Reduced Inequalities

Photo: 74th ESCAP Session: Countries adopt regional actions to tackle inequalities. Credit: ESCAP.

Multilateralism in Action is Something We Need to See More Of

By Miroslav Lajčák

Miroslav Lajčák is President of the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly. Following are extensive excerpts from his Statement at 74th session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) with focus on Inequality in the Era of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development on 14 May 2018 in Bangkok, Thailand. – The Editor.

BANGKOK (IDN-INPS) – In 2015, we made a promise. We committed to leaving no one behind. And, the theme of this session is a stark reminder of our promise: Inequality in the Era of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

: Ramesh Jaura; THE WORLD; Asia-Pacific; 21 May 2018

Families in Asia-Pacific Could Benefit Much More from Growing Remittances

By Krishan Dutta

KUALA LUMPUR (IDN) – Around US$6 trillion in remittances are expected to be sent to developing countries by 2030: over half of these flows will arrive in the Asia Pacific regions, very often in small towns and villages, says a new report.

Remittances to the Asia-Pacific region amounted to US$ 256 billion in 2017 representing 53 percent of flows worldwide. They have grown by 4.87 percent since 2008, with rates flattening in recent years.

Besides, remittances contribute to the region more than 10 times the official development assistance (ODA) in the region where 400 million people – one out of every 10 people – are directly affected by remittances either as a sender or as a receiver.

: Krishan Dutt; THE WORLD; Asia-Pacific; 19 May 2018

Image: Cover (cropped) of Report on Inequality in Asia-Pacific. Credit. UNESCAP.

Inequality on the Rise in Asia-Pacific – UNESCAP Reports

By Rita Joshi

BERLIN | BANGKOK (IDN-INPS) – The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, approved by the United Nations in September 2015, pledged to "leave no one behind". But two years since the Agenda began to be implemented, inequality in Asia and the Pacific is on the rise. This is affirmed by a study launched at the 74th Session (CS74) of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), which opened on May 11, 2018 in Bangkok.

The Report shows that satisfactory progress has been made at the regional level towards eradicating poverty (Goal 1), promoting health and well-being (Goal 3), and achieving quality education for all (Goal 4).

: Rita Joshi; THE WORLD; Asia-Pacific; 13 May 2018

Photo: Panelists in the April 24 event, including Kazakh Vice-Minister Berik Aryn (extreme left), UNAOC High Representative Al-Nasser (centre), and Ambassador Kairat Umarov, the Kazakh Permanent Representative to the UN (third from right at the back). Credit: Kazakh Permanent Mission to the UN Headquarters in New York.

Kazakhstan Sets the Ball Rolling for the Landmark Interfaith Congress in Astana

By J Nastranis

UNITED NATIONS (IDN) – "The holy scriptures of the Koran, Bible, Torah, the Bhagwad Geeta or the Lotus Sutra" underline "the vital importance to unite the efforts of political and religious leaders for the cause of security and stability across our planet," said Kazakhstan's Vice-Minister for Religious Affairs and Civil Society, Berik Aryn, in a keynote address at an event organized by the Kazakh Permanent Mission to the UN in partnership with the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC).

He was speaking on behalf of Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and Head of the Secretariat of the Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, Kazakhstan’s interfaith initiative launched in 2003.

: J Nastranis; CENTRAL ASIA; 30 April 2018

800 Million People Face Dire Prospects Despite Upturn in Global Economy - UN Report

By J Nastranis

NEW YORK (IDN) – The United Nations in a major report has warned that the prospects of about 800 million of the world's poorest people remain dire. Though the global economy is experiencing a moderate upturn, and momentum around sustainable investing is growing, the vast majority of investment is still short-term oriented and commitments by the international community to create sustainable economies are not being met.

The report Financing for Development: Progress and Prospects finds an increasing interest in socially responsible investing, but that is no substitute for a broader transformation in the financial system, it states, adding that the current system rewards investors, financiers and project managers that prioritize short-term profits.

: J Nastranis; SUSTAINABILITY; Poverty; 20 April 2018

Photo: View of San José from the Museum of Jade. Credit: CC BY-SA 3.0

Costa Rica Advised To Make Growth More Inclusive

By Robert Johnson

PARIS (IDN) – Costa Rica, renowned for its ecological footprint, forest protection and abundant biodiversity, has made impressive economic and social progress in recent years, with robust economic growth facilitating near-universal access to education, health care and pensions.

But the Central American country is faced with a fundamental challenge: its fiscal imbalance, which continues to remain the major threat to the country’s economic stability, growth and living standards, says a new report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

: Robert Johnson; THE WORLD; Latin America & the Caribbean; 19 April 2018

UN Focuses Yet Again on Protecting Indigenous Peoples’ Rights

By UNDESA

Note: The following Feature appeared in April 2018 issue UN DESA VOICE, the newsletter published by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. It is being reproduced with slight modifications. – The Editor

NEW YORK (IDN) – Indigenous communities play a vital role as custodians of our planet, possessing vital knowledge that will support global efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). But despite progress to protect their rights, many of the world’s 370 million indigenous peoples face discrimination and threats to their livelihoods and ancestral lands.

To tackle these challenges, more than 1,000 representatives of indigenous people’s organizations, Members States and UN agencies will gather for the 17th session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues taking place at UN Headquarters on April 16-27, 2018.

: IDN-INPS UN Bureau; GLOBAL GOVERNANCE; United Nations; 02 April 2018

Trump Ends Deportation Protection for Liberians in the U.S.

By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network

NEW YORK | MONROVIA (IDN) – Liberians living in the U.S. since a devastating civil war that took 250,000 lives from 1989 until 1997 are now in the crosshairs of the current Trump administration which has terminated their protected status with effect from March 31, 2019.

Some five thousand Liberians have been eligible for either Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) since March 1991, allowing them to remain in the United States. But the total number of Liberians in the U.S. is estimated at 100,000.

: Global Information Network; THE WORLD; USA and Canada; 30 March 2018

Structural Reform Needed to Ensure Brazil's Inclusive Growth

By Sean Buchanan

LONDON (IDN) – Brazil is emerging from its long recession and is headed for solid growth in 2018 and 2019 as recent structural reforms start to bear fruit, but the country still has some way to go.

The mixed outlook comes in the latest OECD Economic Survey of Brazil which notes that sustaining this recovery, unleashing Brazil's full economic potential and spreading the benefits fairly will require additional efforts to rein in public spending, increase trade and investment, and further focus social spending on those most in need.

: Phil Harris; THE WORLD; Latin America & the Caribbean; 11 March 2018

Photo: African Union meeting end of January. Credit: Voices for Transparency

The Focus Turns To Corruption in 2018

By Joe Powell

The writer is Deputy CEO of Open Government Partnership (OGP). This article first appeared in Transparency International's blog Voices for Transparency. – The Editor

WASINGTON, D.C. (IDN) – Corruption continued to dominate headlines across the world in 2017. It ended political careers, motivated citizens to organize and advocate for reform, and was spurred by another major leak of documents revealing money laundering and elite capture in the Paradise Papers. It is one of the most challenging open government topics facing the world today.