Vaccination is underway and it is great news… However, according to the WHO, “94% of countries that have started vaccinating their populations are in the high- or high-middle income category.” Despite the efforts of WHO with COVAX (the vaccines pillar of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator), around 2.5 billion people living in 130…
Commemorating Charles Darwin, his contributions to science, and the importance of reason, the scientific community celebrates Darwin Day on February 12. The English scientist is probably best known for his publication ‘On the Origin of Species’, which includes his original proposal of the ‘theory of evolution by natural selection’. His life’s story, from adversity and hatred to becoming one of the most famous names in science, can teach us a lot about the importance, but also perils, of publicly presenting scientific advancements. Charles Darwin’s achievements…
As international issues go, climate change is unique in that it will, without exception, impact every single country on Earth. The responsibility for it is therefore shared widely among countries, and the crisis can only be effectively mitigated if there is global cooperation and a unified response. With the threats posed by climate change becoming…
Many times, over my long career with the United Nations system, I quoted these lyrics from the Doobie Brothers song, ‘Takin’ It to the Streets,’ to explain the meaning of human rights. These lyrics paraphrase in clear and simple terms the principles embodied in Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which we…
This is an abridged version of the original article published on the author’s blog, The Political Abyss, which you can access here. The last few years have been awash with political upheaval, national scandals and, of course, global pandemics. As political tensions have risen and the stakes have become higher and higher, political engagement has,…
Climate Change – unheard of before the 1950s, is now the most significant issue against which humanity has to fight. Our planet Earth has existed for billions of years and has seen a great number of periodic heating and cooling cycles. However, with the rise of our species, a major change has occurred. In the…
In observance of UN Day, the Foundation for Global Governance and Sustainability (FOGGS) and Katoikos issued an open call to citizens of the world to submit photos with one word answering either of the following questions: What has the UN been most associated with over the past 75 years? What do you want the UN…
The Katoikos and FOGGS team organised a UN Day celebration with people who actively promote the UN’s ideals in the world without working for the UN: artists, activists, professors, entrepreneurs. The panel discussion took place on Friday, 23 October 2020 starting at 10:00 am New York time / 04:00 pm Brussels time. “For the Betterment of the…
Calculations by the London School of Economics show it clearly. If early on Wuhan could have directly informed a truly “global health organisation” and the epidemic thus been restricted to its city of origin, the world economy could probably have avoided more than 8 trillion dollars worth of damage and possibly thousands fewer lives would…
UN Day, 24 October, is only a few weeks away. To prepare for the festivities, the Foundation for Global Governance and Sustainability (FOGGS) and Katoikos are looking to build a video collage of 100 photos to symbolize what the UN represents to the citizens of the world as a part of our UN75+25 Alliance. We…
