The situation on the Korean peninsula continues to go in the wrong direction
“Repeated missile launches, confrontational rhetoric and military exercises” carried out by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea “contribute to a negative action-reaction cycle,” the UN Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs said Monday.
Rosemary DiCarlo told the Security Council that, after the ten meetings on North Korea held by this Body in 2022, “the situation on the Korean peninsula continues to go in the wrong direction”.
DiCarlo explained that tensions continue to rise, “with no escape routes in sight” and that the COVID-19 pandemic complicates diplomacy by preventing official and unofficial contacts with that nation.
The deputy secretary general described as “fundamental” the need to “diffuse and reduce tensions” and to improve “communication channels, especially between the military, to reduce the risk of miscalculation.”
The diplomat underlined her concern about the humanitarian situation in North Korea and, as previously the General secretaryurged the Asian nation to take “immediate steps to resume dialogue leading to sustainable peace and the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.”
Alliance of Civilizations: coexistence is not a utopia, it is a reality
This Tuesday begins in the Moroccan city of Fez the ninth World Forum of the Alliance of Civilizations, which is held under the motto “Towards an Alliance for Peace: Living united as one humanity”.
Speaking to UN News, the high representative of the Alliance, Miguel Ángel Moratinos, stressed that the Alliance “wants to send a very strong message of that coexistence is not a utopia, it is a reality”.
Moratinos explained how the advancement of intercultural and interreligious dialogue can contribute to the construction of peaceful, cohesive and just societies.
“Until now we asked ourselves: What is the role of religion? What is the role of spirituality? What is the role of ethics? It is true that many times we worry about economic crises, financial crises, even climate change crises, but sometimes we forget the most important thing: where do we come from?, who are we?, what do we want? And that spiritual, ethical element of the human being is what reflects the need to put religious leaders together, sending coordinated messages, positive messages. And that is why we believe that their presence here favors the construction of a better world”
Update of the list of diseases that can cause outbreaks or pandemics
The World Health Organization A global process began on Monday to update the list of the main pathogens, the agents that can cause outbreaks or pandemics, in order to guide investment, research and development, especially in terms of vaccines, tests and treatments.
The agency convened more than 300 scientists who will examine the evidence on more than 25 families of viruses and bacteria, as well as the so-called “Disease X.” This term is included to designate an unknown pathogen that could cause a serious international epidemic.
The experts recommend a list of priority pathogens that need further research and investment. The process will include both scientific and public health criteria, as well as criteria related to socioeconomic impact, access, and equity.
The list was first published in 2017 and the last classification process was carried out in 2018. Among other diseases, the list includes COVID-19, Lassa fever and Middle East respiratory syndrome. The updated list is expected to be published in the first quarter of 2023.
Last year the number of patent applications skyrocketed
Global intellectual property applications for patents, trademarks, and designs remained strong during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and skyrocketed in 2021.
A new report from the World Intellectual Property Organization highlights that inventors filed almost three and a half million patent applications in 2021, a figure 3.6% higher than in 2020, and that offices in Asia received more than half of the applications from around the world.
Strong growth in patent applications in China (5.5%), the Republic of Korea (2.5%), and India (5.5%) fueled global growth in 2021, although growth slowed in the United States ( -1.2%), Japan (-1.7%) and Germany (-3.9%).
Most countries increased trademark applications, with 18.1 million registrations, 5.5% more than in 2020, and the number of industrial design applications also increased by 9.2%. The biggest growth in designs occurred in the Asian offices.
