Industrial fishing is emptying our seas of life – ripping up seabeds, decimating wildlife populations and threatening food security for local communities. So why are governments still hoping that they can solve the ocean crisis in discussions dominated by destructive fishing interests?
17 March 2021 (UN News)* — An arms embargo imposed on Libya by the Security Council in 2011 remains “totally ineffective” a UN Panel of Experts has said, adding that civilians, including migrants and asylum seekers, continue to suffer widespread rights violations and abuses.
UNICEF/Alessio Romenzi | The rusting hulk of a ship and a destroyed armoured vehicle on the beach in Zuwarah, western Libya. (file photo)
In its final report, the Panel of Experts on Libya – established pursuant to resolution 1973 (2011) – said that throughout its mandate, the body identified “multiple acts” that threatened the peace, stability or security of the country, and increased attacks against State institutions and installations.
“Designated terrorist groups remained active in Libya, albeit with diminished activities. Their acts of violence continue to have a disruptive effect on the stability and security of the country”, it said.
(Stockholm) International transfers of major arms stayed at the same level between 2011–15 and 2016–20. Substantial increases in transfers by three of the top five arms exporters—the USA, France and Germany—were largely offset by declining Russian and Chinese arms exports. Middle Eastern arms imports grew by 25 per cent in the period, driven chiefly by Saudi Arabia (+61 per cent), Egypt (+136 per cent) and Qatar (+361 per cent), according to new data on global arms transfers published on by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
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The trend in international transfers of major arms, 1981–2020
The prime minister is a political parasite, feeding on distrust in dying institutions. He must be stopped before it’s too late
Boris Johnson’s government is planning to slash the UK’s aid to war-torn countries | Hannah Mckay/Reuters/Alamy
17 March 2021 (openDemocrcay)* — There are lots of reasons why the prime minister, Boris Johnson, should not cut development aid.
Maybe the thought of the 16 million Yemenis who will go hungry this year, while living in fear of British-made bombs, might cause him to turn over at night?
Perhaps he might allow a tear for children in Syria. Those under the age of ten have known nothing but war, but Johnson’s senior civil servants have discussed cutting aid to them by two-thirds.
“The basic problem is that the 193-member General Assembly has deferred too many times, for too long, and on too many issues to the UN Security Council and the five permanent members (P-5) of the UN Security Council (UNSC)”.
UNITED NATIONS, Mar 15 2021 (IPS)* – The United Nations has continued to pursue a notoriously longstanding tradition of doling out some of the highest-ranking jobs either to the five big powers, who are permanent members of the Security Council—namely the US, UK, China, France and Russia – or to Western industrialized nations such as Spain, Italy, Canada, Sweden, Germany, plus Japan.
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The UN General Assembly in session. Credit: UN Photo/Manuel Elias