International


Colombia: The End of Colombia's Civil War Had an Unintended Effect: Deforestation

Sep 25, 2020 | Megan Janetsky and Steven Grattan, Vice

Colombia’s armed conflict, which lasted more than 50 years, fueled bloodshed in remote zones like these, as leftist guerrillas, right wing paramilitaries and armed forces…


Iraq/Kurdistan: Iraq Says Minister’s Comments ‘Distorted’ after KRG Denies Oil Smuggling Allegations

Sep 25, 2020 | Kurdistan 24

The Iraqi government said on Thursday that remarks made by its finance minister alleging oil smuggling in the Kurdistan Region were “distorted” after authorities in…


Thailand: Tired of Conflict, Thailand’s Seep South Women are on the Front Lines of Peace

Sep 24, 2020 | Caleb Quinley, The New Humanitarian

Years of conflict and violence have divided communities in Thailand’s deep south. Pateemoh Poh-Itaeda-oh is one of a growing number of women trying to build…


Solomon Islands: Why Are There Unexploded Bombs in the Pacific Islands?

Sep 24, 2020 | James Massola, Sydney Morning Herald

How on Earth was a piece of unexploded ordnance (known as UXO) from World War II discovered in suburban Honiara, the capital of the Solomon…


Afghanistan/Tajikistan: Afghanistan and Tajikistan Step up Environmental Cooperation

Sep 24, 2020 | UN Environment

The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Republic of Tajikistan have taken an important step in strengthening joint efforts to protect their unique, shared mountain…


Afghanistan: Authorities Sound Alarm Bells over Winter Pollution

Sep 22, 2020 | Afghanistan Times

With winter season around the corner, authorities have sounded alarm bells over excessive pollution urging households and polluters including factories to start using filtering equipment.…


Afghanistan: The Taliban, at Least, Are Striking Gold in Afghanistan

Sep 22, 2020 | Lynne O’Donnell and Mirwais Khan, Foreign Policy

For decades, Afghanistan’s untapped mineral wealth has been touted as the country’s trillion-dollar El Dorado. But while the Afghan government has never been able to…


Colombia: US to Assist Colombia in the Development of Its Mining Industry

Sep 20, 2020 | Valentina Ruiz Leotaud, Mining.com

The US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, announced that his office will launch a program to provide technical assistance for the development of Colombia’s mining…


China/Myanmar/Thailand: China’s Hunger for Rosewood Helps Fund Armed Conflicts in South East Asia and Africa

Sep 20, 2020 | Lee Chen, Mizzima

Chinese demand for treasured rosewood does more than lead to deforestation in Southeast Asia and Africa. Whether it is the cat-and-mouse game of timber smugglers…


Afghanistan: Authorities to Clamp Down on Illegal Mining in Parwan

Sep 20, 2020 | Afghanistan Times

Officials in Parwan province assure to prevent illegal mine extractions. The comments came Sunday after illegal demining of chromite in the Koh-e-Safi district sparked controversies,…


Colombia: From Conflict to Conservation: Colombia’s Ex-Combatants become Citizen Scientists

Sep 19, 2020 | Jenna Homewood, Organization for World Peace

Civil unrest has ravaged Colombia for over half a century, with the prolonged conflict between the far-left guerrilla group Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)…


Colombia: How Colombia Regulators became Purveyors of Illegal Wood

Sep 18, 2020 | César Molinares and Natalia Moreno, InSight Crime

In Santander, Colombia, timber traders corrupted regulatory, police and judicial systems on their way to trafficking untold amounts of wood from the state.


Climate Change: Secretary General Participates in NATO Seminar on Security and the Environment

Sep 17, 2020 | NATO

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg participated in a seminar at NATO Headquarters in Brussels entitled ‘NATO and Nature, a changing climate: why the environment matters…


Land: Reversing Land Degradation Can ‘Pre-empt and Manage’ Conflicts

Sep 17, 2020 | UN

n a virtual briefing on the humanitarian impact of continued degradation, peace and security, the Executive Secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD),…


Nigeria: Between Farmers and Herdsmen

Sep 16, 2020 | Daniel Essiet, Nation

These are not cheery times for farmers as a result of the incessant conflicts with cattle herders. Clashes between the two groups have resulted in…


