Myanmar crisis deepens as military ballot entrenches repression
31/1/2026: The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has condemned the recent elections in Myanmar, saying they have further polarised society and intensified violence instead of providing a credible political pathway. Parties opposed to military rule were banned, and many of their leaders detained.
Source: UN News
Trump’s ‘Donroe Doctrine’ redraws US foreign aid map
29/1/2026: The US State Department has released its latest five-year strategy which includes foreign assistance. Africa is only mentioned once in the 19-page strategy and the UN Sustainable Development Goals are deemed to be “inconsistent with U.S. sovereignty and adverse to the rights and interests of Americans.”
Source: Devex
Global aid is leaving the poorest behind
28/1/2026: A report by Eurodad argues that technical reforms have diverted foreign aid away from poverty reduction and toward the commercial and political priorities of donor countries. For example, donors are now more likely to favour loans over grants, even as many low-income countries face mounting debt distress.
Source: Devex
Sweeping expansion of the Global Gag Rule will deny essential care
27/1/2026: The US government's new Promoting Human Flourishing in Foreign Assistance policy expands the Global Gag Rule to its most extreme version, demonstrating the systematic subordination of scientific evidence and patient needs to ideological objectives.
Source: Medecins Sans Frontieres
What is the truth of Iran’s death toll?
27/1/2026: Local data collection is revealing the vast scale of violence inflicted on Iranians during the state’s crackdown. These estimates exceed 30,000, far surpassing official figures. Testimony from medics, morgue and graveyard staff provides evidence of the huge state effort to conceal systematic killing of protesters
Source: The Guardian
Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ puts rights abusers in charge of global order
27/1/2026: Originally, a Board of Peace was meant to oversee the administration of Gaza. Now US President Donald Trump wants to create a new “Board of Peace” with himself as lifetime chairman. The proposed charter mentions neither Gaza nor human rights.
Source: Human Rights Watch
World Health Organization statement on US withdrawal
24/1/2026: The WHO regrets the US withdrawal of its membership, observing that this decision makes both the US and the rest of the world less safe. The agency also responds to critical statements from the US government.
Source: World Health Organization
Next steps for the Accra Reset announced at Davos
23/1/2026: Ghana’s President John Mahama, leader of an ambitious African-led drive to localize development leadership, has announced new steps to strengthen the movement. The Accra Reset aims to shift toward a system that reduces aid dependency; its initial phase is intended to focus on global health.
Source: Devex
The world needs stronger UN, not Trump-led ‘Board of Peace’
21/1/2026: In an apparent attempt to sideline the UN Security Council, President Trump has proposed a so-called board of peace. The board’s proposed charter doesn’t mention human rights and it makes clear that Trump would have supreme authority.
Source: Human Rights Watch
UN Assembly president defends multilateralism and UN Charter
21/1/2026: Annalena Baerbock has warned that the three pillars of the UN Charter – peace and security, sustainable development, and human rights are under threat. She asserted that a rules-based economic order underpins global business and investment.
Source: UN News