World News

The official celebration of the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) World Tourism Day 2021, around the theme "Tourism for Inclusive Growth", resonates particularly well in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) because of the rich diversity of our peoples and the colourful tapestry of history woven throughout the centuries by the aspirations of several colonial powers who sailed thousands of miles away from their home countries to our shores.  

We in the USVI take every opportunity to celebrate our glorious heritage by ensuring our tourism is developed in a way which benefits all people in the Territory and educates visitors to our homeland. 

In preparation for COP26, two information sessions were held today on the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism. The Declaration, developed by a collaborative group of leading organizations, is an urgent call for all stakeholders to commit to a decade of climate action in tourism.

The signatories of the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism are committing to act now and accelerate climate action to cut global tourism emissions by at least a half over the next decade and reach Net Zero emissions as soon as possible before 2050.

To transform our food systems to end global hunger and be sustainable in a changing world, we must first reimagine how they are financed, said the President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to world leaders attending the UN Food Systems Summit, which ends today.

“The Secretary-General called for this summit two years ago in recognition of how far the world was from achieving zero hunger, and amid rising climate change impacts and worsening food insecurity,” said Gilbert F. Houngbo, President of IFAD.

New research from Education International shows that despite the urgency of the climate crisis, countries around the world are not prioritising climate education, a fundamental component for a sustainable future.

In the lead-up to COP 26, Education International, the global representative of the teaching profession, will launch ground-breaking research on the extent to which countries harness the power of education in the fight against climate change.

Italy is set to decide whether to decriminalise cannabis in a referendum next year after Italian activists gathered half a million signatures, the threshold required by law to trigger a nationwide vote.

If the public votes to decriminalise the purchase, sale and cultivation of cannabis, it could set off a domino effect across Europe.

It has recently been announced that Jamaica's Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton has been elected as president of the Pan American Health Organisation's 59th Directing Council.

One of the governing bodies which brings together the highest health authorities in the Americas to debate and analyse policies and set priorities for technical cooperation and collaboration among countries, in accepting the PAHO presidency, Dr Tufton said that the region has been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic which has also sharpened inequalities.

In preparation for COP26, two information sessions were held today on the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism.

The Declaration, developed by a collaborative group of leading organizations, is an urgent call for all stakeholders to commit to a decade of climate action in tourism.

Qatar Airways is pleased to announce its participation on the Global Coalition for Sustainable Aviation of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), becoming the first airline in the Middle East to join the global coalition, reaffirming its commitment to work together with the relevant industry stakeholders, such as manufacturers, academia, governments and non-government organisations towards aviation decarbonisation and promoting sustainable air transport.

The ICAO Global Coalition promotes sustainable international aviation, acting as a forum through which stakeholders can develop new ideas and accelerate innovative solutions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the source.

Foreign Affairs Ministers from across the Commonwealth met yesterday for the 21st annual Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers Meeting (CFAMM). The meeting was held virtually for the second year in a row due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The agenda of the meeting focused on the Commonwealth’s role in recovering from the global COVID-19 pandemic and building back better, including on health and vaccine equity, trade issues, and climate change, in particular the upcoming COP26 summit.

Leading regional and international agencies from the public and private sectors, as well as nongovernmental partners in academia, health and other interests, have come together to jointly host a high-level virtual conference on the future of Caribbean tourism. The day-long event will be held on Monday, 27 September in observance of the Word Tourism Day 2021.

Descendants of African slaves have said that they will change their surnames, after a Dutch city decided to make the procedure free of charge.

Utrecht council has decided to remove the €835 (£715) cost and bureaucracy to help people shake off their slave names and have the option to adopt one that recognises their African ancestry.

As President Muhammadu Buhari prepares to attend the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, the presidency has appealed to the Nigerian media to focus on issues, not Yoruba Nation and Biafra revolutionaries.

In a statement on Wednesday, presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu said it was shocking to see Yoruba Nation advocates throw their lot in with Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) at the start of UNGA on Tuesday.

Leading shared micromobility provider Superpedestrian will be offering 20% off all rides on its LINK e-scooters across European towns and cities in celebration of European Mobility Week (16-22 September).

Free 30-minute rides will also be offered in select locations on World Car Free Day (22 September).

More investments in innovations and knowledge are urgently needed to increase the ability of rural people to adapt to climate change and shocks, said Jyotsna Puri, a long-time advocate for climate change adaptation and evidence-based policy and big data, who today takes up the position of Associate Vice President of the Strategy and Knowledge Department at the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

Justin Kareem Hawley was recently appointed as the first Ambassador of St Kitts and Nevis (SKN) to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

In a meeting that took place between Hawley and the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, credentials were presented and Hawley was officially welcomed.

The Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland called for urgent action to ensure improved climate resilience of small states and promised to amplify the concerns of small and other vulnerable states around climate change at the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference COP26 in Glasgow this November.