News


Papua New Guinea: Uncovering Impacts of Gold Mining

Feb 26, 2016 | Joshua Fisher

The pacific island of Papua New Guinea is one of the world’s most resource rich countries, hosting nearly 7 percent of global biodiversity and important…


Trading Away Ancient Amber's Secrets

Feb 26, 2016 | Shuo Wang, Chao Shi, Yun-jiao Zhang, Guo-xiong Hu and Li-zhi Gao

In the swamps of North Myanmar lies some of the oldest stone in the world. Burmese amber (burmite) is more than 100 million years old…


South China Sea: Fresh Tension in South China Sea Erupts – Analysis

Feb 26, 2016 | Rajaram Panda, Eurasia Review

The South China Sea is the most critical waterway through which more than $5 trillion in global trade passes every year. The area is believed…


Australia: View from Canberra: Defence and Climate Change

Feb 26, 2016 | Australian Defence Magazine

As the rising waves lap seaside homes around the nation, global warming induced storms wreak devastation and soaring temperatures bring the national power grid to…


Iraq: Total, Vitol Fined in Iraq Oil-for-Food Case by French Court

Feb 26, 2016 | Gaspard Sebag, Bloomberg

French oil company Total SA was fined 750,000 euros ($826,125) after judges found it guilty of corruption in Iraq’s oil-for-food program. Total is guilty of…


Kurdistan/Iraq: Iraqi Kurdish Oil Pipeline Seen Shut for Two More Weeks

Feb 26, 2016 | Humeyra Pamuk and Orhan Coskun, Reuters

Iraqi Kurdish oil exports to world markets could remain halted for another two weeks, Turkish shipping and industry sources said on Friday citing rising security…


Afghanistan: More Problems for the Dahla Dam – One of Canada’s Afghan Signature Projects

Feb 26, 2016 | David Pugliese, Ottawa Citizen

When Canada’s diplomats, development specialists and soldiers left Kandahar in 2011, our involvement with the dam ended and the government declared the $50-million project a…


Uganda: Program Director

Feb 25, 2016 | Grassroots Reconciliation Group

The Grassroots Reconciliation Group (GRG) seeks a Program Director (Head of Mission) to head the office in Gulu, northern Uganda and lead the setting up of projects…


Worldwide: Rotary Peace Fellowships

Feb 25, 2016 | Rotary Peace Fellows

Each year, Rotary selects up to 100 individuals from around the world to receive fully funded academic fellowships at one of our peace centers. These…


Sierra Leone: Diamond Exports in Ebola-hit Sierra Leone Plummet in 2015

Feb 25, 2016 | Agence France-Presse

Diamond exports from Sierra Leone saw a steep fall in 2015, the deputy minister for mines said Wednesday, February 24, with miners restricted from working…


Myanmar: Authorities Permit Vigilantes in Myanmar to Destroy Poppy Fields

Feb 24, 2016 | Latin American Herald Tribune

Christian anti-narcotic vigilantes in Myanmar's northern Kachin State have agreed a deal with local authorities on a bid to destroy large areas of poppy fields,…


Colombia: Colombia Becomes Second Largest Exporter of Trout and Tilapia to US

Feb 24, 2016 | Fish Info & Services Co.

The strategy adopted by the Ministry of Agriculture to conquer international markets for Colombian agricultural products has consolidated Colombia as the second largest exporter to…


India/Vietnam/South China Sea: Vietnam Invites India to Explore Resources in Disputed South China Sea Region

Feb 24, 2016 | Dipanjan Roy Chaudhury, Economic Times

Vietnam on Wednesday invited strategic partner India to explore and explot natural resources within the Southeast Asian countries 200-nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the…


Sudan: Oil Minister Discuss with Chinese Officials Building Sudan’s First Natural Gas Pipeline

Feb 24, 2016 | Sudan Tribune

Sudanese oil minister Mohamed Zayed Awad Wednesday held discussions with Chinese officials to build the first gas pipeline in Sudan and ways to develop gas…


