BBC: Trump decries climate 'prophets of doom' with Greta Thunberg in audience. (LINK)
Quartz Daily Davos brief: "A roaring geyser of opportunity." The US president showed up late to his much-anticipated address, then delivered a low-spirited, rambling campaign speech, mostly lauding his economic achievements at home. His defiant hubris and optimism did not fit with the generally more subdued mood at the event where climate change is the dominant issue. In fact, Trump called climate activists "prophets of doom," though he did say the US would commit to the trillion-trees initiative, the only part of the speech that was interrupted by applause."
Washington Post: Trump used his plenary moment — the forum's first speech by a major world leader — to take a victory lap of sorts, celebrating the U.S. economic "boom" under his watch. "America is flourishing, and, yes, America is winning again like never before," Trump declared in what was essentially a 30-minute campaign stunt, albeit devoid of the familiar xenophobic demagoguery.
The Hill: Trump at Davos sends warning shot to Europe on trade.(LINK) Trump trade wins seen providing few economic gains. (LINK)
UN warns hunger crisis in southern Africa 'on scale we've not seen before'
A record 45 million people across southern Africa are in need of in urgent need of food aid, the UN has said. The situation is expected to get even worse as the annual cyclone season begins.
e.g. climate change: by 22 January 6,499 articles mentioned climate change. Donald Trump was mentioned 3,249 times, Greta Thunberg 2,887 times.
"Developed by KPMG International, WEFLIVE is an innovative data visualization platform that aggregates Twitter data from WEF participants, and what the world is saying in response. WEFLIVE – your window into the Annual Meeting – has had one mission since its launch in 2011: to help our audience understand and engage with the WEF Twitter dialogue. In order to achieve this, the platform focuses on smart data analysis and rich, interactive visuals."
Swiss police 'exposed Russian spies in Davos' last August
Tages-Anzeiger says the men, who had diplomatic passports, may have been preparing a spying operation targeting the World Economic Forum (WEF). It adds that the pair, one of whom was posing as a plumber, were subsequently released. Swiss police confirmed to the BBC that two Russians were "checked" in August 2019.
"The first half of the report shares the 10 trends sustainable business professionals should be tracking in 2020 — the emerging arenas and technologies that GreenBiz editors and analysts believe will be impactful as companies address environmental and social challenges and opportunities.
"The report also offers the State of Green Business Index, produced by Trucost, which tracks nearly 40 indicators of progress over the past five years — including trends in resource efficiency, corporate reporting and transparency, risk assessment and investments in clean technologies."
Climate change protest at Credit Suisse in Lausanne 'necessary and proportional': judge
The activists were charged with trespassing and fined 21,600 Swiss francs ($22,200), but in their appeal hearing Judge Philippe Colelough said they had acted proportionately and waived the fine.
Yasmine Motarjemi, 2019 joint winner of GUE/NGL Award for Journalists, Whistleblowers and Defenders of the Right to Information, won her appeal against Nestlé in her lengthy whistleblowing case in Switzerland on 7 January 2020, her supporters announced.
In a statement she responded: "My judicial battle continues, as I still have to fight on many fronts, including for my financial survival. However, I hope that this recent breakthrough will mark a turning point in my long struggle for ethical behavior, justice and respect for human rights."
Interestingly, I cannot find any Swiss source to point you to.
1 in 5 countries will see per capita incomes stagnate or decline this year
United Nations World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) 2020:
"Overreliance on monetary policy is not just insufficient to revive growth, it also entails significant costs, including the exacerbation of financial stability risks. A more balanced policy mix is needed, one that stimulates economic growth while moving towards greater social inclusion, gender equality, and environmentally sustainable production."
7 countries lose vote in UN General Assembly over arrears
Central African Republic, Gambia, Lesotho, Tonga and Yemen. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Friday that three other countries — Comoros, Sao Tome and Principe and Somalia — are also in arrears by the assembly decided in October that they can retain their vote until September.
Call for submissions for the 3rd edition of the Oslo Forum Peacewriter Prize — Innovative ideas for leading peacemakers
Deadline 31 January 2020. The winning entry will be published as part of the briefing material for the 2020 Oslo Forum. Submissions should take the form of an essay and address an audience of mediation practitioners and high-level decision-makers. The maximum essay length is 2,000 words.
Innovation Forum "Blockchain Technology in Support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals" concludes at the United Nations
"The forum is a major step in Blockchain Alliance International's collaboration with the United Nations. The outcome of the Forum and of future BAI events will complement the UN efforts as defined in the UN Secretary General's Strategy on New Technologies towards the use of these technologies to accelerate the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and to facilitate their alignment with the values enshrined in the UN Charter and the norms and standards of international law."
French Executives Found Responsible for 35 Employees' Deaths by Suicide
Three men were convicted of "collective moral harassment" for creating a work environment specifically designed to get employees out "by the window or the door."
United Nations Information Service's Graduate Study Programme 2020
The 58th Graduate Study Programme will be held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland from Monday, 29 June to Friday, 10 July 2020. Application deadline 20 March 2020.
Several Postgraduate Scholarships in International Development at University of East Anglia, UK
Scholarship awards are available to students studying in the School of International Development at the University of East Anglia for entry in September 2020. These can cover part or full tuition fees (UK/EU/International rates) and help support living costs and travel expenses. NB: Application deadline dates to apply for a scholarship can vary. Candidates are advised to check the School of International Development's website for individual deadlines.
U.S. Council on Foreign Relations Presents World101, a Free Online Course That Explains the Forces Shaping Our World
The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) has released World101, a free online course that explains the fundamentals of international relations and foreign policy. Using multimedia storytelling, World101 invites those who are new to international relations to investigate what lies at the core of the most important global topics. The program is intended for people of any age, both inside and outside of formal academic settings. The first two units are available now, with modules dedicated to individual topics. The World101 library will expand to include six units.
"The program is flexible: the videos, maps, charts, timelines, and essays that make up a module can be accessed individually or reviewed as a whole," said CFR Vice President of Education Caroline Netchvolodoff. "And each module comes with a library of teaching resources for instructors who plan to use World101 in their classrooms."
World101 is complemented by Model Diplomacy, CFR's free simulation program that gives students, educators, and others the opportunity to step into the roles of decision-makers on the U.S. National Security Council and UN Security Council.
First online Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in Sustainable Finance
The Geneva School of Business Administration (Haute école de gestion Genève – HEG) of the HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland: "to help finance professionals seize growing opportunities offered by responsible investment."
Objectif Sciences International jobs for teachers and researchers
OSI is right now recruiting candidates from all countries through the world on all continents, in science education, physics and nature;
participatory research; technologies and crowd Innovation; sustainable tourism; smart finance systems, crowdfunding and fundraising.
Required: French and English speaking facility, to use both languages in work through the ngo teams.
HRDAP|ISHR's 2020 training for human rights defenders: apply now!
ISHR is calling for applications for its flagship Human Rights Defender Advocacy Programme in 2020 — the extensive training programme for human rights defenders. The training will take place in Geneva between 8 and 19 June 2020 and provides defenders with opportunities to put their advocacy skills directly into action at the 44th session of the UN Human Rights Council.
