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Sunday, August 23, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
Economy & Trade
Future of Children in 2050 Will Be Shaped Through Global Trends
The future of childhood will be fundamentally shaped by the interventions taken in the present that can determine how children’s rights are protected amid compounding issues. As a new report from UNICEF shows, global trends that are already influencing children’s welfare and development will continue to shape them and be a further reflection of overall global development.
Definitely Not on Track to save Life on Planet
Alongside climate finance, COP29 currently being held in Baku, Azerbaijan, was expected to serve as an important platform for nations to demonstrate their intention to submit stronger national climate commitments, strengthen adaptation efforts, and show tangible progress and action on previous pledges.
Western Finance Ruining Economies of the Rest
Western financial policies have been squeezing economies worldwide. After being urged to borrow commercial finance heavily, developing countries now struggle with contractionary Western monetary policies.
Money Talks: Why COP29 New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance Matters
The industrial revolution set the ball rolling towards global warming. Today, developing nations are on the frontlines of a climatic carnage and its snowballing effects. Developed nations bear a financial responsibility to provide climate finance to developing nations, as financing the transition to a low-carbon economy is an urgent, critical matter.
‘The International Community Must Stop Turning a Blind Eye to the Suffering of Sudanese Women’
CIVICUS discusses Sudan’s civil war and its impact on women with Sulaima Elkhalifa, a Sudanese human rights defender and expert on gender-based violence.
Human Rights Violations Against Women Rises in Afghanistan, While Taliban Enjoy Impunity
It has been three years since the 2021 Taliban offensive and the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan continues to grow more dire. Human rights violations are committed by the Taliban insurgent group on a frequent basis, with gender-based discrimination and violence being regular occurrences for millions of Afghan women. Gender inequalities are pervasive, with freedom of speech and mobility being significantly limited. The humanitarian crisis is exacerbated by widespread impunity enjoyed by members of the Taliban.
French-Speaking African Nations Bartering Natural Resources for Russian Arms
At the first ministerial conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum in the southern coastal city of Sochi, seeking to deepen political and business ties with African countries, Russian President Vladimir Putin in his message and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in his powerful speech underlined Russia's security support to fight terrorism and extremism across Africa.
Asia’s Economies Can Embrace Services to Boost Growth & Productivity
The Asia-Pacific region prospered by becoming the source of more than half of global factory output, but another transformation to higher-productivity services has the potential to further support growth.
Latin America: Pass on Renewables, Fail on Efficiency
The Latin American and Caribbean region is a student with good grades in renewable energy, but not in energy efficiency, and has a long way to go in contributing to global climate action and overcoming the vulnerability of its population and economies.
4 Reasons Why the Climate Coalition Will Win Despite Trump
The nation which more than any other caused the climate crisis will leave it to the rest of the world to sort out the mess. That is a takeaway from the US election last week.
Haiti’s Transition of Power Predicted to Worsen Gang Violence
Gang violence has ravaged Haiti, causing thousands of civilian deaths, displacements, and violations of international humanitarian law. Turmoil is expected to escalate following the removal of Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille from office on November 11.
Lahore’s Dangerous Smog: Where Disease and Death Stalk
"It's been horrible; I've been sick on and off for the last 10 days," said 29-year-old asthmatic Natasha Sohail, who teaches A-Level students at three private schools in Lahore. Last week, her condition worsened with a vertigo attack and fever. “It’s criminal what is happening here,” said an incensed Sohail, referring to the “band-aid measures” taken by the Punjab government.
Leather Cooperative Stops Unemployment in Northeast Brazil
The small community of Ribeira stands out in the Northeast, the poorest region of Brazil. There is no unemployment here. One in five inhabitants make a living directly or indirectly from the Arteza Cooperative of Tanners and Leather Artisans.
Growing Death and Displacement Devastate Lebanon
The ongoing, escalating violence in Lebanon forces millions of Lebanese civilians to face daily bombardment, repeated orders of evacuation, routine destruction of critical infrastructure, and limited access to basic services. With the death toll and rates of displacement on the rise, humanitarian organizations fear that the upcoming winter season is expected to exacerbate these harsh conditions, making Lebanon almost uninhabitable.
Cities Will Be Hit Hardest By Climate Change, UN Report Warns
Cities are in a unique position, simultaneously the biggest emitters of greenhouse gasses and the most affected areas of the greenhouse effect. As a new UN report shows that rapid urbanization and industrialization have adverse effects on the environment, causing a rise in sea levels, prolonged rainfalls and flooding, and an increase in overall temperature. The coastal areas that cities most often inhabit face the brunt of these effects, with marginalized populations being the most vulnerable.
Hustle Culture Emerges in Benin in Face of High Graduate Unemployment
At just 11 years old, with a heavy heart, Louis peered up at his parents and said goodbye. He was leaving his small village in northern Benin to live with his uncle in Parakou, where the schools were better. Ever since, Louis has continued to make sacrifices to pursue a strong education and a better life.
Sic Transit Gloria Mundi: Preserving the Cultural Heritage
pyramids is the monument I have made,
a shape that angry wind or hungry rain
cannot demolish, nor the innumerable ranks
of the years that march in centuries.
I shall not wholly die:
some part of me will cheat the goddess of death.
World Inequality Still Rising Despite Some Convergence
Despite earlier income convergence among nations, many low-income countries (LICs) and people are falling further behind. Worse, the number of poor and hungry has been increasing again after declining for decades.
Brazil Promotes a Freer Global Biofuels Market
Holding this year's presidency of the Group of 20 (G20) large industrial and emerging economies is allowing Brazil to push forward the dream of creating a global biofuels market without the current trade barriers.
Mexican Cooperative Promotes Energy Transition on Indigenous Lands
What began as a search for fair prices for indigenous handicrafts in 1985 has evolved into a women's organisation in Mexico that promotes climate justice while advocating for land and environmental rights.
Voices from the Margins: Small-Scale Fishers Demand Rights, Recognition at COP16
Small-scale fishers play a fundamental role in feeding people—they use sustainable methods of catching and processing fish products and are a significant force in the employment and livelihoods of millions of people internationally—yet, until now, they have been excluded from climate and biodiversity conferences.« Previous Page — Next Page »
Trade has historically been a geopolitical tool, creating significant economic imbalances in developing countries. However, many countries in East Asia and Latin America have been able to alleviate poverty due to increasing trade. Tackling poverty has proven to be much harder in low income countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin America, and their dismal trade performance is one important reason for that. They remain at the margins of world trade and indeed of the world economy. These articles are aimed at informing readers about the complexities of trade and its varying effects on development, with a special focus on the consequences of the global economic crisis, the potential of fair trade and the gender implications of trade policies.
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