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Monday, June 1, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
U.N. Chief Dodges Question on “Illegal” Attack on Syria
When Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was South Korea's foreign minister during 2004-2006, his answers to reporters were so predictably evasive the press corps in Seoul affectionately dubbed him "the slippery eel".
Water Scarcity Could Drive Conflict or Cooperation
When the General Assembly declared 2013 the International Year of Water Cooperation (IYWC) three years ago, the U.N.'s highest policy-making body was conscious of the perennial conflicts triggered by competition over one of the world's most critical finite resources.
U.N. Loses Big if U.S. Attacks Syria Unilaterally
If and when the United States launches a military attack on Syria, one of the biggest political losers would be the United Nations.
U.S., U.N. in Diplomatic Cross-Talk Over Syria
When the administration of President George W. Bush launched a military attack on Iraq in March 2003, it was nearly 18 months before Kofi Annan, then-U.N. secretary-general, described the invasion as "illegal" and in "violation of the U.N. charter" because the United States did not have Security Council authorisation.Nuclear Test Moratorium Threatened by North Korean Impunity
When the United Nations commemorates the International Day Against Nuclear Tests later this week, the lingering question in the minds of most anti-nuclear activists is whether or not the existing moratorium on testing will continue to be honoured - or occasionally violated with impunity.U.N.’s New Phone Network Vulnerable to Surveillance
The U.S. National Security Agency's (NSA) surveillance and telephone data collection programme has come under heavy fire for violating privacy laws, even as the U.N.'s new telephone network appears vulnerable to hackers and eavesdroppers.
U.S., UK, France Seek Wider U.N. Support for Syria Probe
The United States, Britain and France, three veto-wielding permanent members of the Security Council, are making a strong push for an "urgent" U.N. investigation of the alleged use of chemical weapons Wednesday in Syria.
Musical Toilets for a Few While 2.5 Billion Lack Basics
Even as the United Nations laments the fact that more than 2.5 billion people in the developing world are still without adequate sanitation, both Japan and South Korea have gone upscale: offering automated toilets and piped-in classical music.
U.S. Arms Industry Would Lose Big from Egypt Aid Cut-Off
The United States, which has refused to cut off its hefty 1.3 billion dollars in annual military aid to Egypt, continues to argue that depriving arms to the 438,500-strong security forces will only "destabilise" the crisis-ridden country.
U.N. Chief Lambastes Egypt’s Army but Refuses to Affirm Coup
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who has refused to describe the Egyptian army's ouster of a democratically-elected government last month as a "military coup", lambasted the country's security forces for Wednesday's massacre of civilians in the streets of Cairo.
U.S.-Russian Rift May Play Out at U.N.
When the Cold War peaked in the late 1960s and '70s, the United States and the then-Soviet Union were armed with one of the most effective non-lethal weapons in their diplomatic arsenal: a veto in the U.N.'s most powerful body, the Security Council.
UNFPA to Focus on Women’s Rights at Montevideo Conference
When the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA) participates in a regional review conference in the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo next week, it will take stock of the successes and failures of a wide range of gender-related issues, including reproductive health, sexual violence, women's rights, maternal mortality, and the spread of HIV/AIDS – all of them relating to Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).
U.S.-Russia Rift Could Impact Upcoming Nuke Talks
The growing political rift between the United States and Russia triggered by the granting of temporary asylum to U.S. whistleblower Edward Snowden, who is now holed up in Moscow, is threatening to further undermine relations between the two superpowers at the United Nations.
World’s Poorest Nations Slowly Mending
The number of "least developed countries" (LDCs), which rose from the original 24 back in 1971 to the current 49, is beginning to shrink - haltingly.
Are Middle Class Protests Fallout from Poverty Alleviation?
The rise of the "global middle class" is widely attributed to the gradual eradication of extreme poverty in the developing world, even as the United Nations says that millions of people in countries such as India, China and Brazil have graduated from the ranks of the indigent.
U.N. Deploys Women Protection Advisers to Curb Sexual Violence
Despite the United Nations' "zero tolerance" policy against sexual violence, there has been a rash of gender-based crimes in several of the world's conflict zones, including South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Northern Uganda, Somalia, the Central African Republic - and, more recently, in politically-troubled Egypt and Syria.
Denial of Airspace to Bolivian Leader Resonates at U.N.
The growing political uproar over the unlawful denial of European airspace for a jet carrying Bolivian President Evo Morales has spilled over into the United Nations.
Indonesia’s Recurring Forest Fires Threaten Environment
Indonesia's forest fires, a predictable annual ritual, will continue to have serious implications for health and the environment in Southeast Asia unless the government strengthens forest protection, warn environmental groups.
Egyptian Army’s Firepower Overwhelmingly U.S.-Supplied
When the dust settles from the ongoing deadly confrontations between the Egyptian armed forces and thousands of Islamist protesters in the streets of Cairo and Alexandria, the eventual winner will be the United States - specifically U.S.-made weapons systems in the hands of the country's 440,000-strong military.
China Leads Battle Against Poverty, Says U.N.
The United Nations has singled out China - the world's most populous country with over 1.3 billion people - as one of the key success stories in the longstanding battle against poverty.
Biofortification May Hold Keys to “Hidden Hunger”
The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), which works to end malnutrition among more than two billion people worldwide, is expressing strong support for enriching the micronutrient content of plants.« Previous Page — Next Page »
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