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Monday, August 24, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
A 650 Million Dollar Pledge Aimed at Eradicating Extreme Hunger by 2030
When a coalition of international donors pledged more than $650 million to provide assistance to over 300 million smallholder farmers in developing countries, the primary aim was to help increase agricultural and livestock production besieged by droughts, floods and other natural disasters triggered by climate change-- mostly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
With the UN Security Council in Paralysis, Are there New Hopes for Rohingya Muslims?
The 15-member UN Security Council (UNSC) stands virtually paralyzed in the face of genocide charges against the government of Myanmar where over 730,000 to one million Rohingya Muslims have been forced to flee to neighboring Bangladesh since a 2016 crackdown by Myanmar’s military.
New York City Commuters Revolt Protesting Fare Hikes
The protest was described as a revolt of the commuters, as demonstrators crowded in the cavernous Grand Central Station in a show of strength. The demands included free transportation and safer subway.
Will Artificial Intelligence Help Resolve the Food Crisis?
When UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres made a global appeal for “zero hunger” on World Food Day last month, he provided some grim statistics rich in irony: more than 820 million people do not have enough to eat, he said, while two billion people are overweight or obese.
UN Turns to Global Investors for Billions Needed for its 2030 Development Agenda
A Republican US Senator of a bygone era was once quoted as saying “a billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you're talking about real money.”
World’s Spreading Humanitarian Crises Leave Millions of Children Without Schools or Education
As massive protests escalated worldwide last month, millions of children walked out of schools to demonstrate against the lackadaisical response – primarily from world leaders --to the ongoing climate emergency resulting in floods, droughts, typhoons, heat waves and wildfires devastating human lives.
UN’s 75th Anniversary Shadowed by Right-Wing Nationalism, Widespread Authoritarianism & Budgetary Cuts
When the six much-ballyhooed high-level UN meetings concluded late September, there were mixed feelings about the final outcomes. And civil society organizations (CSOs), who were mostly disappointed with the results, are now gearing themselves for two upcoming key climate summit meetings: COP25 in Santiago, Chile in December and COP26 in Glasgow, UK in late 2020, along with the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Women’s Conference scheduled to take place in September 2020 in New York.
UN’s Cash Crisis Can Have Serious Consequences, Staff Unions Warn
The UN’s smoldering cash crisis, which has threatened staff salaries and payments to vendors, has triggered strong reactions and rattled the over 6,400 staffers who work in the 39-storeyed Secretariat building in New York.
UN Women Ambassadors Rise to New Heights But Fall Short of Gender Parity
New York’s diplomatic community has continued to be enriched by a record number of women Permanent Representatives (PRUNs)—50 in all, as of October 2 – compared with about 15 to 20 back in the 1980s and early 1990s.
UN a War Zone When World Leaders Gather
When the UN General Assembly begins in mid- September every year, chances are more than 150 world leaders gather under one roof triggering security nightmares and turning the neighborhood into a veritable war zone, including road closures, deployment of metal detectors, concrete barriers to prevent unauthorized traffic and baggage and pat-down screenings.
Right-Wing Politicians Fear “Invasion” of Europe & US by Migrants and Refugees
The United Nations commemorated its annual World Day of Migrants and Refugees (WDMR) on September 29 ---- this time amidst rising anti-immigrant rhetoric and widespread xenophobia.
A Rising Youth Movement Picks Up Where Governments Have Failed
When the Youth Climate Summit concluded last week, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres predicted that if governments still lack the political will to make peace with nature, “there is huge hope in what the youth is doing all over the world".
At the U.N., it Was the Day of Populist Strongmen
The United Nations is an institution which promotes multilateralism and preaches some of the basic tenets of multiparty democracy and liberalism, including the rule of law, universal human rights, free speech, civil liberties, the rights of refugees and freedom of the press.
Advice to US: When You’re Going to a Gunfight, Bring all Your Friends with Guns
Jim Mattis a former United States Defense Secretary in the Trump administration quotes a Marine Corps dictum in a recently released book titled “Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead”.
World’s Hard Fought Battle Against Climate Change
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres describes the ongoing crisis as a “climate emergency”-- as the world continues its hard fought battle against devastating droughts, floods, hurricanes and rising sea levels that threaten the very existence of small island developing states located in low-lying areas.
As Climate Crisis Worsens & Poverty Rises, UN Appears Off-Track on Development Agenda
The two key goals in the UN’s development agenda are the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger by 2030. But most of the world’s developing nations, currently fighting a losing battle against rising poverty and hunger –and suffering from the devastating impact of climate change-- are likely to miss the deadline for most of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), according to the latest report by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
UN Chief Calls for Action, Not “Beautiful Speeches”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has offered an unsolicited piece of advice to the 190-plus speakers, including heads of state and heads of government, who will address an unprecedented six high level plenary meetings during the General Assembly sessions September 23-27.
Are 9-to-5 Jobs Fast Becoming History – Even at the UN?
With the rapid leap in digital technology – including increased access to conference calls, e-translations, skype, text messaging and emails—more and more offices in the United States are providing employees with an option to “work from home”.
UN’s Upcoming Summits May Foreshadow a Revival of Multilateralism or an Obituary for World Order
The United Nations will be hosting six high level plenary meetings –- unprecedented even by its own standards—during the beginning of the 74th session of the General Assembly in late September.
Is the UN’s High Seas Treaty Heading Towards Troubled Waters?
The world’s high seas, which extend beyond 200 nautical miles, are deemed “international waters” to be shared globally-- but they remain largely ungoverned.
UNICEF’s Goodwill Envoy a Messenger of ill-Will, Complain Critics
When two-time Wimbledon tennis champion Boris Becker, a UNICEF goodwill ambassador, refused to make a commitment not to play in South Africa, a country blacklisted for its apartheid policies, the UN children’s agency stripped him of the prestigious title, back in October 1987.« Previous Page — Next Page »
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