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<title>A Crisis of Contagion and Collapse: Why Cholera Continues To Be a Problem in the DRC</title>
<link>https://www.ipsnews.net/2025/07/a-crisis-of-contagion-and-collapse-why-cholera-continues-to-be-a-problem-in-the-drc/</link>
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<pubDate>Mon, 14 Jul 2025 17:06:57 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Shreya Komar</dc:creator>
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<description><![CDATA[The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is grappling with one of its worst cholera outbreaks in recent history, exposing deep systemic cracks in public health, water infrastructure, and humanitarian response, leaving its youngest citizens in peril. On April 3, 2025, the United Nations released a stark warning: a fast-spreading cholera outbreak in the southern province […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img width="300" height="200" src="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/DRCarticlephoto-300x200.webp" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="A child receives treatment at a cholera clinic in the DRC, where clean water is scarce and healthcare even scarcer. Credit: UNICEF" decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" srcset="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/DRCarticlephoto-300x200.webp 300w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/DRCarticlephoto-768x512.webp 768w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/DRCarticlephoto-629x419.webp 629w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/DRCarticlephoto.webp 770w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />A child receives treatment at a cholera clinic in the DRC, where clean water is scarce and healthcare even scarcer. Credit: UNICEFBy Shreya Komar UNITED NATIONS, Jul 14 2025 (IPS) The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is grappling with one of its worst cholera outbreaks in recent history, exposing deep systemic cracks in public health, water infrastructure, and humanitarian response, leaving its youngest citizens in peril.
On April 3, 2025, the United Nations released a stark warning: a fast-spreading cholera outbreak in the southern province of Tanganyika was placing thousands at grave risk. As of that date, 9 out of 11 health zones in the province were affected, with over 1,450 confirmed cases and 27 deaths, marking a six-fold increase compared to the previous year.
By early June, the outbreak had exploded far beyond Tanganyika. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported 29,392 suspected cholera cases and 620 deaths nationwide, making this the worst outbreak in the country in six years. Most alarmingly, children, especially those under five, are dying in disproportionate numbers due to weakened immune systems, chronic malnutrition, and an almost total collapse of access to clean water and sanitation in many areas.
A recent Instagram post from the WHO underscored the scale of response efforts: “To tackle the rise in #cholera cases & deaths in #DRCongo, WHO is mobilizing resources for the hardest-hit areas: emergency beds, free medical care, and deployment of over 7,000 community health workers.”
Cholera is an acute diarrheal infection caused by ingesting food or water contaminated with the Vibrio cholerae bacterium. It is entirely preventable and highly treatable. So why is it still killing hundreds in a single outbreak?
“The reason cholera has persisted is that we have not addressed poverty to the level that we should,” said Dr. Anita Zaidi, director of the Enteric and Diarrheal Diseases program at the Gates Foundation.
The answer lies not in the biology of the disease, but in the fragile reality of life in the eastern DRC. In provinces like Tanganyika, North Kivu, and South Kivu already scarred by decades of armed conflict, mass displacement, and collapsing infrastructure the cholera bacterium finds ideal conditions to spread.
A 2024 <a href="https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-025-22981-0">study</a> on cholera risk in Goma found that the lack of water infrastructure forced communities to rely on unsafe sources like Lake Kivu, the small Lake Vert, and the Mubambiro River, which are often contaminated with human waste.
In the most affected areas, only 20 percent of residents have access to safe drinking water. Healthcare infrastructure is threadbare, with limited beds, medicine, or trained personnel to handle waves of acute cases. Years of humanitarian funding cuts have only made the situation worse especially for women and children.
Between July 2024 and June 2025, nearly 4.5 million children under five are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition in the DRC, 1.4 million of whom are experiencing severe acute malnutrition. Cholera, which causes rapid dehydration and can be fatal within hours, is especially deadly in malnourished children. With their immune systems already compromised, even the smallest lapse in hydration or care can become fatal.
Still, field efforts are outpaced by the scale of the emergency. In 2017, the Global Task Force on Cholera Control (GTFCC) launched the “Ending Cholera: A Global Roadmap to 2030”, which aimed to eliminate the disease from 20 countries, including the DRC.
The strategy emphasized early detection, integrated prevention (clean water, sanitation, vaccination), and international coordination. But with only five years left before 2030, the roadmap’s vision is faltering in the DRC. In 2023, the DRC recommitted to cholera elimination, as documented by the WHO, but outbreaks have only worsened.
