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Saturday, May 23, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
IPS UN: Inside the Glasshouse
The Deadly US Weapons of Civilian Destruction
As the devastating 11-month-old conflict in Gaza keeps escalating, with over 41,000 mostly civilian killings, and more than 92,000 Palestinians injured --in retaliation for the 1,200 killings inside Israel last October-- the Israelis continue to defy the United States which maintains its uninterrupted flow of heavy weapons to Tel Aviv.
‘Safe Zone’ Al-Mawasi Bombed, Leaving Dozens Killed
On Tuesday, an airstrike was carried out in Al-Mawasi, on a displacement camp situated on the Gaza Strip. According to the Gaza Civil Defense Agency, 40 people were killed and over 60 were injured. Despite being designated as a “safe zone” by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), this region has seen continual airstrikes and armed hostility since December 2023.
A Better Tomorrow with South-South Cooperation
The annual United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation, commemorated annually on September 12, serves as a powerful reminder of the spirit of solidarity and cooperation that transcends geographic borders — a spirit that is crucial for securing a better and thriving future for all. In a world facing cross-cutting challenges, the importance of this South-South solidarity cannot be overstated.
Women Lead Record Number of Central Banks, but More Progress is Needed
Women are leading more central banks than ever before, thanks to appointments in the past year, but recent gains still leave the share of female governors far short of parity.
60 Years After Lyndon Johnson’s “Daisy Ad,” the Silence on Nuclear War Is Dangerous
One evening in early September 1964, a frightening commercial jolted 50 million Americans who were partway through watching “Monday Night at the Movies” on NBC. The ad began with an adorable three-year-old girl counting petals as she pulled them from a daisy. Then came a man’s somber voiceover, counting down from ten to zero. Then an ominous roar and a mushroom cloud from a nuclear bomb explosion.
Nigeria: Protecting the Vulnerable on the Path to Progress
Returning to Nigeria after five years, I was struck by the changes - both the challenges and the opportunities. To better understand these dynamics, I have been undertaking visits to states across Nigeria.
Africa’s Strong Case for Reforms of UN Security Council Led by Sierra Leone Presidency
At most international forums, including the annual UN General Assembly high-level debate, Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio consistently highlights the injustices of the global system, particularly Africa’s absence in the permanent category and underrepresentation in the non-permanent category of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
Knowledge is Power. Gaza War Supporters Don’t Want Students to Have Both
With nearly 18 million students on U.S. college campuses this fall, defenders of the war on Gaza don’t want to hear any backtalk. Silence is complicity, and that’s the way Israel’s allies like it.
Climate Action Greatest Economic Opportunity of this Century, Says UN Climate Chief
With fewer than 100 days to go to COP29, the highest decision-making body on climate issues under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the need for creative and innovative solutions to protect lives and livelihoods is now extremely urgent.
The Time to End Nuclear Tests is Now
Today, the General Assembly convenes – for the fifteenth consecutive occasion – to observe the International Day Against Nuclear Tests, which is commemorated annually on 29 August.
UN Expert Says Impunity for Israel Must End as ‘Genocidal Violence’ Spreads to West Bank
An independent United Nations expert has warned that "Israel's genocidal violence risks leaking out of Gaza and into the occupied Palestinian territory as a whole" as Western governments, corporations, and other institutions keep up their support for the Israeli military, which stands accused of grave war crimes in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.
Israel’s Goal: Smashing Palestinian Legitimacy
Most people think that Israel’s main goal in Gaza is to recover the hostages seized by HAMAS on October 7, 2023 with an announced follow-up mission to eliminate HAMAS as a threat. If you thought that, you would be wrong. Substantial evidence reveals a different strategic aim—destroying every shred of Palestinian legitimacy as a nation.
World Leaders Who Opted to Skip the United Nations
When the high-level segment of the UN General Assembly took place last September, there were several key world leaders missing in action (MIAs)—including, most importantly, leaders of the four of the five permanent members of the Security Council, the most powerful political body at the United Nations.
US Support of UN Organizations Must Remain Unabated
During Donald Trump's presidency, the United States withdrew from several international organizations. These include the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
In Tonga the UN Secretary-General Declares a Global Climate Emergency
Three months ahead of the COP29 United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference, the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, has called for an emergency response from the international community as new data from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reveals a critical deterioration in the state of the climate.
Enough is Enough: End Nuclear Testing Once and For All
In 2009 the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 29 August the International Day Against Nuclear Tests. This date recalled the official closing of the Semipalatinsk nuclear weapons testing site in today’s Kazakhstan on 29 August 1991; that one site alone having seen 456 nuclear test explosions between 1949 and 1989.
Signs of Progress on Peace-Positive Climate Adaptation
The consequences of climate change are disproportionately impacting fragile and conflict-affected settings (FCS). Climate shocks can exacerbate security risks in FCS, conflict and instability compromise a region’s ability to adapt to climate change, leaving its population ever more vulnerable to future climate shocks.
Is the UN Ready for a Second Trump Presidency?
The Communist Manifesto of a bygone era, authored by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, begins with an implicit warning: "A specter is haunting Europe—the specter of Communism." And today another specter is haunting-- this time at the United Nations — the specter of a second Trump presidency.
Nicaragua, China, India among 55 Nations Restricting Freedom of Movement
At least 55 governments in the past decade have restricted the freedom of movement for people they deem as threats, including journalists, according to a Freedom House report published last Thursday.
Conditions Grow Dire in Myanmar
On August 21st, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Stéphane Dujarric spoke at a press briefing at the United Nations Headquarters about the ongoing Rohingya genocide taking place in Myanmar. Dujarric detailed high levels of hostility and displacement in the Shan, Mandalay, and Rakhine regions, which have significantly intensified since late June of this year.
Gaza War: Displaced Palestinian Families Struggle to Access Basic Services
The latest Israeli evacuation order on August 17 led to the displacement of over 13,000 individuals, Secretary General’s spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told a press conference at the UN headquarters.« 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
