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Wednesday, May 6, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
The World’s Right-Handed and Left-Handed Torturers
Jeanne Kirkpatrick, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, once made a highly debatable distinction between "friendly" right-wing "authoritarian" regimes (which were mostly U.S. and Western allies) and "unfriendly" left-wing "totalitarian" dictatorships (which the U.S. abhorred).
Is the UN Ready for a Non-Renewable 7-YearTerm for the Secretary-General?
A long-standing proposal going back to 1996—to establish a single non-renewable seven-year term for the Secretary-General of the United Nations—has been resurrected by former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
A New UN Secretary-General Needs the Blessings of the US–or Get Vetoed
When there was widespread speculation that a UN Under-Secretary-General (USG), a product of two prestigious universities—Oxford and Cambridge—was planning to run for the post of Secretary-General back in the 1980s, I pointedly asked him to confirm or deny the rumor during an interview in the UN delegate’s lounge.
Any Resumption of US Tests May Trigger Threats from Other Nuclear Powers
President Donald Trump's recent announcement to resume nuclear testing rekindles nightmares of a bygone era where military personnel and civilians were exposed to devastating radioactive fallouts.
Rising Arms Revenues and Death Tolls Underscore Ongoing Military Conflicts, Civil Wars
The revenues from arms sales and military services by the 100 largest arms-producing companies rose by 5.9 percent in 2024, reaching a record USD 679 billion, according to new data released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
The UN’s ‘International Days’ Range from the Sublime to the Ridiculous
The 193-member General Assembly, the UN’s highest policy-making body, routinely designates “International Days” and “World Days” on a wide range of subjects and events—from the sublime to the ridiculous—described as “a sudden shift from something grand and awe-inspiring to something silly and unimportant.
ICC Judges & Officials, Under US Sanctions, Live Under Rigid Isolation
The US sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) have intensified the rigid isolation of judges and officials of the Court based in The Hague, Netherlands. According to an interview with the French judge Nicolas Guillou, published in Le Monde, ICC judges are also being refused access to American websites and credit cards.
The UN General Assembly, Over Burdened with Repetitive Resolutions, Aims at Revitalization
The 193-member General Assembly (GA), the UN’s highest policy-making body, has long been the repository for scores of long-winded outdated resolutions accumulated over several decades-- and lying in cold storage.
US Stands Alone Defying UN Vote on Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
The US took another step backward --to break ranks with the United Nations-- when it voted against a draft resolution calling for the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). The negative vote followed an announcement by President Trump last month that the US plans to resume nuclear testing after a 33-year hiatus. The US stood alone on the UN vote, which was supported by almost all member States in the General Assembly's First Committee.
US Skips High-Level Presence at COP30 Climate Summit
“Has the world given up fighting climate change?” was a rhetorical question posed recently by the New York Times, perhaps with a degree of sarcasm. It might look that way, says Christiana Figueres, a founding partner of the nongovernmental organization Global Optimism, “as US president Donald Trump blusters about fossil fuel, Bill Gates prioritizes children’s health over climate protection, and oil and gas companies plan decades of higher production.”
The Biggest Single Contributor to the UN Budget is also the Biggest Single Defaulter
The United States, the largest single contributor to the UN budget, is using its financial clout to threaten the United Nations by cutting off funds and withdrawing from several UN agencies. In an interview with Breitbart News U.S. Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Mike Waltz said last week “a quarter of everything the UN does, the United States pays for”.
US Threatens to Resume Nuclear Testing while Past Tests Have Devastated Victims Worldwide
The lingering after-effects of nuclear tests by the world’s nuclear powers have left a devastating impact on hundreds and thousands of victims world-wide.
The Only Remaining Colony in Africa Continues its Struggle for Independence
The African continent has long been monopolized by European colonial rulers, with France having the largest number of colonies, ruling over 35 territories, followed by Britain with 32. A bygone era of colonial rule on the continent, “once carved up and ruled by European powers hungry for imperial glory,” has virtually ended—almost.
Is the UN “Bloated, Unfocused, Outdated and Ineffective”?
The US hostility towards the UN is threatening to escalate, as a cash-starved world body is struggling for economic survival. Addressing the UN’s Administrative and Budgetary Committee last week. Ambassador Jeff Bartos, U.S. Representative for U.N. Management and Reform said: “President Trump is absolutely right – the United Nations can be an important institution for solving international challenges, but it has strayed far from its original purpose”.
UN’s Cost-Cutting Mergers Come Under Scrutiny While Search for Locations Worldwide Continues
Faced with a severe liquidity crisis and a hostile Trump administration, the UN continues to merge some of its multiple agencies, and move them out of New York, relocating to Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Perhaps the first two agencies to be merged will be UN Women (created in 2010) and the UN Population Fund (created in 1967), with some staffers moved to Bonn and others to Nairobi.
Nuclear Testing Threats are Returning & Saber Rattling is Getting Louder, warns UN Chief
Is the unpredictable Trump administration toying with the idea of resuming nuclear tests? The New York times reported April 10 that some of Trump’s senior advisers had proposed the resumption of “test denotations for the sake of national security". The last such US explosion took place in 1992.
UN at 80: a Mixed Legacy of Highs and Lows
As the UN commemorates its 80th anniversary, at a high-level meeting of 138 world political leaders, one lingering question remains: is there any reason for a celebration-- judging by the UN’s mostly failed political performances over the last eight decades?
A Meeting of Over 150 World Leaders Under One Roof—& the Day UN Came Under a Terror Attack
When the high-level meeting of the General Assembly takes place, September 22-30—with over 150 world political leaders in town--the UN will be in a locked down mode with extra tight security. With a rash of threats and political killings in the US—including an attempted assassination of Donald Trump when he was campaigning for the US presidency in July 2024-- the list continues.
NGOs on a Virtual Blacklist at UN High-Level Meetings of World Leaders
When the high-level meeting of over 150 world political leaders takes place September 22-30, thousands of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and their accredited UN representatives will either be banned from the UN premises or permitted into the building on a strictly restricted basis-- as it happens every year.
Is Western Support for Israel Beginning to Crumble?
When the high-level meeting of over 150 world leaders takes place at the United Nations, September 22-30, one of the political highlights would be the announcement by at least 10 Western nations to recognize Palestine as a sovereign nation state. The 10 countries-- some already announcing their recognition ahead of the UN meeting -- include UK, France, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Malta, Belgium, Spain, Ireland and Norway-- proving the longstanding support for Israel is gradually diminishing in the Western world.
UN General Assembly Urged to Temporarily Move to Geneva to Circumvent US Visa Denials
When Yasser Arafat, leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was denied a US visa to visit New York to address the United Nations back in 1988-- under the Ronald Reagan administration-- the General Assembly defied the United States by temporarily moving the UN’s highest policy making body to Geneva– for the first time in UN history– providing a less-hostile political environment for the PLO leader.« Previous Page — Next Page »
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