Frustration at UN stalemates inspires alternative talks on phasing out fossil fuels
24/4/2026: UN climate negotiations require consensus, enabling oil-producing countries to block the necessary action on fossil fuels. The world’s first Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels conference is under way in Colombia where a “coalition of the willing,” including 54 countries, will try to chart an alternative way forward.
Source: The Guardian
US alleges that global aid has failed to improve lives of poor
14/4/2026: The Trump administration is poised to unveil a new global trade initiative aimed at scaling back the obligation of high-income countries to spend tens of billions of dollars each year in foreign aid. In inviting UN member states to sign a declaration of principles, the Trade Over Aid initiative presents a sharp-tongued attack against the value of global charity, alongside a frothy paean to the virtues of the free market.
Source: Devex
UN80 Is the Wrong Answer to the Right Question
5/4/2026: The US initiated war with Iran while diplomatic negotiations were in progress and without UN Security Council authorization. What is required for the UN is not incremental reform, such as the UN80 plans, but reinvention.
Source: PassBlue
Rising anger over one-sided US health funding pacts with African countries
27/2/2026: At least 17 African countries have signed bilateral agreements with the current US administration, collectively securing $11.3bn in health aid. But there is growing outrage at US demands to share biological resources and patient data, and other conditions.
Source: The Guardian
US trade deal undermines Indonesia’s climate obligations
26/3/2026: A new bilateral trade agreement commits Indonesia to import $15 billion of US fossil fuel products. Environmental experts warn that the agreement jeopardises Indonesia's international climate commitments. This deal is part of a broader series of global agreements fulfilling the US “Energy Dominance Agenda.”
Source: Human Rights Watch
Trump’s Board of Peace convenes for first time
18/2/2026: President Trump’s Board of Peace has held its first meeting. The new entity was established by a UN Council resolution to implement the plan to end the two-year war between Israel and Hamas. Phase 2 of the peace plan includes the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, disarming Hamas, and installing a transitional Palestinian administration. It is yet to be seen how useful the board will be in carrying out its Security Council-sanctioned responsibilities in Gaza.
Source: PassBlue
Africa should press for place on UN Security Council
12/2/2026: A report by Oxfam finds that conflicts across Africa have dominated UN Security Council resolutions over the last decade, despite no African country having a permanent seat on the Council. Decisions without proper African representation too often fail to deliver peace or address root causes.
Source: Oxfam International
Trump signs one-year extension of US-Africa trade program
5/2/2026: While the U.S. House of Representatives approved a three-year extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act — a 25-year-old program between the US and sub-Saharan African nations, the final bill passed by Congress and signed into law offers only a one-year reprieve. Established in 2000, AGOA has helped create hundreds of thousands of jobs.
Source: Devex
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
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