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
A year into President Trump’s return, authoritarianism is eroding human rights
20/1/2026: Amnesty International has documented how the Trump administration’s escalation of authoritarian practices, including closing civic space and undermining the rule of law, is eroding human rights. Press intimidation makes violations harder to expose; and attacks on courts, lawyers, and oversight bodies make accountability harder to enforce.
Source: Amnesty International
Israel’s suspension of Gaza NGOs will have deadly consequences
19/1/2026: Israel has suspended nearly every established aid group engaged in Gaza, from Médecins Sans Frontières to World Vision. These organisations refused to sign on to new registration rules explicitly designed to exert Israeli control over the aid response. Instead of upholding the law, the international community has lent its support to US President Trump’s farcical peace plan for Gaza.
Source: The New Humanitarian
Alarming increase in use of death penalty last year
19/1/2026: Despite a downward trend in the use of the death penalty globally, 2025 saw an alarming increase in the number of executions in a small number of retentionist countries. 170 countries have abolished or introduced a moratorium on the death penalty either in law or in practice.
Source: UN News
Billionaire wealth jumps three times faster in 2025
19/1/2026: The collective wealth of billionaires last year surged by $2.5 trillion, almost equivalent to the total wealth held by the bottom half of humanity – 4.1 billion people. A new Oxfam report analyses how the super-rich are securing political power for their own gain and to the detriment of the rights and freedoms of people around the world.
Source: Oxfam International
Hunger concern amid rising violence in West and Central Africa
16/1/2026: A toxic combination of surging conflict, displacement, and economic turmoil has been driving hunger in West and Central Africa, while reductions in humanitarian assistance are pushing communities beyond their ability to cope. A staggering 55 million people in the region are expected to endure crisis levels of hunger, or worse, during the June–August 2026 lean season.
Source: World Food Programme
Blanket internet shutdown violates rights in Uganda
15/1/2026: On January 13, Uganda’s telecommunications regulator ordered all mobile network operators and internet service providers to suspend public access, two days before the general elections. Human Rights Watch says that blanket shutdowns undermine fundamental rights and threaten election integrity.
Source: Human Rights Watch