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Saturday, May 23, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
IPS UN: Inside the Glasshouse
A Feminist Future for the UN: Why the Next Secretary-General Must Champion Civil Society
Climate change is threatening to engulf small island states such as Maldives and the Marshall Islands. Gender apartheid is still practiced in theocratic states such as Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia. War crimes and genocide are taking place in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Sudan.
The Vietnam and Gaza Wars Shattered Young Illusions About US Leaders
Eight years before the U.S.-backed regime in South Vietnam collapsed, I stood with high school friends at Manhattan’s Penn Station on the night of April 15, 1967, waiting for a train back to Washington after attending the era’s largest antiwar protest so far.
Trump’s First 100 Days Portend Long-Lasting Damage to Press Freedom
Press freedom is no longer a given in the United States 100 days into President Donald Trump’s second term as journalists and newsrooms face mounting pressures that threaten their ability to report freely and the public’s right to know.
US Cutbacks Lead to Growing Anxiety Among UN Staffers–& its Impact on Mental Health
The Trump administration’s on-again-off-again threats against the United Nations, and US withdrawals from several UN agencies aggravated further by financial cutbacks, have left most staffers with growing apprehension and uncertainty about their future--- and their mental health.
Economic Community of West African States: Fifty and Fractured
Half a century after ECOWAS promised peace and prosperity, three breakaway states are testing West African solidarity, sparking a potential trade war.
Germany’s Role in International Security: Time to Match Words with Deeds
For the first time ever in its history, the United Nations Peacekeeping Ministerial (PKM) will take place in Berlin from 13 to 14 May. The aim of the meeting is to discuss the future of UN peace missions. These biennial meetings serve as a gauge of the continuing political support for such missions, which are, of course, just one of the tools in the UN’s comprehensive ‘toolkit’ for handling conflict — alongside general conflict prevention, mediation missions and peacebuilding measures.
If the US Nuclear Umbrella Collapses, Will it Trigger a Euro-Bomb?
The Trump administration’s hostile attitude towards Western Europe—and the threat to pullout of the 32-member military alliance, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) – signifies the danger of losing the longstanding protection of the US nuclear umbrella over Europe. Jana Puglierin, director of the German office of the European Council on Foreign Relations, was quoted as saying: “Trump may, or may not, want to leave NATO officially, but he has every means to undermine NATO”.
Reclaiming Equity: Why G20 Must Center Women, Children & Adolescents in the UHC Agenda
As the G20 Health Working Group convened in KwaZulu-Natal under South Africa’s presidency earlier this year, a central question echoed across plenaries: How can we accelerate universal health coverage (UHC) in an increasingly unequal world?
US Plans at Restructuring May Include World Bank, IMF & UN Agencies
The US State Department, in a wide-ranging political re-structuring of its policies, will eliminate 132 domestic offices, lay-off about 700 federal workers and reduce diplomatic missions overseas. The proposed changes will also include terminating some of the funding for the United Nations and its agencies, budgetary cuts to the 32-member military alliance, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and revamping 20 other international organizations, including the World Bank (WB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
A Nation Bleeds While the World Watches: The Tragedy in Sudan Must End
The ongoing civil war in Sudan is tragic, but the greater tragedy is that if the international community sits on its hands and does nothing to stop this horrific war and prevent further escalation of the conflict, it will come at an unfathomable price
UN Chief, Brazil Gather World Leaders to Reaffirm Commitments Paris Agreement
UN Secretary-General António Guterres and President Lula da Silva of Brazil on Wednesday, April 23, held a closed-door meeting with heads of state to discuss strengthening global efforts against the climate crisis and to ensure a just energy transition.
US Considering Nuclear Power for Saudi Arabia in Grand Bargain
The Trump administration is reportedly pursuing a deal with Saudi Arabia that would be a pathway to developing a commercial nuclear power industry in the desert kingdom and maybe even lead to the enrichment of uranium on Saudi soil.
Slave Trade: Gorée Island and the ‘Fragility of Freedom’
Gorée Island, off the coast of Dakar, is a somber reminder of the transatlantic slave trade. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it embodies both the duty to remember and the challenges of passing on a painful past.
Shaken and Strained: Myanmar’s Earthquake Adding to the Misery of 4 Years of Conflict
As I walked through the streets of Sagaing and Mandalay, the scenes unfolding in the wake of the 7.7 earthquake were hard to comprehend. Tall buildings and hundreds of homes are now lying in rubble. Of those that are still standing, many are lurching at dangerous angles, defying gravity for now, but could collapse at any moment.
Bringing Resilience to the Table to Achieve Development Goals
The global risk landscape is evolving at an unprecedented pace, posing significant threats to attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As extreme weather, macroeconomic shocks, conflict, and other risks intensify and intertwine, they can create ripple effects that amplify existing vulnerabilities and put both human and development progress in peril.
Genocide Prevention & Responsibility to Protect
April marks Genocide Prevention and Awareness Month, a time to reflect on the history, causes and victims of past genocides and to mobilize the necessary resolve to confront risks facing populations around the world today who face the threat of genocide and other mass atrocity crimes not for anything they have done, but for who they are.
Is it Time to Say RIP to the SDGs?
Is it only a decade since the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement on climate change were agreed? The two deals were inked to a groundswell of hope.
How to Ensure Election of the First Woman Secretary-General: A Daunting Challenge Before the United Nations
On 21 March 2025, the 69th session of the Commission for the Status of Women, popularly referred to as the CSW69, concluded its two-week-long annual meet which commenced on 10 March.
Migrant Smuggling: Europe Must Make a U-Turn
Europe must understand that the only reasonable and humane way to tackle migrant smuggling is to open regular routes for people to reach Europe in safety and dignity.
US Tariffs Threaten to Undermine World Trade Organization
As the Trump administration’s hostility towards the United Nations and other international organizations keeps growing, a New York Times columnist last week proposed what he frivolously described as “something a little incendiary”.
South Korea’s Rapid Aging Doesn’t Have to Be Economic Destiny
Strong economic fundamentals and sound macroeconomic policies have helped the Korean economy through multiple shocks in recent years. However, potential growth has slowed more quickly than in other major advanced economies, and the economic expansion is likely to moderate this year.« Previous Page — Next Page »
It was dubbed "The Glass House" by U.S. ambassador James Wadsworth in 1966. Half a century later, the United Nations has gradually expanded its role as agent of peace and protector of the world's vulnerable populations, while simultaneously facing internal pressures to become more inclusive, increase transparency and maintain legitimacy in the post-Cold War political and economic order. Highlighting the local impacts of global policies on economic development, environment, health and human rights, IPS's coverage goes beyond the edicts of the Security Council to illuminate the power struggles, successes and shortcomings of the 193-member institution as it grapples with crises like climate change, armed conflict, poverty and HIV/AIDS.
The Week with IPS
