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Wednesday, May 6, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
UN Staff Advised to Keep Off Campaign for New Secretary-General
A longstanding rule bars international civil servants from publicly taking a political stand against member states, even against those accused of human rights violations, war crimes and genocide (and even barring staffers from participating in political demonstrations outside the UN).
“In a Field of Lame Horses, the Three-Legged one Might Limp Home in the Race for UN Secretary-General”
The race for the next UN Secretary-General has, so far, attracted only four candidates—perhaps with more to come in an unpredictable contest.
The Middle East War Triggers a Move to Boost North Korea’s Nuclear Arsenal
The ongoing military conflicts in the Middle East—involving the US, Israel, Palestine, Iran and Lebanon—have indirectly bolstered North Korea’s plans to expand its nuclear arsenal.
The Day the General Assembly Moved to Geneva– to Provide a Platform to a PLO Leader…
The United Nations faces two crucial elections later this year: the election of a new Secretary General, with no confirmed date for polling, and the election of a new President (PGA), scheduled for June 2, for the upcoming 81st session of the General Assembly.
US Aims at Heavy Staff & Budgetary Cuts, Seeks to Launch Cost-Saving Artificial Intelligence at UN meetings
The US has spelled out in detail its own concept of what a restructured United Nations should look like: after drastic reductions in staff, cutting down its budget, avoiding duplication in mandates, slashing peacekeeping operations worldwide and deploying artificial intelligence (AI) for translations and interpretations in six languages.
Torture and Physical Abuse of Children in Gaza Declared War Crimes
The ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which began October 2023, has claimed the lives of more than 73,600 Palestinians and about 1,195 Israelis. But there are widespread charges accusing Israel of war crimes, genocide, torture and the abuse of Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails.
A Remotely-Piloted Weapon That Targets Civilians in War Zones
As the world continues to be weighed down in political and military turmoil, drones are being increasingly used as weapons of war in a rash of ongoing conflicts—including Ukraine vs Russia, Israel vs Palestine, US vs Iran and Israel vs Lebanon, plus in civil wars in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Sudan and Haiti.
Global Arms Flow Jump Nearly 10 per cent as European Demand Soars due to Transfers to Ukraine
The ongoing military conflict between Ukraine and Russia—which began February 2022, with no visible signs of ending—has triggered major arms transfers to Europe.
The Impact of Artificial Intelligence in Nuclear Decision-Making
As artificial intelligence (AI) threatens to dominate every aspect of human lives —including political, economic, social and cultural --there is also the danger of the potential militarization of AI.
A New World Order Where Might is Right
As the build-up for a proposed “new world order” continues, a lingering question remains: will the country with the most powerful military reign supreme? The United Nations remains politically impotent. The UN charter is in tatters. The sovereignty of nation states and their territorial integrity have been reduced to political mockery. And the law of the jungle prevails—be it Palestine, Ukraine, Venezuela or Iran.
Will Palestine Preside Over the Next UN General Assembly?
The 193-member General Assembly, the highest-ranking policy-making body at the United Nations, is most likely to elect Palestine as its next President in an unprecedented move voting for a “non-member observer state”—a state deprived of a country to represent.
The Veto May be the Weapon of Elimination in the Election of Next UN Chief
As the campaign for the next Secretary-General gathers momentum – at a relatively slow pace – there is widespread speculation that any candidate running for the post of UN chief will have to abide by the dictates of a politically hostile White House or face a veto in the Security Council.
As Landmark Treaty Expires, No Binding Limits on US-Russia Nuclear Arsenals
When the nuclear Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) between the US and Russia expired last week, it ended a historic era--- but triggered widespread speculation about the future. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said “February 5 was a grave moment for international peace and security”.
Is the US Planning to Throw a Lifeline to a Sinking UN?
The current UN financial crisis, described as the worst in the 80-year-old history of the world body, triggers the question: is the US using its financial clout defaulting in its arrears and its assessed contributions to precipitate the collapse of the UN?
Group of 77—Representing 134 Nations, Plus China—Protest Funding Cuts for South-South Cooperation
A sharp cut in funding for “South-South Cooperation” (UNOSSC) has triggered a strong protest from the 134-member Group of 77 (G-77), described as the largest intergovernmental organization of developing countries within the United Nations.
The UN is Being Undermined by the ‘Law of the Jungle’
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was dead on target when he told the Security Council last week that the rule of law worldwide is being replaced by the law of the jungle. “We see flagrant violations of international law and brazen disregard for the UN Charter. From Gaza to Ukraine, and around the world, the rule of law is being treated as an à la carte menu,” he pointed out, as mass killings continue.
Is the US Board of Peace Aimed at Undermining the UN?
Judging by the mixed signals coming out of the White House, is the Board of Peace, a creation of President Donald Trump, eventually aimed at replacing the UN Security Council or the United Nations itself? At a ceremony in Davos, Switzerland last week, Trump formally ratified the Charter of the Board — establishing it as “an official international organization”.
The World’s Ongoing Conflicts Underline Nuclear and Non-Nuclear States
The two current ongoing conflicts, which have claimed the lives of hundreds and thousands of people, are between nuclear and non-nuclear states: Russia vs Ukraine and Israel vs Palestine, while some of the potential nuclear vs non-nuclear conflicts include China vs Taiwan, North Korea vs South Korea and the United States vs Iran (Venezuela, Mexico, Colombia, Cuba and Denmark).
Is the US Moving Towards the UN’s Exit Door?
Judging by the mass US withdrawal from 66 UN entities, including UN conventions and international treaties, is it remotely possible that the unpredictable Trump administration may one day decide to pull out of the UN, and force the Secretariat out of New York-- despite the 1947 UN-US headquarters agreement?
Skyrocketing Military Spending Undermines Development Aid to World’s Poor
The statistics are staggering: while military spending keeps skyrocketing, Official Development Assistance (ODA)-- from the rich to some of the world's poorer nations-- has been declining drastically.
UN Restructuring May Result in Over 2,600 Staff Reductions in the Secretariat and 15 Percent in Budgetary Cuts
The UN Staff Union is on edge -- hoping for the best and expecting the worse -- as the General Assembly will vote on a proposed programme budget for 2026 by December 31.Next Page »
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