solar Park to begin commissioning by the end of 2020, and is placed at the forefront of renewable energy development in the region, according to a research published by the Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation, APICORP, on the regional renewable energy sector.

Displacement Survey Shows 3.5 Million Internally Displaced, Returnees from Abroad in 15 Afghan Provinces

One in six people is either a returnee or an internally displaced person (IDP) in the 15 Afghan provinces of Baghlan, Balkh, Farah, Herat, Kabul, Kandahar, Khost, Kunar, Kunduz, Laghman, Logar, Nangarhar, Nimroz, Paktya, and Takhar, according to the third round of IOM’s Afghanistan’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) Baseline Mobility Assessment.

Poor Land Use Costs Countries 9 Percent Equivalent of Their GDP

The global economy will lose a whopping USD23 trillion by 2050 through land degradation, a review by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) warns. To take urgent action now and halt these alarming trends would cost USD4.6 trillion – only a fraction of the predicted losses.

IOM DG Marks 3rd Anniversary of EU-China Migration Dialogue Project

IOM Director-General William Lacy Swing yesterday addressed European and Chinese stakeholders marking three years of the EU-China Dialogue on Migration and Mobility Support Programme (MMSP), a project funded by the European Partnership Instrument and implemented jointly by IOM and ILO.

First New Land Ready: Will Allow Rohingya Refugees to Move to Safer Ground Before Monsoon

Humanitarian agencies working in Bangladesh’s Rohingya refugee camps today marked the completion of the first new plot of land prepared to relocate families most at risk of landslides during the upcoming monsoon season.

UAE heads 44th meeting of UNWTO Commission for the Middle East in Egypt

The UAE headed the 44th meeting of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, UNWTO, Commission for the Middle East, which began in the Egyptian city of Sharm el Sheikh, with the participation of tourism ministers and officials from Middle Eastern countries and a senior UNWTO delegation, headed by Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of the UNWTO.

Renewable energy jobs reach 10.3 million worldwide in 2017

The renewable energy industry has created more than 500,000 new jobs globally in 2017, a 5.3 percent increase from 2016, according to the latest figures released by the International Renewable Energy Agency, IRENA.

Out of the Ashes

FIRE! FIRE!, someone screamed as a huge blaze ripped through a small community in Tanza, Navotas in the Philippines. The tragic irony was that this was the night before the Philippines began its annual Fire Prevention Month, which falls in March.

First Regional Biodiversity Forum kicks off in Abu Dhabi

The First Regional Biodiversity Forum kicked off in Abu Dhabi today with the attendance of more than 100 biodiversity experts and specialists from the region and around the world.

GGGI assesses inclusive green development Belt and Road opportunities

The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) hosted a side event under the theme of “Green Growth and Regional Cooperation” on 4 May on the sidelines of the 51st Annual Meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Manila, Philippines.

Chairman of the Geneva Centre: “A free press is indispensable for facilitating good governance and transparent societies”

(Geneva Centre) - On the occasion of the 2018 World Press Freedom Day commemorated on 3 May 2018, the Chairman of the Geneva Centre for Human Rights Advancement and Global Dialogue - H. E. Dr. Hanif Hassan Ali Al Qassim - highlighted the importance of promoting freedom of the press to facilitate “good governance and transparent societies.”