WTO to be led by woman from Nigeria or S. Korea
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.
Sustainable Development Goals
Many businesses, governments and organizations are committed to sustainable goals like reducing their environmental footprints and conserving resources. Sustainable finance includes environmental, social and governance considerations in investment decisions. In 2015, the U.N.'s 193 member nations adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals for 2030. Despite some progress, the U.N. says 83% of the agenda is off-track from the pandemic, climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and conflict.
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Experts urge G-20 to outdo debt suspensions
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.
IMF sees global economy shrinking 4.4% in 2020
The pandemic-hit global economy is expected to contract by as much as 4.4% this year, the International Monetary Fund forecast.
U.N. panel decries 'rampant' corruption
Governments lose trillions of dollars a year to corruption, money laundering and tax avoidance that could aid people in poverty, a U.N. panel reported.
WTO sides with China in Trump's trade war
The U.S. violated international trade rules by slapping US$234 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods without justification two years ago, a WTO panel ruled.
Pandemic sets back development by decades
A new report says the pandemic halted decades of advances in fighting poverty and disease and reversed progress on the U.N.'s 17 anti-poverty goals.
Rebuilding tourism industry a U.N. priority
The pandemic could eliminate 40% of global tourism's 300 million jobs — one of every 10 — and trillions of dollars essential to developing economies.
Organizations call on G-20 to cancel debts
Four anti-poverty international organizations called on G-20 finance ministers to cancel debts in poor nations so they can deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chronic hunger threatens 130 million more
The number of people not getting enough nutrition rose by 60 million since 2014 — and the pandemic may add up to 132 million more this year.
Eight candidates in running for WTO chief
Eight contenders from Britain, Egypt, Kenya, Mexico, Moldova, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and South Korea have until September 7 to campaign for the job of WTO chief.
Path steepens to 2030 anti-poverty goals
The U.N.'s annual forum on progress towards its 17 Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 opened with a big challenge made far harder by the pandemic.
Africa's mobile money risks alarm Interpol
Interpol warned that organized crime has infiltrated Africa's mobile money industry as a platform for human trafficking, money laundering and the drug trade.
Global e-waste rises 21% in 5 years and is predicted to double by 2030
A big problem, the organizations say, is that collection and recycling programs don't keep pace with the rising pollution.
Global tourism may lose US$3.3 trillion
The global coronavirus outbreak could cause as much as US$3.3 trillion in losses to the global tourism industry if the pandemic lasts a year.
IMF forecasts 4.9% drop in world economy
The IMF estimated a 4.9% drop in global GDP for 2020, sharply revising its earlier prediction of a 3% drop due to the pandemic.
U.N. forecasts foreign investments plunge
New business investment globally will likely drop by up to 40% this year and 10% in 2021 from the COVID-19 pandemic, UNCTAD reported.