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Wednesday, June 10, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
TRADE: Europe, U.S. Keep the Faith in Farm Subsidies
In the fourth century before the Christian era, when the Western powers that dominate today were just beginning to form in Rome, the British monarchy dictated the "Molmutine" laws, which declared sacred the churches, the stone-paved roads - and the peasant farmers' ploughs.COMMUNICATIONS: Civil Society’s Star Rises at WSIS
For the first time, an international summit of representatives from civil society and the private sector took place with the participation of governments, said one observer with irony, surprised by the role played by non-governmental organisations at the World Summit on the Information Society.EDUCATION: More Girls in School Benefits Everyone, Says UNICEF
Shamim Cairo Atwine, a 15-year-old Ugandan girl, speaks with great pride of the success of the Girls' Education Movement (GEM) at her school in Nakulabye, a poor and densely populated neighbourhood of Kampala.COMMUNICATIONS: No Mysteries at WSIS
The World Summit on the Information Society is proving a rara avis of international conferences in the sense that before it began Wednesday all of the major controversies that emerged during the two years of preparations had largely been resolved.HEALTH: HIV/AIDS – The World on a Quest for a Vaccine
Two centuries ago, the Spanish monarchy sent a group of orphans on a ship to its colonies in the Americas. The children served as living vessels for the vaccine against smallpox, the equivalent at the time of today's HIV, or AIDS virus.TRADE: In Search of the Lost Cancun Accord
The revival of the WTO negotiations will depend on the attitude taken in the consultations this week with the world's trade powers, which have so far maintained a telling silence, say diplomatic sources.COMMUNICATION: A Steep Climb to the Information Society Summit
Everyone wants to bridge the information and telecommunications divide - governments, the private sector and civil society - but with less than four weeks to go before the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), agreement on how to tackle the issue remains elusive.RIGHTS-PHILIPPINES: Praise from Bush, Criticism from U.N. Committee
The Philippines, a country aligned with U.S. President George W. Bush's war on terrorism, is the scenario for executions of human rights defenders, journalists, native leaders and even children, according to United Nations experts.RIGHTS: Monitoring ‘Urgent’ in War on Terrorism – Groups
In Russia, the bodies of those who have carried out terrorist attacks are not returned to their families, who may not be informed of the burial location, according to a law passed a year ago by the upper house of the Russian parliament after less than an hour of debate.TRADE: WTO in a Bid to Overcome Cancun Fiasco
The World Trade Organisation, just a month after the resounding failure of its ministerial conference in the Mexican resort of Cancun, is laying the groundwork to re-launch negotiations, preparing to hold consultations next week on agriculture trade, the thorniest issue on the docket.COMMUNICATIONS: The South Picks Up the Mobile Phone
Every call made via mobile telephone in the developing world is encouraging for the information and communications technologies industry, headquartered in rich countries and floundering for more than three years.RIGHTS-EUROPE: U.N. Group Takes Aim at ‘Mono-coloured’ Press
Among the 13 British newspapers published in London and with national distribution there are only 10 editors, 13 reporters and one columnist who are considered ethnic minorities - "disgraceful" evidence of continued discrimination, says a journalist association leader.TRADE: G22 Warms Up for Post-Cancun WTO Talks
The group of developing countries known as G22, united in condemnation of hefty farm subsidies in the United States and European Union, is preparing to continue WTO negotiations despite the debacle of the ministerial conference last month in Cancun.TRADE: G22 Warms Up for Post-Cancun WTO Talks
The group of developing countries known as G22, or G20+, united in condemnation of hefty farm subsidies in the United States and European Union, is already preparing to continue WTO negotiations despite the debacle of the ministerial conference last month in Cancun.REFUGEES-IRAQ: Instability Impedes Return
Plans to assist millions of Iraqi refugees to return home have been put on hold due to the military and political insecurity that persists after six months of U.S. occupation, according to the organisations involved in humanitarian operations.COMMUNICATIONS: Static Interference at WSIS Preparatory Meet
The final preparatory conference for the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) demonstrated all the way through to its last sessions Friday that the government representatives were communicating on different frequencies amongst themselves and with civil society.COMMUNICATIONS: Science Has the Word in WSIS Run-Up
Representatives from the international scientific community finally were able to convince the United Nations to take their contributions into account in the preparatory process for the World Summit on the Information Society, to be held here in December.COMMUNICATIONS: Technologies for Expression – and for Censorship
Information and communications technologies (ICTs) pose opportunities but also threats for human rights like freedom of expression and protection of privacy, warn organisations specialised in the issue.COMMUNICATION: NGOs Warn of Crisis on Way to WSIS
-The delicate balance between governments, the private sector and civil society, achieved for the purpose of organising an international conference on information and communication technologies, appears to be teetering as a result of irreconcilable differences.TRADE: Cancun Meet Leaves Its Marks on WTO
Negotiators will notice shifts in the traditional balance within the World Trade Organisation when they sit down to renew talks after last week's failed ministerial conference, say diplomatic sources.ENVIRONMENT: World Ozone Day Aims at Children’s Health
Two United Nations agencies have geared up to protect children from the harmful effects of the sun's rays, announcing a collection of educational materials on International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer.« Previous Page — Next Page »
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