A Doctors Without Borders emergency response in Lomera, South Kivu, highlights the impact of unmanaged gold rushes, poor sanitation, and overburdened clinics creating a perfect storm for cholera transmission.
Efforts by the UN and NGOs have ramped up in recent months. Oral Cholera Vaccines (OCVs) are being deployed in hotspots. Emergency treatment centers are being established. Supplies are arriving, albeit slowly. But a true resolution requires structural investments in safe water infrastructure, consistent access to healthcare, and conflict stabilization.
More importantly, child-focused solutions must be prioritized. In a recent peer-reviewed article, Congolese researcher Aymar Akilimali called for dedicated pediatric cholera wards in eastern DRC, noting that most children have no access to tailored emergency care even during active outbreaks.
He also stated that “a community-based and multisectoral response must be implemented, including an anti cholera vaccination campaign, a budgeted response plan with involved partners, as well as the development of national cholera control plans, epidemiological surveillance, risk communication on cholera, community awareness, and social mobilization.”
The cholera outbreak in the DRC is not just a public health crisis; it is a humanitarian failure. It is a warning signal of what happens when decades of conflict, poverty, and weak governance go unaddressed. As 2030 approaches, the question isn’t whether we can end cholera, it’s whether we’re willing to invest in the lives of those most at risk of it.
IPS UN Bureau Report 
 
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<title>Man, Sea, Algae: HOMO SARGASSUM’s Stirring Critique of Human Culpability in the Caribbean</title>
<link>https://www.ipsnews.net/2025/07/man-sea-algae-homo-sargassums-stirring-critique-of-human-culpability-in-the-caribbean/</link>
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<pubDate>Mon, 14 Jul 2025 16:49:48 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Jennifer Xin-Tsu Lin Levine</dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[Active Citizens]]></category>
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<description><![CDATA[The United Nations’ HOMO SARGASSUM exhibition served as a public immersion into the marine world and called upon viewers to take action in the face of the climate crisis, specifically regarding invasive species and water pollution. For the past month, an art exhibition entitled HOMO SARGASSUM took up residence in the New York headquarters lobby in connection […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img width="300" height="196" src="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/homo-sargassum-300x196.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="“Plastic Ocean” by Alejandro Duràn, one of the artworks previously on display in the UN lobby. Credit: Jennifer Levine/IPS" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/homo-sargassum-300x196.jpg 300w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/homo-sargassum-768x502.jpg 768w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/homo-sargassum-629x411.jpg 629w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/homo-sargassum.jpg 774w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />“Plastic Ocean” by Alejandro Duràn, one of the artworks previously on display in the UN lobby. Credit: Jennifer Levine/IPSBy Jennifer Xin-Tsu Lin Levine UNITED NATIONS, Jul 14 2025 (IPS) The United Nations’ HOMO SARGASSUM exhibition served as a public immersion into the marine world and called upon viewers to take action in the face of the climate crisis, specifically regarding invasive species and water pollution.
For the past month, an art exhibition entitled HOMO SARGASSUM took up residence in the New York headquarters lobby in connection to World Ocean Month and the 2025 UN Ocean Conference. Organized by the Tout-Monde Art Foundation. In its final week on display, visitors walked through the various projected films, sculptures and photographs. The exhibit closed on July 11. 
The work is described as an immersive multisensorial art and science exhibition intended to bring together various experts in science, scholarship and creativity from the Caribbean to share their perspectives on the prevalent environmental and social issue. The exhibit is primarily an introspective study of sargassum, a type of seaweed or algae commonly found on the coast of the Americas and in the Caribbean.
Sargassum, which has <a href="https://eos.org/articles/have-we-finally-found-the-source-of-the-sargassum-surge">proliferated</a> significantly in recent years due to pollution and chemical fertilizer, releases toxic gases that harm nearby residents in water and on land. Animals struggle to survive, and humans experience respiratory failures and burns. This algae has inspired fear since Christopher Columbus <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-sargasso-sea-62459984/">recorded</a> his crew’s sighting of the plant. Sargassum has also become a symbol recently for climate change in the Caribbean as well as the coexisting nature of marine and human life.
