Pandemic treaty 'zero draft' gives WHO 20% share of responsibility
The rationale for the WHO's proposed pandemic treaty is to erase "gross inequities" between rich and poor that's a scourge of the pandemic.
Global Issues
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Watchdog finds scant progress in fight against corruption
As the world becomes a less peaceful place, a new report finds a clear connection between more violence and corruption.
We're still living in a pandemic, U.N. health agency chief and panel agree
WHO leaders agree the pandemic may be approaching "an inflection point" of higher immunity resulting in fewer deaths.
U.N. health agency urges nations to update preparations for nuke risks
Almost half of WHO's `94 member nations said they "still lacked essential elements of preparedness for radiation emergencies."
Doomsday Clock set at 90 seconds to ‘midnight’ - closest ever in its history
The symbolic clock was reset closer to the symbolic hour of apocalpyse amid Russia's war in Ukraine, which raised the risk of a nuclear confrontation.
WHO points to $2.5B in 2023 humanitarian emergency needs
The money is needed for 54 emergencies worldwide that require an "unprecedented" response from donors to provide aid.
In a world of human rights abuses, some 'extraordinary potential' too
Human Rights Watch points to a "litany of human rights crises" but also a silver lining – some "cracks" emerged in authoritarian regimes.
WEF: Biggest risk to economy is cost-of-living crisis and social unrest
WEF's report finds the biggest short-term risk to the world economy is a globalized cost-of-living crisis and widespread social unrest.
World's aging dams lose storage capacity at alarming rate
Trapped sediment robs dams of storage capacity. Storage loss by 2050 will equal the combined yearly water use of Canada, China, France, India and Indonesia, says a U.N. University report.
Study shows efforts to restore Earth's depleted ozone layer are 'on track'
The ozone layer is expected to recover to 1980 values by around 2066 over the Antarctic and by 2045 over the Arctic.
A rallying cry for human rights at the heart of social media platforms
Alarmed at a sharp increase in the use of the racist “N” word on Twitter, the experts said all the major social media corporations must immediately show greater accountability for online hatred spewed at people of African descent.
Halfway to 2030, the Sustainable Development Goals need a rescue
The United Nations and its allies aren't giving up on efforts to clinch at least some of the 17 anti-poverty Global Goals for 2030 that have been set back by the COVID-19 pandemic, war in Ukraine, and other major crises.
Passing of Pelé mourned as his legacy of sport for peace lives on
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said Pelé was unique in so many ways: the only player to have won the FIFA World Cup three times; an athlete with incomparable skills and imagination; and the ability to rise above racism and poverty.
Global vows to millions of migrants and refugees still largely unfulfilled
Most of the world's 8 billion inhabitants prefer to stay within their nation of birth, but almost 1-in-20 have left that behind.
U.N. summit clinches 196-nation deal to halt biodiversity loss
Negotiators reached the 30% by 2030 or "30 by 30" deal – which would improve on the 17% of land and 10% of water now protected – just as the almost two-week United Nations Biodiversity Conference, or COP15, was due to end.
Small island nations ask U.N. tribunal for climate opinion
The request is based on "the fundamental importance of the oceans as sinks and reservoirs of greenhouse gases and the direct relevance of the marine environment to the adverse effects of climate change on small island states."