Under assault, UN is struggling for survival
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS (IPS) – The late Senator Jesse Helms, a full-time chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a part-time UN basher (1995-2001), once remarked, “Providing funds to the UN was like pouring money into a rat hole.” “I disagree with the premises upon which the United Nations is built [...]
Transparency and accountability of provincial, municipal & urban Councils
By Dominic L. J. Seneviratne There are nine provincial, 24 municipal, and 27 urban councils. The web of each council must provide information to establish transparency and accountability. The people within their areas, given the necessary data, must actively participate in the activities. The current government’s policy is to promote such participation. To avoid using [...]
Let Afghan women lead
By Palwasha Hassan and Shafiqa Khpalwak, Project Syndicate, Exclusive to the Sunday Times in Sri Lanka WASHINGTON, DC – This year’s International Women’s Day is marked by a sense of foreboding, even despair. Progress on women’s rights and representation is stalling: the number of women in parliaments grew last year at the lowest rate in [...]