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A collage of photos from the 6th Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions October 10-11, 2018 in Astana, Kazakhstan. Credit: Katsuhiro Asagiri | IDN-INPS Multimedia Director

A Glimpse of the World Congress of Religions in Astana

The Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions is a unique interfaith forum, convened every three years in Astana at the initiative of President Nursultan Nazarbayev. For 15 years, this landmark forum has played an important role in the rapprochement of cultures and civilizations, in searching for answers to the key challenges of our time. “Religious Leaders for a Safe World” was the main topic of the Sixth Congress, which was held October 10-11, 2018 in the capital of Kazakhstan.

Collage by Katsuhiro Asagiri | INPS-IDN Multimedia Director

2018 CTBTO-GEM Youth International Conference in Kazakhstan

On 28 August 2018, members of the Group of Eminent Persons (GEM) and the CTBTO Youth Group (CYG) gathered in Kazakhstan's capital city of Astana for a five-day conference aimed at reflecting on the role of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation in building global peace and finding ways to strengthen it in the future, specifically through raising the profile of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT).

Collage: Katsuhiro Asagiri, INPS-IDN Multimedia Director

Special Coverage From The United Nations

The High-level Political Forum, United Nations central platform for follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals, met from July 9-18 at the UN Headquarters in New York. The HLPF 2018 ministerial meeting was convened from July 16-18.

Apart from covering the ministerial meeting, INPS-IDN DG and Editor-in-Chief Ramesh Jaura met with some of the current and former senior officials of the world body, UN and G77 experts, New York-based UN correspondents and some of our partners.

Commemorating 10th Anniversary of the Death of Yukika Sohma

INPS-IDN documented the 10th anniversary of the death of Yukika Sohma, the third daughter of Ozaki Yukio, considered as the father of Japanese constitutional democracy. The event was held at the Parliamentary Memorial Hall on July 28, 2018 with over 120 participants.

This event aimed at contributing to the progress of democracy and the Civil Society by introducing organizations engaged in activities while acting on Ms. Sohma's will and deepening exchanges among participants.

Collage: Katsuhiro Asagiri, INPS-IDN Multimedia Director with photos among others from Cia Pak (Scannews).

Off to Europe's Youngest Republic Kosovo in a UN Media Team

On February 17, 2018 the Republic of Kosovo celebrated its 10th Anniversary of Independence marking a historic milestone. INPS-IDN joined a UN Media Team from June 23-28 to get to know the landlocked territory in the Balkan Peninsula and the challenges it faces ten years after it declared unilateral independence from former Yugoslavia in the aftermath of the Kosovo War in the whirl and muddle of Yugoslav Wars.

Photo (left to right): Kalinga Seneviratne and Ramesh Jaura. Credit: INPS

Reporting From Global Media Forum 2018

INPS Southeast Asia Director Kalinga Seneviratne joined INPS-IDN DG and Chief Editor Ramesh Jaura at the Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum (GMF 2018) from June 11-13, 2018 in Bonn to report from this event and network with media and international organisations as well as partners such as Pressenza.

Collage: Katsuhiro Asagiri, IDN-INPS Multimedia Director

Kazinform & IDN-INPS Sign MoU to Exchange News and More

Kazakhstan's “Kazinform” International News Agency LLP and IDN-InDepthNews, flagship agency of the International Press Syndicate, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide each other with their news services.

Special Coverage of Vienna UN Conference

The Vienna UN Conference highlighted actions and challenges linked to the Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5) and in the spirit of SDG 17. The Vienna Liaison Office of the Academic Council on the United Nations System (ACUNS) organized the Conference from January 10-12, 2018. It was co-ordinated by Heather Wokusch. She mentored a group of young journalists who produced a series of articles IDN-INPS is delighted to carry.

Photo: Writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Credit: V. Lebrun-Verguethen

Bookshops and Race: Nigerian Writer Speaks Out

By SWAN

PARIS (IDN | SWAN) – “Are there bookshops in Nigeria?”, asked a French journalist of famous Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, igniting a firestorm on social media following an event in Paris on January 25.

Many outraged observers accused the journalist of racism and ignorance, while lauding Adichie’s response

“I think it reflects very poorly on French people that you have to ask this question. Come on, it’s 2018,” Adichie replied, after the journalist qualified her question by saying French people knew little about Nigeria, apart from hearing about Boko Haram and violence.

Photo: Human rights : Letting values prevail over politics. Credit: The Geneva Centre for Human Rights Advancement and Global Dialogue.

CSOs, Experts Address the Plight of People on the Move

By Geneva Centre for Human Rights Advancement

GENEVA (IDN-INPS) – In response to the protracted migrant and refugee crisis that has affected primarily Europe and the MENA region, a coalition of international organizations took the initiative to adopt the 2017 Geneva Declaration entitled “Mobility and human solidarity, a challenge and an opportunity for Europe and the MENA region” pledging increased cooperation between decision-makers to address the adverse impact of the crisis.

The Geneva Declaration is the fruit of a panel debate entitled “Migration and human solidarity, a challenge and an opportunity for Europe and the MENA region” that was organized by the Geneva Centre for Human Rights Advancement and Global Dialogue – a think-tank holding special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council - on 14 December 2017 at the United Nations Office at Geneva.