A UN human rights mission to Madagascar has alleged that European and Asian exploitation of the island’s fishing grounds is comparable to the pillage of African resources by 19th century imperialists.
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Malawi spells trouble for aid promises
Malawi is a scare story for Africa because President Mutharika was until very recently the donors’ pet; now he is perceived as a tyrant.
Security Council skips date with history
A rare Security Council debate on the threat posed to peace by climate change failed to spot the signficance of an equally rare declaration – of famine – in Somalia.
Todd Stern handbagged in Delhi
Todd Stern, US special envoy on climate change, has met the new Indian environment minister, Jayanthi Natarajan, to discuss the looming UN conference in Durban.
The climate change blame game
How far can we go in blaming climate change for food insecurity? Kenya poses the difficult questions.
Vandana Shiva calls for end to Indian seed poker
The Indian scientist and environmental activist, Dr Vandana Shiva, has taunted the world’s major biotechnology companies for adopting crop seed research methods which require no more skills than betting in a lottery.
Prepare for personal carbon rations, says UN report
One of the UN’s most influential annual reports warns that personal energy rationing in richer countries is a necessary component of any coherent global strategy for sustainable development. American citizens might be capped at less than one sixth of their current carbon consumption by 2050.
Never let a good crisis go to waste, twice
Yesterday’s panic in the financial markets has conjured a repeat of that sense of things falling apart – with no answers ready from any quarter.
No value in global poverty guesswork
Publication of the progress report on the UN Millennium Development Goals is the time of year to ask whether momentum for the 2015 targets is really there.
Asian migrants are not for sale
There’s something uncomfortably de-humanizing about packaging economic migrants, as though they were destined for shipping containers.