As migration continues to accelerate in south-east Asia, UN health agency calls for a focus on migrants’ health (UN News, 8 September 2016)
As migration continues to accelerate in south-east Asia, UN health agency calls for a focus on migrants’ health (UN News, 8 September 2016) Noting greater vulnerability of the health of migrant populations, including heightened risks of infectious diseases, malnutrition, substance abuse and maternal and neonatal mortality, the United Nations health agency has urged a regional…
Read MoreHuman rights law targets N. Korean leader (Korea Times, 4 September 2016)
Human rights law targets N. Korean leader (Korea Times, 4 September 2016) South Korea’s new law aimed at documenting human rights abuses in North Korea went into effect in early September — the latest in a series of efforts to put pressure on the Kim Jong-un regime. Analysts say North Korea may react furiously because…
Read MoreChina says US deliberately misread WTO rules in steel subsidy spat (Channel News Asia, 13 July 2016)
China says US deliberately misread WTO rules in steel subsidy spat (Channel News Asia, 13 July 2016) China’s Commerce Ministry has said the United States had deliberately misinterpreted World Trade Organization (WTO) rules after the U.S. Commerce Department found in favour of subsidy rates for Chinese steel. The U.S. Commerce Department found in favour of…
Read MoreTribunal ruling a game changer (Straits Times, 14 July 2016)
Tribunal ruling a game changer (Straits Times, 14 July 2016) The final award in the Philippines versus China arbitration was the most anticipated decision of any international court or tribunal in the area of the law of the sea since the entry into force of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the…
Read MoreTesting the Rule of Law in the South China Sea (NYT, 12 July 2016)
Testing the Rule of Law in the South China Sea (NYT, 12 July 2016) How China reacts to the sweeping legal defeat over its claims to the South China Sea will tell the world a lot about its approach to international law, the use — measured or otherwise — of its enormous power, and its global ambitions.…
Read MoreAs robotics advance in South-East Asia, investment needed to build skilled workforce – UN labour agency (UN News, 7 July 2016)
As robotics advance in South-East Asia, investment needed to build skilled workforce – UN labour agency (UN News, 7 July 2016) The study, ASEAN in transformation: How technology is changing jobs and enterprises, published by the International Labour Organization (ILO) Bureau for Employers’ Activities, examines the impact of technology on workplaces in the automotive and auto…
Read MoreMeeting with Chinese Premier, Ban commends country’s leadership on UN 2030 Agenda (UN News, 8 July 2016)
Meeting with Chinese Premier, Ban commends country’s leadership on UN 2030 Agenda (UN News, 8 July 2016) United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing, where he welcomed China’s efforts towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well as its support to other countries in their own implementation. “The Secretary-General welcomed China’s…
Read MoreGlobal community must not mar human rights in Myanmar by rushing to forge economic ties – UN (UN News, 4 July 2016)
Global community must not mar human rights in Myanmar by rushing to forge economic ties – UN (UN News, 4 July 2016) “International actors must continue to prioritize human rights, particularly in business and investment relations,” said Yanghee Lee, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, at the end of a visit…
Read MoreUN Environment Assembly opens in Nairobi aiming to ensure ‘healthy planet, with healthy people’ (UN News 23 May 2016)
UN Environment Assembly opens in Nairobi aiming to ensure ‘healthy planet, with healthy people’ (UN News 23 May 2016) Hundreds of key global decision-makers are gathering in Kenya for the second United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-2), aiming to tackle some of the most critical issues facing our planet, from the air pollution that kills millions of…
Read MoreASEAN-Russia Commemorative Summit: Russia eyes economic expansion in SE Asia (Asia Times, 23 May 2016)
ASEAN-Russia Commemorative Summit: Russia eyes economic expansion in SE Asia (Asia Times, 23 May 2016) Russia moved to forge stronger ties with the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) mid-May, pledging to focus on economy rather than geopolitical alliances. Local observers preferred to highlight geopolitical aspects of the rapprochement between Russia and Southeast Asia.…
Read MorePartnerships, fresh policy ideas needed to ensure ‘no one is left behind,’ UN Asia-Pacific forum told (UN News, 17 May 2016)
Partnerships, fresh policy ideas needed to ensure ‘no one is left behind,’ UN Asia-Pacific forum told (UN News, 17 May 2016) Strong political commitment, action and well-functioning coordination mechanisms, fully supported by the countries of Asia and the Pacific, will be critical to ensure that “no one is left behind,” were spotlighted at the opening…
Read MoreG-7 to express ‘strong opposition’ to militarization of South China Sea (Japan Times, 24 May 2016)
G-7 to express ‘strong opposition’ to militarization of South China Sea (Japan Times, 24 May 2016) The Group of Seven leaders meeting in Japan this week will express “strong opposition” to island construction and militarization of outposts in the South China Sea in a veiled criticism of Beijing’s actions to assert its claims to disputed…
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