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Saturday, May 23, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
IPS UN: Inside the Glasshouse
Attention World Leaders: Prevent Nuclear War, End Arms Race & Abolish Nuclear Weapons
In 2013, frustrated at the lack of progress on nuclear disarmament, the United Nations General Assembly declared September 26 as the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. This international day provides an opportunity to enhance public awareness and education about the threat posed to humanity by nuclear weapons and the necessity for their total elimination.
Record Number of Women Living Within Striking Distance of Military Conflicts
The battlefield is no longer distant; for millions of women, it’s next door. An estimated 676 million women – nearly 17 percent of the global female population – lived within 50 kilometres of a deadly conflict last year, according to a new report from the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO). That is the highest figure recorded since the end of the Cold War.
Prospects for the Upcoming High-Level Conference on Rohingya
Last month marked eight years since hundreds of thousands of Rohingya were forcibly displaced from Myanmar’s Rakhine State to Bangladesh by the Myanmar military.
Mamdani’s Stand on Genocide is More Important than the Dynamics of Arresting Netanyahu
No leader responsible for mass atrocities enjoys greater impunity on the international stage than Benjamin Netanyahu. This is due to the strange stranglehold of the pro-Israel lobby on the two major political parties in the United States.
UN at 80: a Mixed Legacy of Highs and Lows
As the UN commemorates its 80th anniversary, at a high-level meeting of 138 world political leaders, one lingering question remains: is there any reason for a celebration-- judging by the UN’s mostly failed political performances over the last eight decades?
The Humanitarian Sector is at a Breaking Point: Here’s How to Fix It
As world leaders convene in New York, September 22-30, for the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, they will confront a humanitarian sector in crisis. With only 9% of the $47 billion requested for global humanitarian needs currently funded, the sector faces what UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher calls "a crisis of morale and legitimacy" alongside devastating funding cuts. So where do we go from here?
New Report Investigates Violence Against Women and Girls Through Surrogacy, Sparks Global Dialogue
A United Nations report calling for the global abolition of surrogacy has sparked intense debate among experts, with critics arguing that blanket bans could harm the very women the policy aims to protect.
World Leaders Should Commit to Human Rights, International Justice
World leaders gathering at the United Nations General Assembly from September 22-30, 2025, should commit to protecting the UN from powerful governments seeking to defund and undermine the organization’s capacity to promote human rights and international justice, Human Rights Watch said today.
Gender Equality: The Key to Peace, Prosperity, and Sustainability
On Monday, three decades on from the historic Fourth World Conference on Women, the General Assembly meets to discuss recommitting to, resourcing, and accelerating the implementation of the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action – an historic agreement which mapped the path to achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.
A Meeting of Over 150 World Leaders Under One Roof—& the Day UN Came Under a Terror Attack
When the high-level meeting of the General Assembly takes place, September 22-30—with over 150 world political leaders in town--the UN will be in a locked down mode with extra tight security. With a rash of threats and political killings in the US—including an attempted assassination of Donald Trump when he was campaigning for the US presidency in July 2024-- the list continues.
When Civil Society is Kept Outside, We Should Build a Bigger Room
The recent IPS article, "UNGA’s High-Level Meetings: NGOs Banned Again," served as a stark and painful reminder of a long-standing paradox: the United Nations, an organization founded on the principle of "We the Peoples," often closes its doors to the very communities it was created to serve.
Why the Awaza Declaration Could Rewrite the Future for the World’s Landlocked Nations
The theater of diplomacy can be more revealing than the speeches. Under a scorching Caspian sun in Awaza, two marines lowered their flags with the precision of a ballet. The green silk of Turkmenistan, folded into a neat bundle before the UN’s blue-and-gold standard, fluttered briefly and vanished into waiting hands.
The Cruel Deceptions of Peace in Palestine
In a long past due move, the UN General Assembly voted 142-10 to approve a plan called “The New York Declaration” that hopes to revive the long dead Two State Solution for Palestinian Independence.
Closing the US$1.5 trillion Gap: How FDI can Help Achieve SDGs in Asia & the Pacific
Over the past two decades, foreign direct investment (FDI) has been the single largest and most stable source of external development capital in Asia and the Pacific (see Figure).
NGOs on a Virtual Blacklist at UN High-Level Meetings of World Leaders
When the high-level meeting of over 150 world political leaders takes place September 22-30, thousands of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and their accredited UN representatives will either be banned from the UN premises or permitted into the building on a strictly restricted basis-- as it happens every year.
The United Nations Turns 80: a Miracle it has Lasted So Long
At eighty, the United Nations is bogged down by structural limitations and political divisions that render it powerless to act decisively – nowhere more clearly than in the Gaza genocide.
Israel, Hamas, the US and Qatar—Unraveling the Mess
Israel’s brazen attack on Hamas’ negotiating team in Qatar while they were deliberating a new ceasefire with Israel raises serious questions not only about the legality of the attack, which violated international laws and norms, and concerns over Qatar’s sovereignty, but also the potential regional and international fallout.
Global Military Spending Shows Misalignment of Priorities, says UN Secretary General
Global military spending has been on the rise for more than 20 years, and in 2024, it surged across all five global regions in the world to reach a record high of USD 2.7 trillion. Yet, such growth has come at the cost of diverting financial resources away from sustainable development efforts, which the United Nations and its chief warn puts pressure on an “already strained financial context.”
Palestinians Pushed into Deeper Crisis with Israeli Displacement Order on Entire Gaza City
Israel’s intent to displace around 1 million civilians, half of whom are living in famine, is impossible and illegal Oxfam said, while the Israeli military continued to flatten Gaza City building by building as its mass forced displacement of civilians in the city gains terrifying momentum.
Translating Recognition of a Palestinian State into Reality
During the upcoming annual UN General Assembly, several key European countries are expected to recognize a Palestinian state. The question that looms is how to translate such a significant development into reality, whereby the Palestinians will realize their national aspiration for statehood
Japan Backs Africa’s Health Future at TICAD
At a time of great transformation for global health, solidarity is more important than ever. As other countries have retreated from their commitments, Japan has instead continued its steadfast investment in a shared future that prioritizes human dignity and security.« 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
