U.N. chief's selection enters public phase as calls for transparency rise
Since 1946, a woman has never been chosen for the top job, and four of the nine U.N. chiefs have been Europeans.
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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Global early warnings surge, but funding lags for universal protection
Some 119 nations have a coordinated system to warn about impending natural dangers, up from 56 nations a decade ago.
CITES showdown looms on elephant ivory and rhino horn trade bans
The global wildlife treaty is charged with regulating trade in 40,920 species, including 6,610 animals and 34,310 plants.
Global patent filings jump 5% to record high, trademarks stabilize
The shift cements Asia’s position as the world's leading innovation hub, led by China, Japan, and South Korea.
UNHCR pleads for urgent winter funding as donor support drops
The agency is launching its global winter fundraising campaign to raise at least $35 million for refugees globally.
Minamata Convention pivots to enforcement, illegal trade control
A new strategy will focus heavily on controlling black market flows, leveraging a decision to phase-out dental amalgam.
Extreme weather turning war refugees into climate refugees
By mid-2025, a striking 3-in-4 refugees reside in countries facing high-to-extreme exposure to climate-related hazards.
Minamata Convention mandates global phase-out of dental amalgam
The decision on dental amalgam was counterbalanced by the greater challenge of artisanal and small-scale gold mining.
Global warming efforts remain 'off target' as emissions soar to new peak
Nations' climate plans will collectively lower the current trajectory of 2.8° C. of warming to between 2.3° and 2.5°.
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.
$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.