Co-curator and executive and artistic director of the Tout-Monde Art Foundation Vanessa Selk described the exhibit as a journey rather than a singular experience. She said, “Much like sargassum migrating through the Atlantic Ocean, we encounter natural and human-made challenges such as pandemics, pollutants and hurricanes. This narrative of the global ecological crisis, reflected in silent floating algae, warns us to change our existing paradigms and consider ourselves as one with our environment.”
Billy Gerard Frank, one of the featured artists in HOMO SARGASSUM, echoes this sentiment.
Frank created a mixed-media piece entitled “Poetics of Relation and Entanglement” with a painting featuring Columbus’ archival notes and sargassum pigment, as well as a film he shot on the island of Carriacou. The film centered on a large metal tank surrounded by sargassum, which had washed on shore and rusted onto the massive object. He specifically shot the film around the sargassum and the tank, an eyesore for the locals who used the beach and a barrier to boats trying to leave. Growing up in Grenada, Frank recalls sargassum as a mild inconvenience but explained how it has become more prevalent due to climate change.
However, only in recent years has conversation around sargassum <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0141113623002957">shifted</a> towards the impact of climate change and geographical inequities, like, as Frank noted, how smaller islands that produce significantly lower levels of pollution are the worst affected by climate change through natural disasters.
He referenced the recent Hurricane Beryl, a <a href="https://www.climate.gov/news-features/event-tracker/category-5-hurricane-beryl-makes-explosive-start-2024-atlantic-season">Category 5</a> storm that “completely devastated” islands like Carriacou. His inclusion of Columbus’ notes brings a decolonial perspective: the threats Caribbean islands face from mounting climate change are exacerbated by their history of occupation, mostly from European colonial powers. In a global organization like the UN where historical, geographical and environmental context is key to making any decision, such an interdisciplinary perspective is key.
From countless gifts from member states to various donations, the UN has been an artistic hub since its inception. As both a tourist attraction and space of work for international diplomats, the UN is a particularly ripe space for more radical, political art—notably Guernica, a tapestry based on a Picasso painting portraying the Spanish Civil War—due to its broad audience.
Speaking to IPS, Frank shared how influential art has been in political, social and intellectual movements, saying, “historically…creators, writers, and artists have been able to forge ahead and create new spaces…it gives us some hope that our work and the calling are even more important.”
Frank also told IPS how important it was for him to have the work featured at the UN.
“Because the UN is also a site of consternation right now, specifically with everything that’s happening globally. And in fact, that’s the space where this type of work should be, where there should be more conversation, and a space in which it could create a critical dialogue amongst people who work there, but also the public facing that too.”
IPS UN Bureau Report
 
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<title>Can the Cali Fund Deliver on Its Billion-Dollar Biodiversity Pledge?</title>
<link>https://www.ipsnews.net/2025/07/can-the-cali-fund-deliver-on-its-billion-dollar-biodiversity-pledge/</link>
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<pubDate>Mon, 14 Jul 2025 10:04:10 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Stella Paul</dc:creator>
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<description><![CDATA[When the Cali Fund was unveiled in February on the sidelines of COP16.2 in Rome, the announcement sent ripples through the global conservation community. For the first time ever, companies that profit from digital sequence information (DSI)—the digitized genetic material of plants, animals, and microorganisms—will be expected to pay into a multilateral fund to protect […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img width="300" height="225" src="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/IMG_6459-300x225.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="A garden of medicinal plants in Cali, Columbia. The Cali Fund, unveiled earlier this year, will ensure that companies that profit from digital sequencing will pay into a fund to protect biodiversity. Credit: Stella Paul/IPS" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/IMG_6459-300x225.jpg 300w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/IMG_6459-200x149.jpg 200w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/IMG_6459.jpg 630w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />A garden of medicinal plants in Cali, Columbia. The Cali Fund, unveiled earlier this year, will ensure that companies that profit from digital sequencing will pay into a fund to protect biodiversity. Credit: Stella Paul/IPSBy Stella Paul HYDERABAD, India, Jul 14 2025 (IPS) When the Cali Fund was unveiled in February on the sidelines of COP16.2 in Rome, the announcement sent ripples through the global conservation community. For the first time ever, companies that profit from digital sequence information (DSI)—the digitized genetic material of plants, animals, and microorganisms—will be expected to pay into a multilateral fund to protect the very biodiversity they benefit from.
The Fund, estimated to mobilize USD 1 billion a year, was immediately hailed as a historic breakthrough. Half of the money is earmarked for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs)—especially women and youth—in recognition of their role as stewards of the world’s genetic resources. 
