Security Council agrees to terminate UN mission in Sudan
1/12/2023: The Security Council has decided to terminate the mandate of the UN political mission in Sudan, after Khartoum said that it was failing to meet expectations. It was established in June 2020 as a special political mission, to provide support to Sudan during its political transition to democratic rule.
Source: UN News
What does success look like for next WTO ministerial?
19/11/2023: Prospects seem slim for even a low-ambition outcome at the ministerial conference of the World Trade Organization due in February 2024. Recent developments suggest that there is no political will among the major players to restore genuine multilateralism, let alone to address the long list of outstanding promises to developing countries.
Source: AfronomicsLaw
The first step toward world peace: fix the UN
27/10/2023: The inability of the Security Council to uphold the UN Charter has been exposed as never before in its impotence to respond to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. These crises should have been recognised as a catalytic opportunity for a majority of the 193 member countries to pursue reform.
Source: Policy Magazine
Biden to strike off Uganda from AGOA trade terms
31/10/2023: US President Biden intends to remove Uganda's eligibility for the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), alongside Gabon, Niger and the Central African Republic, on account of their human rights records. He said that the enactment of Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act is a violation of universal human rights.
Source: The East African
Has the UN been letting the people of Myanmar down?
10/10/2023: In almost three years since the military coup in Myanmar, the UN system has been ineffective in responding to the excesses of the junta, according to a report by the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar. Resolutions denouncing atrocities adopted by the UN Security Council and the UN Human Rights Council have failed to end the bombing and burning of villages.
Source: The New Humanitarian
Multiple shocks push world further away from SDGs
15/9/2023: Halfway into the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, progress towards its food and agriculture targets has stagnated or reversed, compounding the challenges in eradicating poverty and hunger, according to a new report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. The lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact of armed conflicts around the world, and the escalating effects of the climate crisis are largely to blame.
Source: UN Food And Agriculture Organization
The future of global governance is collective, not top-down
14/9/2023: A vice-president of the Ford Foundation says that we need to establish a new global governance paradigm driven by new players, governed by new rules, and responsive to our new reality. Our outdated 20th-century model enables a handful of major powers to unilaterally dictate resolutions to global challenges.
Source: Devex
UNGA78: ‘Action is what the world needs’ – UN chief
13/9/2023: The UN Secretary-General has given a clear message for the gathering of 193 Member States for the UN General Assembly opening in New York: “This is not a time for posturing or positioning.” He laid out the stall for next week’s key summits, on climate, investment for development, health challenges and specific regional crises.
Source: UN News
G20 admits African Union as permanent member
9/9/2023: The African Union was made a permanent member of the G20, comprising the world's richest and most powerful countries, at the recent summit in New Delhi. The African Union, a continental body of 55 member states, now has the same status as the European Union.
Source: CNA
Towards a UN Charter review conference
10/8/2023: The UN may no longer be fit for its purpose to tackle contemporary global challenges. The UN Charter makes provision for a Review Conference which could identify the key issues that need to be addressed, including reform of the Security Council.
Source: Inter Press Service