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Monday, June 1, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
No More Hiroshimas, No More Nagasakis, Vows U.N. Chief
Speaking at a commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Japan, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, a vociferous advocate of nuclear disarmament, echoed the rallying cry worldwide: “No more Hiroshimas, No more Nagasakis.”
U.N. Taps Private Sector to Fund Development, Advocate Social Causes
When the United Nations seeks outside financial assistance either for development needs or to advocate social causes, it invariably turns to the private sector these days.
Pakistan One of the World’s First Safe Havens for Refugees
The United Nations has declared that 2015 is already “the deadliest year” for millions of migrants and asylum seekers fleeing war and persecution in their countries.
U.N. Targets Trillions of Dollars to Implement Sustainable Development Agenda
After more than two years of intense negotiations, the U.N.’s 193 member states have unanimously agreed on a new Sustainable Development Agenda (SDA) with 17 goals -- including the elimination of extreme poverty and hunger -- to be reached by 2030.
U.N.’s Post-2015 Development Agenda Under Fire
The U.N.’s highly ambitious post-2015 development agenda, which is expected to be finalised shortly, has come fire even before it could get off the ground.
UAE Described as Pioneer in the Field of Renewable Energy
When the government of Kenya hosted a U.N. Conference on New and Renewable Sources of Energy in Nairobi back in 1981, one of the conclusions at that meeting was a proposal for the creation of an international agency dedicated to renewable energy.
U.N. Leads Youth Battling Intolerance, Racism and Extremism
When the 21-year-old Crown Prince of Jordan, Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, presided over a Security Council meeting last April, he was described as the youngest ever to chair one of the U.N.’s most powerful political bodies armed with powers to wage wars and declare peace.
Mideast Arms Build-up Negative Fallout from Iran Nuclear Deal
The nuclear agreement concluded last week between Iran and six big powers, the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany, is threatening to trigger a new Middle East military build-up – not with nuclear weapons but with conventional arms, including fighter planes, combat helicopters, warships, missiles, battle tanks and heavy artillery.
U.N. Remains Barred from Visiting U.S. Prisons Amid Abuse Charges
When U.S. President Barack Obama visited the El Reno Correctional Facility in Oklahoma last week to check on living conditions of prisoners incarcerated there, no one in authority could prevent him from visiting the prison.
Security Council Defies U.S. Lawmakers by Voting on Iran Nuke Deal
When all 15 members of the Security Council raised their collective hands to unanimously vote in favour of the recently-concluded nuclear agreement with Iran, they were also defying a cabal of right-wing conservative U.S. politicians who wanted the United Nations to defer its vote until the U.S. Congress makes its own decision on the pact.
The Myths About the Nuclear Deal With Iran
The single biggest misunderstanding about the nuclear agreement with Iran is that it is a bilateral deal with the United States.
Civilian Killings? West Literally Gets Away With Murder
The United Nations continues to come under heavy fire for singling out mostly non-Western states for human rights violations while ignoring the misdeeds of Western nations or big powers.
Civil Society Sceptical Over “Action Agenda” to Finance Development
Despite high expectations, the third International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD) ended on a predictable note: the United Nations proclaimed it a roaring success while most civil society organisations (CSOs) expressed scepticism over the final outcome.
Is Climate Change or ISIS the Greater Threat to Humankind?
The world at large is apparently divided over what constitutes the biggest single threat to human kind: the devastation caused by climate change or the unbridled terror unleashed by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)? According to a new Pew Research Center survey designed to measure perceptions of international threats, climate change is viewed as the “top concern” by people around the world.
Pledges for Humanitarian Aid Fall Far Short of Deliveries
When international donors pledge millions of dollars either for post-conflict reconstruction or for humanitarian aid, deliveries are rarely on schedule: they are either late, fall far below expectations or not delivered at all.
Global Tax Body Sticking Point at Financing Conference in Addis
When the four-day-long international conference on Financing for Development (FfD) concludes in the Ethiopian capital later this week, one of the lingering questions in the minds of departing delegates may well be: did we really achieve anything concrete after years of negotiations?
Science and Technology a Game Changer for Post-2015 Development Agenda
A group of international scientists, designated as advisers to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, has conveyed a significantly timely message to him: science, technology and innovation (STI) can be "the game changer" for the U.N.’s future development efforts.
Humanitarian Emergencies Lend Urgency to World Population Day
On the eve of World Population Day, the United Nations is fighting a virtually losing battle against growing humanitarian emergencies triggered mostly by military conflicts that are displacing people by the millions – and rendering them either homeless or reducing them to the status of refugees.
Ebola Recovery Focuses on Strengthening Africa’s Health Systems
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, addressing delegates in a run-up to an international Ebola recovery conference, said last month that “all of the investments, all of the sacrifices and all of the risks by relief workers” would be squandered if an outbreak of the disease recurs.
Despite Scepticism, U.N. Hails Its Anti-Poverty Programme
The United Nations, which launched one of its most ambitious anti-poverty development programmes back in 2000, has hailed it as a riveting success story – despite shortcomings.
U.N. Swears by Hefty 100 Billion Dollar Target to Fight Climate Change
The most devastating impact of climate change – including rising sea levels, floods, cyclones and both droughts and heavy monsoons – will be felt mostly by the world’s poorest nations.« Previous Page — Next Page »
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