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Monday, October 5, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
Could Water Strife Lead to ‘Mass Killings’ in the Future?
As the world faces possible water scarcities in the next two to three decades, the U.S. intelligence community has already portrayed a grim scenario for the foreseeable future: ethnic conflicts, regional tensions, political instability and even mass killings.
‘Eating’ Water Latest and Rising Threat to a Thirsty World
Paradoxically, the water we "eat" is likely to become one of the growing new dangers to millions of the world’s thirsty, hungering for this finite natural resource.
Rebuffing Israel, U.N. Chief Heads to Iran for Summit Meeting
Brushing aside a warning by the Israeli government and rebuffing a campaign by pro-Israeli lobbying groups in the United States, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has decided to visit Iran next week to participate in the summit meeting of the 120-member Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), described as the world's largest single political coalition.
Q&A: Water and Food Security Are Inseparable
With the U.N. ominously warning of an impending food crisis following severe droughts in farmlands in the United States, Brazil, Russia and at least two rain-deprived states in India, the world will once again turn its attention to a finite natural resource: water.
U.N. Chief in the Hot Seat over Non-Aligned Summit in Iran
When Cuba chaired the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) back in 1979, Western nations dismissed the world's largest single political coalition as lacking legitimacy since Havana was considered a close ally of the then-Soviet Union.
U.N. Launches New Oceans Compact Following Expo 2012
As the three-month-long international exhibition Expo 2012 came to a close in the South Korean coastal town of Yeosu last week, the United Nations announced the launch of an "Oceans Compact" aimed at the preservation of marine resources worldwide.
Amid Rise in Piracy, U.N. Backs Summit on Maritime Security
When the United Nations advocates the protection of the world's oceans, its political agenda transcends the battle against marine pollution, global warming, overfishing, greenhouse gases and sea-level rise.
As Fighting Escalates in Syria, a Frustrated Mediator Resigns
After five months of intense shuttle diplomacy aimed at resolving the growing 17-month old political crisis in Syria, a visibly frustrated Joint Special Envoy Kofi Annan called it quits.
Human Right to Water and Sanitation Remains a Political Mirage
When the 193-member General Assembly, the U.N.'s highest policy-making body, declared water and sanitation a basic human right back in July 2010, the adoption of that divisive resolution was hailed by many as a "historic" achievement.
Q&A: “Israel’s Heavy-Handed Abuse of Palestinian Children Is Unacceptable”
After a fact-finding tour of the Israeli-occupied Gaza Strip - and following hearings in Amman and Cairo - a three-member United Nations committee has lambasted Israel for the harsh treatment of Palestinian children held in custody.
U.N. Chief Recounts Poverty and Plenty in South Korea
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, a former foreign minister of South Korea, is visibly emotional whenever he speaks about the striking political and economic achievements in his home country.
Expo 2012 Moves from World’s Oceans to Law of the Sea
As part of its overall theme to educate the public about the state of the world's oceans, the international exhibition Expo 2012 will shift its focus next month to what has been described as "possibly the most significant legal instrument" of the 21st century: the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
A Divided Security Council Leads Syria into U.N. Dead End
Just before the Western-inspired resolution against Syria was vetoed in the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) last week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was quoted as saying the United Nations was trying to support a revolutionary movement inside the country - which happens to have strong political, economic and military links to Moscow.
Syria Escapes Threatened Sanctions by Third Double Veto at U.N.
Syria became the first country in the history of the United Nations to be "protected" for an unprecedented third time by double vetoes cast by Russia and China in the Security Council.
South Korea Offers Marine Technology to Developing Nations
When South Korea inaugurated a U.N. Office for Sustainable Development last October, the new research and training facility was designed to help the world's poorer nations "accelerate economic growth, improve quality of life and protect the environment".UNDP Predicts Rise of the Global South
When the U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) unveils its annual flagship Human Development Report (HDR) in mid-October, the primary focus will be on a growing new phenomenon on the economic horizon: the rise of the global South and the significant progress in South-South cooperation over the last decade.
“No Future We Want Without the Ocean We Need”
When South Korea, one of Asia's rising economic powerhouses, decided to host the international exhibition Expo 2012 in the coastal town of Yeosu, it picked a theme high on the agenda of the just-concluded Rio+20 summit on sustainable development: the living ocean.
RIO+20: Promised Green Economy Was a Fake, Say Activists
When the Rio+20 summit on sustainable development ended Friday, there were winners and losers – mostly losers.
Get Ready for a World of Nine Billion
As the global population threatens to explode - from the current seven billion to over nine billion by mid-century - the sharp increase in humans not only means overcrowded cities but also increasing demands on food, water, energy and shelter, foreshadowing devastating implications for a sustainable future.
Rio Outcome Bleak With No New Funding*
Amidst recrimination, anger and charges of “strong arm tactics”, negotiators eventually endorsed a global plan of action for sustainable development following marathon sessions lasting over six weary days.
U.N. Paper Factory Threatened with Closure
One of the world's largest "paper factories" – a dubious title traditionally conferred on the United Nations - is on the verge of running out of business.« Previous Page — Next Page »
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