Sierra Leone: Mines Minister Calls on Mining Companies to Step up Operations

Sep 16, 2020 | Abdul Rashid Thomas, Sierra Leone Telegraph

Timothy Kabba and his team, last week conducted a two-day familiarisation tour of three mining companies in the southern and eastern districts of the country,…


Humanitarian Effects of Environmental Degradation on Peace and Security: Open VTC

Sep 16, 2020 | What's in Blue

Security Council members plan to hold a ministerial-level open debate in videoconference (VTC) format on the humanitarian effects of environmental degradation on peace and security.…


Côte d’Ivoire: First Responsible, Traceable, and Commercially-Viable Artisanal Gold Supply Chain Operational in Côte d’Ivoire

Sep 16, 2020 | IMPACT

After a first export of gold, IMPACT and the European Union announced today that a traceability and due diligence system from mine site to the…


Conflict Minerals: GAO Tells State, USAID to Create Performance Indicators for Conflict Minerals Strategy

Sep 15, 2020 | Homeland Security Today

The Department of States (State) says armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continue to commit severe human rights abuses and to…


Cameroon: Protect Environment, Create Employment

Sep 14, 2020 | The Lutheran World Federation

(LWI) - What once was brown, now is green. In a few years, The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) has transformed a region around the Minawao…


Myanmar: Rare Turtles Known for Their Permanent Smiles Saved from Extinction in Myanmar

Sep 14, 2020 | Judy Cole, Good News Network

With faces straight out of Dr. Seuss, the cheeky beaks of Burmese roofed turtle hatchlings are characterized by what’s been described as a nonstop grin.…


Liberia: National Traditional Council Recommends Halt to Mining Activities over Disputed Land in Gbarpolu County

Sep 14, 2020 | Gerald C. Koinyeneh, FrontPage Africa

The National Council of Chiefs and Elders of Liberia (NACCEL) has called for the suspension of all mining activities over disputed land in Gbarpolu County…


Egypt/Ethiopia/Sudan: Politics of Water: Difficult Talks Continue on Africa's Largest Dam [Video]

Sep 14, 2020 | France 24

As Africa's largest hydroelectric dam nears completion, there are fears that Ethiopia will control too much of north-east Africa's water. Around 90 percent of water flowing into…


Libya: US Says Libyan Commander Agrees to Lift Export Blockade

Sep 14, 2020 | Environment & Energy News

The US Embassy in Libya said Libyan commander Khalifa Hifter agreed to reopen key oil fields and terminals no later than Saturday, a move that…


Climate Change: New CGIAR Climate Security Explorer

Sep 11, 2020 | Planetary Security Initiative

The Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) is a global research partnership with the aim to guarantee future food security, and is dedicated to reducing poverty,…


Mexico: Mexican Water Wars: Dam Seized, Troops Deployed, at Least One Killed in Protests about Sharing with US

Sep 11, 2020 | Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times

Mexico’s water wars have turned deadly. A long-simmering dispute about shared water rights between Mexico and the United States has erupted into open clashes pitting…


Myanmar: Threatened Species Caught in Crossfire of Ongoing Land Conflict in Myanmar

Sep 10, 2020 | Aimee Gabay, Mongabay

Reaching down into the Malay Peninsula, Myanmar’s southern Tanintharyi region is home to rainforests that support a unique assemblage of endemic and endangered species, including…


Press Release: UN Women and Asian Development Bank (ADB) Join Forces to Step Up COVID-19 Gender-Sensitive Responses

Sep 10, 2020 | UN Women

UN Women and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have announced a new collaboration that would aim to protect women and girls in the Asia-Pacific region…


Central African Republic: Central African Republic Seeks Justice for Rural Victims of Sexual Violence

Sep 10, 2020 | Pacome Pabandji, Thomson Reuters Foundation

BANGUI - Restoring court operations in rural parts of the war-torn Central African Republic is vital to tackling sexual violence and ensuring victims can seek…


Myanmar: Jade Prices in Myanmar Halve as Demand Dwindles amid COVID-19

Sep 9, 2020 | Salai Tun Tun, Myanmar Times

Jades sales have taken a hit as a result of poor demand from China in the wake of COVID-19 and prices of the green mineral…