UN bodies named in US withdrawal
9/1/2026: The US intention to withdraw from a host of UN bodies includes programmes tackling the climate crisis, trade, gender and development. Here is a list of the 31 UN entities targeted and how they are making a positive difference to people, communities and nations, worldwide.
Source: UN News
Trump abandons international climate, biodiversity and energy bodies
8/1/2026: President Donald Trump has cut ties with 66 international bodies, dismantling US involvement in global efforts to fight climate change and safeguard biodiversity, as well as wider multilateralism. They include the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Source: Dialogue Earth
Ten humanitarian trends to keep an eye on in 2026
5/1/2026: After a 2025 dominated by the further erosion of international humanitarian law, rights, and norms around the globe – the coming year is likely to see even greater volatility in an increasingly anarchic world. Here are ten of the key trends that threaten lives for millions in crisis hotspots over the coming year.
Source: The New Humanitarian
Human rights concerns following US military action in Venezuela
3/1/2026: Amnesty International is alarmed that the attack against Venezuela and capture of Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores by one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council further deepen the breakdown of international law and the rules-based order. These actions signal an international system run by military force, threats, and intimidation, and they increase the risks of copycat actions by others.
Source: Amnesty International
Can the US-Africa trade program AGOA be resurrected?
11/12/2025:The African Growth and Opportunity Act, the 25-year-old trade program between the US and sub-Saharan African nations, expired on September 30, but the House Ways and Means Committee has now approved a three-year extension. The bill still faces some hurdles, but the trade program that has garnered bipartisan support.
Source: Devex
G20 leaders rally behind multilateral trade
27/11/2025: Leaders of the Group of 20 industrialized and developing countries meeting in Johannesburg have expressed their hopes of strengthening multilateral trade rules, through the World Trade Organization. The meeting was boycotted by the US.
Source: Third World Network
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.
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
Restoring free trade in post-US economic order
7/11/2025: As the US retreats from free trade leadership, plurilateral groupings in Asia-Pacific and European regions are moving to restore a rules-based multilateral trading system. The best solution lies with a reformed World Trade Organization, even if that means reviving it without the US.
Source: East Asia Forum
Guterres calls for urgent reform of the Security Council
24/10/2025: UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that the “fragile” legitimacy of the Security Council could endanger global peace if it remains gridlocked. The body’s structure is viewed by many countries as unrepresentative and its veto system has often stalled action and sparked criticism.
Source: UN News