Good morning, this is Kasmira, and today we’re covering the damning findings of a report into sexual abuse and exploitation by aid workers in the Democratic Republic of Congo, many employed by the WHO, during the Ebola crisis.

After philanthropists pledged record sums last week to protect biodiversity, WWF International’s director general Marco Labertini tells us why this still falls short of the scale of action we need to see.

And the temperature may be cool in outer space but the politics risks getting heated, experts warn, as more actors move in.

Kasmira Jefford

29.09.2021

On our radar

WWF's director general Marco Lambertini at an event. (Credit: WWF/Richard Stonehouse)

💰 🌳 WWF chief: philanthropy won't be enough to reverse biodiversity loss. Philanthropists and investors last week pledged record sums to stop the rapid decline of the world’s biodiversity – a step in the right direction but one that still falls short of urgent needs, WWF International’s director general Marco Labertini tells Geneva Solutions.

Geneva Solutions (EN)

⚕️ WHO ‘heartbroken’ over sexual exploitation by aid workers in DRC. The World Health Organization said it is heartbroken and horrified by findings of 80 alleged incidents of sexual abuse by aid workers during its response to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Geneva Solutions (EN)

Here's what else is happening

👧🏽 🇸🇾 Puppet of Syrian refugee girl stopped in Geneva yesterday on her 8,000-km trek from Turkey to the UK to raise awareness.
Reuters (EN)
🍲 UN food systems summit raised billions, but the community remains divided.
The New Humanitarian (EN)
📸 🇺🇳 UN photography exhibition at the Rath museum links international and local Geneva around universal values.
Le Temps (paywall) (EN)
💰 Guterres calls for accelerated action on jobs after the release of a policy brief underscoring a huge diverge in the Covid recovery.
UN News (EN)

Image of the day

NASA launched its Landsat 9 satellite, on Monday 27 September to monitor climate change. (Credit: Keystone/AP/Matt Hartman)

🛰️ Outer space politics today: Cold War-like and a little more crowded. NASA’s Landsat 9 is the latest Earth-imaging satellite to join what is an already cluttered outer space, on Monday. The launch comes as experts in Geneva discuss the challenges posed by the growing number of satellites and space actors, at a conference hosted by UNIDIR. Experts also looked at how technologies built for peace could be used for conflict and the need to improve space security governance.

Geneva Solutions (EN)

GS news is a new media project covering the world of international cooperation and development. Don’t hesitate to forward our newsletter!

Have a good day!

Avenue du Bouchet 2
1209 Genève
Suisse