Myanmar: MP Submits Urgent Proposal for El Niño Preparedness

Feb 23, 2016 | Eleven Myanmar

A parliamentary representative from the Union Solidarity and Development Party submitted an important proposal to Lower House of Parliament yesterday urging the Union government to…


Myanmar: El Niño Drives Up Temperatures Across Swaths of Burma

Feb 23, 2016 | The Irrawaddy

As El Niño hits the most extreme of its 12- to 18-month cycle, large swaths of Burma have been beleaguered by high temperatures and water…


DRC: As UN Chief Comes to Congo, New Report Tracks Efforts to Dismantle Resource Curse

Feb 23, 2016 | ENOUGH Project

As UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrives today in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Enough Project released an in-depth status report on initiatives…


Conflict Minerals: The Dutch Approach to the EU Conflict Minerals Regulation

Feb 23, 2016 | Justmeans

The trialogue negotiations taking place between the EU Commission, EU Council, and EU Parliament have proved to be challenging.  However, there has been one promising…


China/South China Sea: Contest Over South China Sea Spurred in Part by Resources

Feb 23, 2016 | Shannon Van Sant, Voice of America

With tensions mounting over maritime disputes in the South China Sea, the cause of the problem, at least in part, is believed to lie at…


Conflicting Views Surface on UNEP’s Work on Armed Conflicts Ahead of UNEA-2

Feb 22, 2016 | Doug Weir

Some States would rather UNEP’s only role in relation to armed conflicts is that of a voluntary post-conflict environmental helpline, but this view fails to…


Liberia: Two IFAD-Supported Projects Contribute to Post-Ebola Recovery in Liberia

Feb 22, 2016 | International Fund for Agricultural Development

The Republic of Liberia and the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) signed two agreements today to finance the Tree Crops Extension Project…


Sudan: Project Manager

Feb 21, 2016 | UNEP

Result of Service

Project Manager for NRM and Peacebuilding, including:

•             Management of the overall project budget, schedule and logical framework

•             Management of government relations for the…


How a Pink Flower Defeated the World’s Sole Superpower

Feb 21, 2016 | Alfred W. McCoy

After fighting the longest war in its history, the United States stands at the brink of defeat in Afghanistan. How can this be possible? How…


Colombia: Colombian Court Bans Oil, Gas and Mining Operations in Paramos

Feb 21, 2016 | David Hill, Guardian

Colombia’s Constitutional Court has ruled against a controversial legal loophole permitting oil, gas and mining operations in the country’s paramos - high altitude eco-systems. Colombia’s…


Myanmar: Myanmar Vigilante Opium Stand-Off Continues

Feb 21, 2016 | BBC

A stand-off is continuing in Myanmar between police and Christian anti-drug vigilantes, who want to destroy poppy fields in the northern state of Kachin. Police…


Cyprus: Water Wars Jeopardises Coalition in North

Feb 20, 2016 | Cyprus Mail

The National Unity Party (UBP), which is part of the ‘government coalition’ in the north along with the Republican Turkish Party (CTP), gave an ultimatum…


Turkey: Sabotaged Oil Pipeline to Turkey to be Repaired Next Week: Source

Feb 20, 2016 | Reuters

A pipeline sabotaged in Turkey last Tuesday halting oil flows from northern Iraq to a Turkish port is expected to be repaired next week though…


Iraq/Kurdistan: Abadi Promises 17% of Budget to KRG in Exchange for Ceasing Oil Sales

Feb 20, 2016 | NRT

Iraqi Member of Parliament Bakhtyar Shaways announced on Saturday (Feb. 20) that Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has reaffirmed his offer to provide the Kurdistan…


Afghanistan’s Opium Solution

Feb 19, 2016 | Ryan Mernin

For fourteen years, beginning in 2001, the U.S. fought a war on two fronts in Afghanistan: one to destroy the Taliban, the other to destroy…


The Role of Women in Creating Climate Resilient Communities: Focus on the Philippines

Feb 19, 2016 | Laura Fairman

The Philippines is one of the world’s most vulnerable populations to the effects of climate change. When the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction…