Edmund Rice International

A new UN backed report by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services has detailed the serious impact humans have had to the earth with now one million species being in danger of becoming extinct. With humans need for more food and energy they are destroying the very ecosystem that supports their societies. The report […]

The annual report on the state of the world’s climate issued by the World Meteorological Organisation warns that record greenhouse gas levels are driving temperatures to increasingly dangerous levels. Despite exceptionally high land and ocean temperatures over the past four years, an acceleration in the rate of sea level rise, a continued reduction in the […]

The most recent report from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that made it clear that ‘rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society’ is needed to address climate change was underlined by Brian in presentations to Edmund Rice Network gatherings in Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane during his Australian visit. The […]

In a recent speech to diplomats in Rome, Pope Francis defended “modern multilateral diplomacy” and international institutions against “the resurgence of nationalistic tendencies. While not identifying particular countries, Pope Francis  appeared to be lamenting the mix of jingoism and isolationism that has emerged in the United States and in European nations where populist governments have […]

The world is back on a path to self-destruction as the global community is increasingly forgetting the lessons of the past according to the United Nations’ special rapporteur on torture, Nils Melzer. His comments, made as the UN marks the 70th anniversary of the universal declaration of human rights (UDHR), alleged that the global community […]

More than 61 per cent of the world’s population live in countries where religious freedom is not respected, according to a recently released worldwide report. The biennial Religious Freedom in the World report  was published by the international Catholic pastoral charity and pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need International. It was the 14th […]

Rapid globalisation over recent decades has brought increased economic prosperity, but has led to greater marginalisation of many. Driven by profit maximisation in increasingly competitive markets, and without adequate regulatory mechanisms, concerns about human rights violations and environmental impacts are often ignored. Child labour, displacement of indigenous communities from their traditional lands by mining operations, […]

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were established by the United Nations in 2015 to succeed the Millenium Development Goals. The SDGs are further broken down into a total of 169 targets and 304 indicators which measure compliance. The goals cover social and economic development issues including poverty, hunger, health, education, climate change, gender equality, […]

The Global Compact on Safe, Regular and Orderly Migration was finalised by UN Member States in New York in July with all UN member states except the USA approving the draft. The agreement is a “non-legally binding, cooperative framework” to encourage “international cooperation among all relevant actors on migration, acknowledging that no state can address […]

The withdrawal of the United States from the Human Rights Council is deeply regrettable as it undermines progress towards the advancement of global human rights. Sadly the decision is consistent with the Trump administration’s previously demonstrated unwillingness to work with the international community and to prioritise its perceived national self-interest over international agreements. The decision […]