Delegates’ Lounge

by Elizabeth McKee
Director, Nothing But Nets Today, April 25th, is the first time the United States will officially observe National Malaria Awareness Day. The President is hosting an event at the White House to commemorate what has been celebrated by the rest of the world as Africa Malaria Day since 2001. A forgotten disease that was eradicated in the United States, malaria affects over 500 million individuals a year, killing a child in Africa every 30 seconds.

In North Korea and Iran, would-be proliferators are starting to think twice about their nuclear pursuits. In recent months, North Korea has agreed to a suspension of its nuclear program. And although the rhetoric in Tehran has continued to be unyielding, it appears that internal fissures are beginning to form in Iran's resistance to international efforts to curb its nuclear programs. After many miserable years, international non proliferation efforts seem to have received a welcome boost. So what caused this turnabout? One common element may be the punitive sanctions imposed on these countries by a unified Security Council. This new installment of UNF Insights explains how Security Council sanctions have helped prod North Korea and Iran away from their nuclear ambitions and offers recommendations on how to strengthen international non-proliferation regimes

Hermann Scheer, a member of the German Parliament, recently published a book, Energy Autonomy, in which he delineates the consequences of continued reliance on fossil fuels, the advantages of renewable energy, and political successes in his native Germany. I recently spoke to Hermann Scheer about his book, the real cost of renewable forms of energy, and the policy implications. Listen to the Interview