By Ramesh Jaura

BERLIN (IDN) – Keeping humans in control of autonomous weapons and artificial intelligence is an important element of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ action plan to implement the Agenda for Disarmament, Securing Our Common Future, presented in May 2018.

“Essentially, the question is whether we are in control of technology or whether, ultimately, it controls us,” said Foreign Minister Heiko Maas in his remarks on March 15 at the conference ‘2019 Capturing Technology. Rethinking Arms Control’ at the German Foreign Office in Berlin. The development of fully autonomous killer robots, cyber weapons and new biological agents has created scenarios for which there are to date almost no internationally recognised rules, he added.…

By Jaya Ramachandran

BERLIN | STOCKHOLM (IDN) – A new report has warned of the risks and challenges posed by the interaction of developments in biotechnology and advances in three emerging technologies: additive manufacturing (AM or so-called 3D printing), artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics.

The report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) cautions that the latest advances could increase the possibilities for the development, production and use of biological weapons. The existing biological arms control and non-proliferation governance framework, therefore, needs to be adapted to address the emerging security risks, says the report.…

Viewpoint by A.L.A. Azeez

The writer is Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN in Geneva.

GENEVA (IDN) – The security landscape in most regions, as well as globally in general, is becoming increasingly constrained by the day. It is, therefore, timely to reflect on some trends and developments in the international security landscape, and to seek to persuade the parties or forces that shape them, to take all possible steps in the direction of assuring and strengthening international peace and security.…

By Caroline Mwanga

NEW YORK (IDN) – This year’s International Women’s Day on March 8 has been celebrated on an unprecedented scale by the United Nations and other inter-governmental organizations around the world. And, a new analysis shows improvements in gender equality. But there is a rather long way to go until gender parity has become a reality.

According to the data presented in the 2019 edition of the biennial IPU-UN Women map of Women in Politics, women’s participation in political decision-making continues to rise slowly, with slight improvements since 2017.…

By Brenda Wawa

This article first appeared on Africa Renewal, December 2018-March 2019 issue.

NAIROBI (IDN | INPS) – For years, boosting agricultural production was believed to be the solution to world hunger and malnourishment. But years of intensive farming with chemical fertilizers and pesticides has done little to move the needle on food insecurity, health metrics or life expectancy.

Today, experts have identified a new kind of hunger – one caused not by lack of food but by food that lacks essential micronutrients necessary for growth and development.…

Viewpoint by Ibrahim Thiaw

The author is Under-Secretary General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). This OpEd is issued in the context of the International Women’s Day observed on 8 March 2019, and the UN’s focus on Science and Technology that enhances gender equality, innovation for change, and is smart. – The Editor

BONN (IDN) – Science and technology offer exciting pathways for rural women to tackle the challenges they face daily. Innovative solutions for rural women can, for example, reduce their workload, raise food production and increase their participation in the paid labour market.…

By Kalinga Seneviratne

SHANTINIKETAN, India (IDN) – With Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) the new trend among development communicators, are universities in the developing world equipped to assist in achieving these goals, by educating young communicators in culturally appropriate approaches to development and sustainability?

This is a question that was addressed at a three-day conference held at the famous university founded by Indian Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.…