Legal & Regulatory

Here you will find coverage of legal and regulatory policy news across a broad range of topics including banking, biotech, data privacy, energy, environment, health care, immigration, insurance, patents, securities, trade, and worker rights.


Tug-of-war over pulled WHO Italy report
By Arete News - December 21, 2020

A suppressed WHO report on Italy’s pandemic response says hospitals were “chaotic,” dangers to elderly went unrecognized, and training was haphazard.

E.U. regulator approves first COVID-19 vaccine
By Arete News - December 21, 2020

A two-shot vaccine from BioNTech and Pfizer gained official approval in the E.U., two days after Switzerland approved it through a normal procedure.

Swiss achieve first full-blown vaccine approval
By Arete News - December 19, 2020

Switzerland announced it has become the first government in the world to approve a coronavirus vaccine using a standard process of regulatory approval.

COVAX vaccine rollout gets 2 billion doses
By Arete News - December 18, 2020

The COVAX Facility has secured almost 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine candidates for low-income and developing countries, organizations said.

ICJ steps into Guyana-Venezuela border dispute
By Arete News - December 18, 2020

ICJ ruled it has jurisdiction to settle a border dispute going back to colonial-era claims over a resources-rich jungle region between Guyana and Venezuela.

U.S. currency dispute puts IMF role in spotlight
By Arete News - December 16, 2020

The IMF was thrust into a dispute over currency manipulation as the U.S. accused Vietnam and Switzerland of currency manipulation.

WTO subsidy talks to curb overfishing drag on
By Arete News - December 14, 2020

Diplomats failed to meet an end-of-year deadline for a deal on halting government subsidies that contribute to overfishing, WTO officials said.

Big pharma sees wide use of vaccines by late 2021
By Arete News - December 8, 2020

Several CEOs of leading drugmakers expressed confidence the pandemic can be brought under control starting sometime in the second half of next year.

U.N. calls on nations to end ‘war on nature’
By Arete News - December 2, 2020

The U.N. chief appealed to world leaders to start fixing our “broken” planet by ringing in 2021 with a commitment to a carbon pollution-neutral future.

Report: UNDP audit looks into GEF projects
By Arete News - November 30, 2020

UNDP said in response to a news article it examined possbible “misuse of funds” affecting almost US$100 million in GEF-funded projects.

Asia-Pacific nations sign world’s biggest trade pact
By Arete News - November 15, 2020

Fifteen Asia-Pacific nations including China signed a pact to create the world’s biggest trading alliance, covering 30% of global GDP.

G-20 agrees to ‘common framework’ for debt relief
By Arete News - November 13, 2020

The G-20 major economies agreed to a framework for more debt relief among poor nations, responding to appeals from humanitarian and economic leaders.

Envoy says 126 nations seek carbon neutrality
By Arete News - November 9, 2020

The top U.N. official for global climate action said 65% of the world body’s 193 member nations will seek net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

U.S. poised to rejoin global health, climate efforts
By Arete News - November 7, 2020

Elected 46th president of the United States on Saturday, Democrat Joe Biden signaled policy reversals to combat the pandemic and global warming.

Head of IPI resigns over Epstein funding
By Arete News - October 29, 2020

Terje Rød Larsen resigned as head of International Peace Institute due to his “failed judgment” in taking money from Jeffrey Epstein, IPI’s board announced.

IPBES ties pandemic risks to nature crisis
By Arete News - October 29, 2020

Pandemics will become more frequent, faster-spreading and deadlier than COVID-19 if Earth’s natural life support systems are not restored, IPBES reported.

U.S. rejection upsets WTO leadership race
By Arete News - October 28, 2020

The U.S. upended WTO’s selection of its next director-general as the sole nation to back South Korea’s Yoo Myung-hee over Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

UNCTAD shows 49% foreign investments drop
By Arete News - October 27, 2020

Global foreign direct investment plummeted by 49% during the first half of 2020 compared with a year ago due to the pandemic, UNCTAD reported.

Report shows cocoa industry pledge to ILO failed
By Arete News - October 19, 2020

A new report finds the $100 billion chocolate industry’s promise to ILO to eliminate child slavery not only remains unfulfilled — things have gotten worse.

WTO to be led by woman from Nigeria or S. Korea
By John Heilprin - October 19, 2020

The final phase of a race to become WTO’s next director-general began with two well-qualified women from Nigeria and South Korea vying for the top post.

Experts urge G-20 to outdo debt suspensions
By Arete News - October 15, 2020

Experts cautioned a move by the world’s richest countries to give the poorest ones more time to pay off debts will not do enough to alleviate massive suffering.