U.N. treaty's new Indigenous panel bolsters 'environmental democracy'
A new subsidiary of the Convention on Biological Diversity ended its inaugural session deciding how to be integrated.
Global Issues
Global issues are complex challenges that require international cooperation, from mitigating climate change to addressing global poverty and geopolitical conflicts. Of the U.N.'s 169 targets for sustainable development, only 35% are on track or making moderate progress toward their 2030 deadline.
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$310B a year climate adaptation 'emergency' risks lives, spurs debt
Developing nations get 12 to 14 times less than what's needed to adapt infrastructure and prepare for climate impacts.
Pledges by nations to U.N. fall far short of world's 1.5° C. climate target
A new analysis indicates nations must cut carbon emissions by a massive 43% globally by 2030 compared to 2019 levels.
'Systemic backsliding' seen in fight to eliminate violence against women
An estimated 736 million women — almost 1-in-3 — suffer from gender violence, most often from an intimate partner.
Mercury treaty shifts strategy to aim at dental fillings, illegal cosmetics
In the shadow of a decades-long toxic legacy, nations have been cracking down on mercury pollution with mixed results.
U.N. trade agency adopts sweeping mandate tackling global debt crisis
UNCTAD also launched a new platform to stabilize borrower nations and mobilize capital for a costly green transition.
U.N. weather agency backs AI and climate science for early warnings
WMO's governing body expressed an urgent need to accelerate life-saving warnings and defend climate data integrity.
Global parliamentarians vow to push humanitarian law amid crises
The main outcome was the adoption of a declaration to uphold humanitarian norms and support humanitarian action.
U.N. chief defends climate science, calls for accelerated early warnings
Amid a global assault on facts, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres spoke up for climate science and meteorology.
U.N. launches 'Sevilla Forum' to tackle $102 trillion global debt
António Guterres highlights 'impossible choice' for debtor nations; new platform for technical reform, not negotiation.
U.N. trade conference confronts global FDI slump, budget crisis
Operationally, UNCTAD, like other organizations, must navigate economic headwinds and severe budget limitations.
At FAO, Pope denounces global apathy as food lifeline disintegrates
WFP warned that global funding cuts could push 13.7 million food aid recipients from crisis to emergency levels of hunger.
WMO: CO₂ surge in 2024 breaks records, weakens climate defenses
Greenhouse gas emissions have continued to rise, locking in long-term climate risks as the natural carbon sinks faltered.
U.N. peacekeeping faces 25% troop cut over $618M U.S. funding gap
The move is linked to the Trump administration’s "America First" policy and a U.S. cap on peacekeeping payments.
IMF and World Bank confront $1.3T climate goal amid global debt crisis
The IMF chief advises financial leaders to 'buckle up: uncertainty is the new normal and it is here to stay.'
UNHCR faces liquidity crisis as U.S. policy, $6.1 billion gap strain budget
The U.N. refugee agency expects $3.9 billion in 2025 funding, contrasting sharply with its $10 billion 2024 approved budget.