Global Geopolitics

Situation in Besieged Yarmouk Camp ‘One of the Most Severe Ever’

By Josh Butler
The head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees has described the situation inside the Syrian refugee camp of Yarmouk, under attack by Islamic State (IS) militants, as “one of the most severe ever” for the already spartan camp.

Effective War Crimes Inquiry Could Heal Sri Lanka’s Old Wounds

By Amantha Perera
Jessi Joygeswaran seems like your typical 23-year-old young woman. She has an infectious smile and laughs a lot when she talks. Like many other young women anywhere in the world, her life is full of dreams.

Obama Prepares for Showdown with Congress Over Iran Deal

By Jasmin Ramsey
Two days after the deadline for reaching a deal over Iran’s nuclear programme had passed, negotiators looked like they would be going home empty handed. But a surprisingly detailed framework was announced Apr. 2 in Lausanne, Switzerland, as well as in Washington, and in the same breath, U.S. President Barack Obama acknowledged the battle he faces on Capitol Hill.

U.N.’s Next Stop: Humanitarian Summit to Resolve Exploding Refugee Crisis

By Thalif Deen
As the world's spreading humanitarian crisis threatens to spill beyond the borders of Syria and Iraq into Libya and Yemen, the United Nations is already setting its sights on the first World Humanitarian Summit scheduled to take place in Istanbul next year.

Opinion: Where Does Nigeria Go From Here?

By Lisa Vives
After several tension-filled months, a majority of Nigerians swept in an opposition leader and former military man, Muhammadu Buhari, to succeed incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan, whose failure to contain a terrorist wave in the northern states doomed his re-election chances.

Curbing Tobacco Use – One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

By Diana Mendoza
The numbers are in, and there’s not much to celebrate: every year, about six million people die as a result of tobacco use, including 600,000 who succumb to the effects of second-hand smoke.

Landmine Threats Down, IED Threats Rising

By Josh Butler
Almost 90 percent of recent deaths or serious injuries to United Nations peacekeepers in Mali have been attributed to improvised explosive devices (IEDs), a U.N. panel has heard.

Opinion: World Leaders Lack Ambition to Tackle Climate Crisis

By Dipti Bhatnagar and Susann Scherbarth
World governments expect to agree to a new global treaty to combat climate change in Paris in December. As the catastrophic impacts of climate change become more evident, so too escalates the urgency to act.

Pledges for Humanitarian Aid to Syria Fall Short of Target by Billions

By Thalif Deen
When United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stood before 78 potential donors at the Bayan Palace in Kuwait Tuesday, his appeal for funds had an ominous ring to it: the Syrian people, he remarked, "are victims of the worst humanitarian crisis of our time."

Opinion: Cuba and the European Union – The Thaw Begins

By Joaquín Roy
The visit to Cuba of Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on Mar. 23-24, and the forthcoming visit in May planned by French President François Hollande, have fast-tracked the agenda of relations between the European Union and Cuba.

U.N. Staffers Caught in Deadly Crossfire in Ongoing Conflicts

By Thalif Deen
The deadly Syrian military conflict - now entering its fifth year - which has claimed the lives of over 200,000 mostly civilians, including women, children and aid workers, has not spared the United Nations either.

Why So Many Palestinian Civilians Were Killed During Gaza War

By Mel Frykberg
The U.N. investigation into Israel’s devastating military campaign against Gaza, from July to August 2014, has been delayed until June and in the interim Israel and the Palestinians are waging a media war to win the moral narrative as to why so many Palestinian civilians were killed during the bloody conflict.

The U.N. at 70: U.N. Reform Must Benefit All Countries

By Jayantha Dhanapala
U.N. anniversaries are occasions for stocktaking - not all of it positive. But there is a lot of good that the U.N. has done and is doing and there are many good, dedicated people working silently but effectively within the U.N. system where I have also worked for a part of my long diplomatic career.

Nuclear Threat Escalating Beyond Political Rhetoric

By Thalif Deen
As a new cold war between the United States and Russia picks up steam, the nuclear threat is in danger of escalating – perhaps far beyond political rhetoric.

Cash-Strapped U.N. to Seek Funds for Syria at Pledging Conference in Kuwait

By Thalif Deen
A cash-strapped United Nations, which is struggling to reach out to millions of Syrian refugees with food, medicine and shelter, is desperately in need of funds.

Palestine Crisis at Its Worst Since 1967, Says United Nations

By Valentina Ieri
In 2014, the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt) saw the worst escalation of hostilities since 1967, said a report by the United Nations Office of Coordination and Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), released on March 26.

Afghanistan’s Economic Recovery: A New Horizon for South-South Partnerships?

By Kanya D'Almeida
First the centre of the silk route, then the epicenter of bloody conflicts, Afghanistan’s history can be charted through many diverse chapters, the most recent of which opened with the election of President Ashraf Ghani in September 2014.

Opinion: Appointing a New U.N. Secretary-General

By Dr. Palitha Kohona
With Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's term of office tapering off by the end of 2016, there is increasing chatter in the corridors of the United Nations on his successor.

Indonesian President Unyielding on Death Penalty

By Sandra Siagian
When Indonesia’s law and human rights minister visited one of the country’s prisons in December last year, he met a Nigerian convict on death row for drug trafficking, who performed songs for him before leaving him with a parting gift.

Opinion: Foreign Policy is in the Hands of Sleepwalkers

By Roberto Savio
The United Kingdom has been accused of “sleepwalking” into the Ukraine crisis – and the accusation comes from no less than the House of Lords, not usually considered a place of critical analysis.

Pacific Islanders Say Climate Finance “Essential” for Paris Agreement

By Catherine Wilson
As Pacific Islanders contemplate the scale of devastation wrought by Cyclone Pam this month across four Pacific Island states, including Vanuatu, leaders in the region are calling with renewed urgency for global action on climate finance, which they say is vital for building climate resilience and arresting development losses.
« Previous Page — Next Page »
*#*