Global Fund raised $11.34 billion with a surprising US pledge
21/11/2025: The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has received pledges for more than half of its target funding for 2026-2029. There was relief that the US contributed $4.6 billion, remaining the largest donor.
Source: Devex
UN Assembly challenges Security Council veto
20/11/2025: The President of the UN General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock, has warned that repeated use of the veto in the UN Security Council is undermining the UN's mandate of world peace, together with trust in multilateral institutions. She has urged the Assembly to consider expanding its response to veto blockages.
G20 leaders under pressure to confront global inequality
20/11/2025: An Oxfam report estimates that the increase in the wealth of billionaires during the year ending October 2025 alone was more than enough to lift 3.8 billion people out of poverty. The South African presidency of the forthcoming G20 Summit has made tackling inequality a core theme.
Source: Oxfam International
Huge staff cuts at World Health Organization
19/11/2025: The global health body has warned that it expects to lose nearly a quarter of its workforce by June 2026, in consequence of the US withdrawal from the organisation in January. Analysts and campaigners said the cuts would probably leave the WHO less able to help countries facing disease outbreaks.
Source: The Guardian
Global hunger deepens amidst uncertain funding
18/11/2025: The world is facing a global hunger crisis with inadequate resources to respond, warns the World Food Programme in its 2026 Global Outlook. A staggering 318 million people face crisis levels of hunger or worse next year - more than double the figure recorded in 2019.
Source: World Food Programme
What are the key issues at the G20 summit in South Africa?
17/11/2025: As current president of the G20, South Africa has been successful in securing a high profile for issues of debt relief and inequality. But the US president has declined to attend, claiming that white people experience discrimination in South Africa.
Source: Devex
European banks ignore supply chain ethics in mining investment
17/11/2025: Between 2016 and 2024, EU banks provided €64 billion in loans and underwriting services for extracting raw materials for the green transition. Oxfam has exposed these investments as linked to land grabs, pollution and human rights violations. This disclosure coincides with EU proposals to dismantle its sustainability rules.
Source: Oxfam International
Greenpeace report finds G20 failing to uphold Paris Agreement
17/11/2025: A report at COP30 reveals that the climate plans of G20 countries will deliver less than half the cut in emissions necessary to meet commitments in the Paris Agreement. Given their historic responsibility for emissions and greater capacity to act, these richest countries should lead from the front.
Source: Greenpeace International
Myanmar’s election theatre of the democratic absurd
17/11/2025: After more than four years of civil war, Myanmar’s military junta plans to hold elections next month. Opposition parties are banned, leaders are imprisoned and the system has been redesigned to guarantee victory for those aligned with the military. Endorsing these elections would normalise military coups and legitimise war crimes.
Source: East Asia Forum
Think twice before copying Denmark’s asylum policies
14/11/2025: The British government has recently announced its plan to emulate Denmark’s asylum and immigration system. Denmark has become a pioneer in restrictive immigration policies but this has come with serious legal, ethical and moral challenges.
Source: The Conversation