A summary of my week, 4 July
This post has a selection of my tweets over the week. I tweet mostly on international developments, including on the pandemic. You can check out my Twitter page at @helenclarknz or follow the link in the post below.
Tragic death of former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe
8 July 2022
Tragic news from Japan as death of former PM Shinzo Abe is confirmed after he suffered mortal wounds from an assassin’s gun. Shinzo Abe was a towering figure in Japanese politics as its longest continuously serving PM. He was a reformer.
Shinzo Abe ensured that achieving human security & Universal Health Coverage were top priorities in Japanese international development assistance. He convened the Tokyo International Conference for African Development (TICAD) in Osaka & then took it to Nairobi. RIP
More news in The Guardian.
COVID19. Mask and isolation guidelines need to be clear
8 July 2022
Is Ministry of Health NZ playing Russian roulette with its advice on masking & on length of isolation for people with COVID19? Public need clear advice based on latest scientific evidence. Should 7 day isolation be replaced by test to release policy? Newsroom has more details.
NZ - EU trade deal
7 July 2022
Reality check on NZ-EU FTA from chief NZ negotiator, Vangelis Vitalis told RNZ: “the reality of dealing with EU was that NZ meant very little to it.” “If we had walked away would we have been able to get a better deal; I honestly don't think we could have”.
Argentina’s former military officers brought to justice
7 Jul 2022
Argentina continues to bring to justice former military officers who committed crimes against humanity & other human rights violations during the country's "Dirty War". Those crimes included murder, torture, & abduction - including of children. More about it on BBC news.
Orwellian rhetoric
7 Jul 2022
Orwellian rhetoric from former Russian President Medvedev who asserts that "punishing" his nuclear armed country for the war in Ukraine "poses a threat to the existence of humanity". The threat to humanity is the barbarous behaviour of the invaders. Check out this Reuters article.
Yemeni Socotra amidst geopolitical power games
6 July 2022
Sad to see UNESCO world heritage listed Socotra caught up in geopolitical power games. Internationally recognised as part of Yemen, it’s known for its biodiversity with close to 700 endemic species. Visited there in 2011 with Amat Alsoswa UNDP Yemen. More on Socotra in an Responsible Statecraft article, ‘Occupied Yemeni island could host part of US-led missile defense system’
Upcoming Webinar - Choice, Voice and Autonomy: Women’s political leadership for health in a fragile world
5 Jul 2022
On 13 July, 7:30-9:00AM EST (11:15 NZ), I will chair a webinar which is taking place as part of the UN High-Level Political Forum hosted by Estonia and co-organised by PMNCH, International Health Partnership for UHC2030 (UHC2030), and Women in Global Health and Global Health 50/50.
Join us for a discussion featuring key issues, the latest trends and political, financial and programmatic solutions to improve gender equality. Register here to join the webinar
The Helen Clark Foundation
3 July 2022
Membership of the Helen Clark Foundation is open to all, and we aim to keep it accessible and affordable. Check out the Foundation’s website and catch up on recent events and publications events on congestion charging, the challenge of healthy eating for lowincome families, and more. The work we do does have to be funded, so donations are very welcome.
End of prohibition and war on drugs is needed in Mexico
3 July 2022
In a recent article The Economist argues that ending prohibition and war on drugs, as well as proper disappearances investigations are need in order to save the ever more growing numbers of Mexicans that are reported missing.
Podcast - Think Change. What can be done to tackle Covid-19 vaccine inequity?
3 July
An overarching council, outside & beyond the #WHO, is needed to keep up the political momentum to mobilise and respond to pandemics. What benefit will the recent agreement to waver Covid-19 patents. Listen to the latest Think Change Podcast where I discuss issues around patents for Covid-19 vaccines with Sara Pantuliano, Chief Executive, ODI and Tom Hart, Senior Research Fellow, ODI.
RECENT
Here a lecture on Environment of Peace Report that I presented at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) in May.