Ten years after the Paris treaty, are climate talks getting anywhere?
7/11/2026: Governments have pledged year after year to limit global heating to 1.5C above preindustrial levels. But rules that all resolutions must pass by consensus have given bad actors free rein. The COP31 conference must overcome despair that the central temperature goal has already failed.
Source: The Guardian
Civil society call for scrutiny of US rights record
6/11/2026: The US is scheduled to appear in Geneva on November 10 for its Universal Periodic Review, the UN peer review process of every member state’s rights record. But the Trump administration has declared that the US will not participate. Civil society organisations have submitted evidence of a dramatic worsening of the US government’s rights record over the past year, arguing that there should be no exemption from a process that applies to every UN member country.
Source: Human Rights Watch
Is the US undermining the EU’s diplomatic blockade of Myanmar?
27/10/2026: With the US reopening talks with Myanmar's military-backed government, and several Southeast Asian countries restarting diplomatic contacts, the EU is facing uncomfortable questions about its own boycott of the junta. The EU has long positioned itself as a defender of democracy and human rights in Myanmar.
Source: DW
UN marks 81 years of global cooperation
23/10/2026: The United Nations has celebrated the anniversary of the entry into force of its Charter in 1945. The agenda has remained consistent over 81 years, settling disputes through diplomacy, combating poverty and hunger, and promoting human rights.
Source: UN News
What to watch at the UN General Assembly
21/9/2026: The UN General Assembly will try to focus attention on multilateralism in a me-first era, respect for international law, the climate crisis, and the governance of artificial intelligence. But those with power and the loudest voices may still set the agenda.
Source: The New Humanitarian
What is UNGA, and why does it matter for global development?
17/9/2026: The UN General Assembly is the only UN body with universal representation, granting all 193 member states an equal vote, making it the official policymaking organ of the UN. More about about the General Assembly and why it matters for global development.
Source: Devex
US pays the UN $800M in budget dues
15/9/2026: The Trump administration has finally paid the UN more than $800 million to cover the costs of its regular budget dues for 2025, along with a fraction of its peacekeeping obligations. The payments avert the prospect of the US losing its vote in the forthcoming UN General Assembly, but leave Washington with billions in back dues.
Source: Devex
Trump administration nominee chosen to lead World Food Programme
12/9/2026: Luke Lindberg, a senior US Department of Agriculture official, has been chosen to lead the World Food Programme, making him the youngest person to head the agency. The final decision to appoint Lindberg coincided with US assurances to pay more than $700 million in its regular budget dues for 2025. It remains unclear whether the two issues were linked.
Source: Devex
UN tells the world: Stop making Africa look small
4/9/2026: By 164 votes to one, the UN General Assembly has endorsed a resolution promoting map projections that more accurately reflect the true size of continents – the culmination of an African-led campaign against the 16th-century Mercator projection. The US cast the sole vote against.
Source: UN News
Being serious about peace
30/8/2026: The path to self-determination of what is today independent Timor-Leste and Nepal’s emergence from a 10-year civil war are case studies of successful peace-building through intense UN involvement. Candidates for selection as the next UN secretary-general should take heed of the lessons learned.
Source: PassBlue