UN: Invest in Healthy Lands to Cut Costs of Human-made Droughts By Joyce Ojanji As droughts fuelled by human destruction of the environment are projected to affect three in four people by 2050, investing in sustainable land and water management is essential to reduce their costs, which already exceed $ 307 billion per year globally. […]

US$ 2.15 Billion Pledged for the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership By Joyce Ojanji The Kingdom of Saudi has announced the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership, to leverage public and private finance to support 80 of the most vulnerable and drought-hit countries around the world. An initial US $2.15 billion has been pledged towards the Riyadh […]

Launch of World Drought Atlas Calls for Radical Action to Reduce Risks By Sharon Atieno As global leaders gather in Saudi Arabia for the 16th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP16), the unveiling of the World Drought Atlas is a wake-up call for urgent action at all […]

Plastic Pollution: No Treaty Yet By Sharon Atieno The fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5), which was to be the determining negotiation for a global plastic pollution treaty, concluded in Busan, Korea with no treaty in sight. The talks, attended by more than 3,300 delegates adjourned, with agreement on a ‘Chair’s Text’ that will serve […]

World Animal Protection Opposes JBS’ Expansion into Nigeria By Gift Briton The expansion of JBS, one of the world’s largest food companies, into Nigeria has been met with mixed reactions. Animal welfare activists have expressed concern over potential environmental and animal welfare issues. On 21st November 2024, Brazillian meat producers signed a memorandum of understanding worth […]

Dr. Okonjo-Iweala Reappointed WTO Director General By Sharon Atieno Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has been reappointed the World Trade Organization’s Director General for a second four-year term. The decision was reached through a consensus by the WTO‘s General Council on 29th November. This was preceded by a presentation where Dr. Okonjo-Iweala outlined her vision for the […]

Humanitarian Programs Urged to Prioritize Mental Health of Displaced Children By Gift Briton A recent scientific journal highlighting the troubling prevalence of mental health disorders among children and young people displaced by conflict urges humanitarian programs to prioritize mental health services for this vulnerable population. The research reveals that displaced children increasingly suffer from depression, […]

Ecocide: Global Push to Amend the ICC Statute Gains Momentum By Daniel Otunge On 9th September this year, a significant milestone was reached in the quest to include Ecocide as the fifth crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). On that day, the crime of ecocide was formally introduced for consideration […]

Ending AIDS: Targeting Men, Boys By Sharon Atieno As part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the world is committed to ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030. The goal is to achieve zero new HIV infections, zero AIDS-related deaths, and zero discrimination. With about six years remaining, Kenya is determined to achieve this […]