Sanctions are a boomerang
7/7/2022: The most extensive current economic sanctions are deployed against Russia, Syria, North Korea, Venezuela, Myanmar, and Cuba. Intended as a punishment, they have a track record of failure in their declared political objectives.
Source: Inter Press Service
International Criminal Court at 20: renewing the promise of justice
29/6/2022: The Registrar of the International Criminal Court takes stock of its progress over the 20 years since its founding treaty entered into force. The ICC has established itself as a permanent, impartial and independent judicial institution. with 17 ongoing investigations.
Source: Inter Press Service
Will the world deliver at the UN Summit of the Future?
21/6/2022: A mere 15 months from now, the UN is committed to convene a Summit of the Future in response to the Secretary-General’s groundbreaking report, “Our Common Agenda.” Is it possible to deliver a tangible outcome document that will improve global governance?
Source: PassBlue
Glencore pleads guilty to bribery in African operations
21/6/2022: Glencore has pleaded guilty to paying millions of dollars in bribes to secure crude oil in five African countries. It is the mining company's latest mea culpa in a series of bribery investigations worldwide.
Source: DW
Not everyone is happy with WTO TRIPS deal
17/6/2022: After heavily contested negotiations, the World Trade Organization has agreed to allow low- and middle-income countries to temporarily waive protections on patents to produce COVID-19 vaccines. Critics argue that the deal offers little that is different from exemptions already available.
Source: Devex
WTO secures package of trade outcomes
17/6/2022: The 12th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization has secured multilateral agreement on a series of difficult issues. The “Geneva Package” contains decisions on fisheries subsidies, food safety and agriculture, and a waiver of certain requirements concerning compulsory licensing for COVID-19 vaccines.
Source: World Trade Organization
WTO under pressure to reform at overdue Geneva summit
12/6/2022: The World Trade Organization faces a deep internal crisis, as its first summit in years gets under way. Key agenda issues such as patent protection on COVID-19 vaccines and fishing subsidies remain unresolved.
Source: DW
Is the UN effective only in humanitarian relief?
6/6/2022: The UN is struggling to contain the spread of violent conflicts across the world. But its declining role in geo-politics has been compensated by its increasingly significant performance as a massive humanitarian relief organization.
Source: Inter Press Service
Stockholm+50 calls for urgent environmental transformation
3/6/2022: The Stockholm+50 meeting has renewed international commitments to address global environmental concerns. The meeting celebrated the landmark 1972 UN Conference on the Human Environment which led to multilateral actions to protect the planet.
Source: UN Environment Programme
Fifty years of the UN Environment Programme
1/6/2022: The UN Environment Programme is about to celebrate its 50th anniversary. Notable successes include protecting the ozone layer through the Montreal Protocol and establishing the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Source: China Dialogue