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Saturday, May 23, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
IPS UN: Inside the Glasshouse
Trump’s Proposed Gaza Takeover Denounced as “Mad Ethnic Cleansing Plan”
President Trump—whose rash and ill-conceived proposals continue unabated—has threatened to “seize Gaza,” turn it into a “Riviera of the Middle East,” and move Palestinians to Egypt and Jordan, two longstanding American allies who depend heavily on US support for their survival. The US President has also hinted that both countries would suffer either cutbacks or elimination of billions of dollars in economic and military aid —if they refuse to cooperate with him.
Shaping AI Rules Through Trade Agreements
The inclusion of AI provisions in preferential trade agreements (PTAs) has been steadily rising. Since 2019, when the China-Mauritius Free Trade Agreement first mentioned AI, PTAs have progressively evolved to include elements addressing the broader implications of emerging technologies.
US Pullout Gives Upper Hand to Human Rights Abusers Worldwide
When some of the world’s “authoritarian and repressive regimes” were elected as members of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) --including Cuba, China, Russia, Kazakhstan and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) -- a US Congressman Dana Rohrabacher infamously remarked: “The inmates have taken over the asylum, I don’t plan to give the lunatics any more American tax dollars to play with.”
From Recovery to Resilience: Transforming Tourism for a Sustainable Future
Tourism is back – and stronger than ever. With 1.4 billion international tourist arrivals recorded globally in 2024, the sector has bounced back to pre-pandemic levels, signalling a recovery from its worst crisis.
Shutting Down USAID Threatens to Endanger World’s Poorer Nations
The Trump administration’s decision to dismantle the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the US government’s primary channel for humanitarian aid and disaster relief, is expected to have a devastating impact on the world’s developing nations. The 2025 Budget Request, under the former Biden administration, amounted to a staggering $58.8 billion in US foreign aid for this year.
Legal Amendments in Iraq Threaten Rights of Women and Girls
Efforts to end child marriage in Iraq are facing a serious threat, with the Iraqi Council of Representatives’ approval of amendments to Iraq’s Personal Status Law raising grave concerns that it risks permitting child marriage for girls.
U.S. White House Executive Order Raises Concerns for Its Support to the UN
A new executive order from the United States White House calls for withdrawing support from major UN entities and a review of all international intergovernmental organizations which the United States is a member of. The U.S.’s orders against the UN Palestine Refugee Agency also do not bode well for ongoing ceasefire negotiations in Gaza.
Trump’s Confrontational Domestic and Foreign Policy Defy his “America First” Agenda
In less than two weeks in office, Trump issued scores of reckless executive orders that ironically will gravely undermine rather than enhance his “America First” agenda and America’s global leadership.
A Potential New Battle: UN vs US over Greenland and the Panama Canal
US President Donald Trump’s ominous threat to take over the Panama Canal and Greenland sets the stage for a new political battle with the United Nations. But judging by UN’s track record of failures—including the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, and the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine --- the world body may lose again while battling a veto-wielding superpower.
Mozambique: Two Presidents, One Divided Nation
No illusions: Mozambique remains in crisis, despite the inauguration of Daniel Chapo as president and the establishment of a new parliament. While the widespread allegations of massive electoral fraud during the elections on 9 October 2024 were the immediate trigger for the unrest, the protests revealed deeply entrenched socio-economic and political grievances.
Gaza Humanitarian Aid: How a Lack of Political Will Sabotaged Resolution 2720
Before the three-phased ceasefire deal—proposed by President Joe Biden and dragged over the finish line by the then-incoming Donald Trump administration—silenced the bombs and drones over Gaza and allowed for humanitarian aid to flow into the strip, there was United Nations Security Council Resolution 2720.
Genocide 2.0—Trump’s Plan for Cleansing Gaza
Either the new US President, Mr. Trump, is ignorant of international law or thinks he’s so brilliant that he doesn’t care about it. Either way, he seems to have stumbled into proposing an extension of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s clearly documented crime of genocide by suggesting that somebody “clear out” the people in Gaza, in effect advocating the ethnic cleansing of the territory.
UN Faces Backlash from a Hostile White House
The Trump administration which regained the White House last week after a four-year hiatus, has come down heavily on thousands of illegal immigrants and hundreds of perceived enemies-- triggering a rash of executive orders on military and federal agencies But in the ensuing political chaos, Trump has not spared the United Nations either.
Longing for EU
Good news! For two years now every single UK poll has shown a majority now want to return to the EU. Of course they do, since every reliable source shows the continuing damage done by Brexit in almost every sphere. Those promised ‘Brexit benefits’ are nowhere to be seen.
The “Fierce Urgency of Now”– to Reverse Course in Haiti
As we commemorated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Day on January 20, 2025—a day that also marked America welcoming its newly elected president—we honor the legacy of this civil rights leader by reflecting on his powerful words: “We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now.”
How Artificial Intelligence Will Affect Asia’s Economies
Asia-Pacific’s economies are likely to experience labor market shifts because of artificial intelligence (AI), with advanced economies being affected more. About half of all jobs in the region’s advanced economies are exposed to AI, compared to only about a quarter in emerging market and developing economies.
Let the Kite Fly High
The global plastics negotiation process, launched in 2022 under a resolution by the UN Environment Assembly, represents an unprecedented effort to combat the escalating plastic pollution crisis.
Rethinking Africa’s Debt: Debunking Myths and Identifying Sustainable Solutions
To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Agenda 2063 aspirations, Africa requires an additional $1.3 - 1.6 trillion in financing.
A World Where Rich Get Richer, Poor Get Poorer — and Billionaires Rise
Perhaps one of the UN's most ambitious and longstanding projects – the launching of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)-- is aimed, among other things, at helping developing nations eradicate extreme poverty by 2030. But that elusive goal has made little or no significant progress.
Journalists Behind Bars: China, Israel & Myanmar the Worst Offenders in 2024
The year 2024 has been one of the most devastating for journalists covering conflicts worldwide-- with 361 behind bars, the second highest since the global record of 370 imprisoned back in 2023.
UN Claims to Strengthen Battle Against Racism in Workplace—Amid Reservations
As the United Nations plans to commemorate its 80th anniversary later this year, it is “reflecting on the steps taken to advance implementation of the Secretary-General’s Strategic Action Plan for addressing racism in the UN Secretariat. The UN’s Anti-Racism Office, which was created in 2023, has hosted several online events that reached over 13,500 participants and generated 2,000 comments, and welcomed 2,700 visitors to its iSeek page (accessible only by staffers)—possibly a reflection of the rising complaints and concerns of UN staffers.« 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