But three months in, as the launch celebration fades, hard questions begin to emerge: Will corporations pay voluntarily? Will money reach those who need it most? And can a fund that is built on goodwill deliver real-world impact fast enough?
How the Fund Was Born: From Cali to Rome
The <a href="https://www.cbd.int/article/cali-fund-launch-2025">Cali Fund</a> was born out of Decision 16/2 at COP16 in Cali, Colombia, under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Until now, companies could freely access and commercialize digital genetic data without any obligation to share their profits with the countries or communities the data came from.
The <a href="https://www.cbd.int/notifications/2025-043">Fund</a> seeks to end that free ride. With the UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office serving as the administrator and with backing from UNEP, UNDP, and the CBD Secretariat, the Cali Fund promises strong institutional muscle. Its governance structure includes governments, UN agencies, and representatives from IPLCs—making it a test case for embedding justice into the global bioeconomy.
What the Cali Fund Pledges
New money for nature: About USD 1 billion a year from the private sector, not governments or traditional donors.
Corporate accountability: Businesses using DSI are expected to contribute 1 percent of profits or 0.1 percent of revenue.
Justice for IPLCs: A guaranteed 50 percent of funds goes directly to Indigenous and local communities.
Scientific and digital infrastructure: Resources will build DSI capacity, support biodiversity strategies, and close digital divides—especially in the Global South.
A Billion-Dollar Question: Will Companies Pay?
Despite the optimism, serious concerns are rising about its viability even as the Fund’s foundations are still being laid.
First, corporate contributions are voluntary, and there’s no mechanism to enforce them. Sectors like pharma, biotech, cosmetics, and synthetic biology rely heavily on DSI—but many don’t even track their usage. Expanding the Fund’s reach beyond willing participants could provoke resistance unless countries impose stronger regulations.
“The Secretariat continues to engage with business to ensure that intentions to contribute translate into actual payments,” CBD Executive Secretary Astrid Schomaker tells IPS News.
Accountability is another major issue. While the Fund pledges participatory governance, the specifics of auditing, public reporting, and oversight are still vague.
The Realities Behind the Rhetoric
The figure of USD 1 billion is impressive—but it’s not legally binding. Without transparency and enforcement, there’s a risk companies could treat the Fund as a PR checkbox rather than a true commitment.
“It’s crucial that disbursements align with the self-identified needs of IPLCs,” Schomaker says. “That’s the responsibility of the Steering Committee.”
The steering committee that Schomaker refers to was formed in April with 28-members representing National Focal Points, representatives of indigenous peoples and local communities, the scientific community and the private sector. The Steering Committee is expected to meet twice in 2025, once virtually during the second quarter of the year and once in person later in the year. Two meetings are expected in 2026.
But critics argue that’s not enough. Without robust systems for tracking DSI use, collecting dues, and allocating funds, the Cali Fund could become yet another initiative that sounds good but achieves little.
India: A Biodiversity Giant Watching Closely
India—one of the most biodiverse countries and a rising player in the DSI economy—is watching the Cali Fund closely.
“If the Fund is equitably governed and recognizes India as a priority beneficiary, it could support our protected areas, community conservation, and biodiversity research,” says Achalendra Reddy, Chair of India’s Biodiversity Board.
However, Reddy flags that for the Fund to truly benefit countries like India, three things are essential: 1) Transparent allocation mechanisms to ensure funds reach national and local actors; 2) Support for locally led efforts, not top-down programs; and 3) Complementarity, so the Fund adds to—rather than replaces—existing domestic and international investments.
If done right, the Fund could help plug chronic funding gaps and scale up conservation across India and the Global South.
Mrinalini Rai is the head of an advocacy organization that coordinates the CBD Women’s Caucus, a coalition of 300–500 women’s and indigenous rights groups that work to integrate gender equality into the CBD and related international agreements.
Speaking to IPS, Rai appears to agree with Reddy: “The launch of the Cali Fund is a promising step towards addressing that gap. However, for it to be truly transformative, the fund must be accessible, inclusive, and responsive to the realities of women biodiversity champions and defenders—especially those from Indigenous Peoples and local communities. Transparent processes, flexible funding, and dedicated support for capacity strengthening will be key to overcoming historic barriers and ensuring that no one is left behind, she says.
Speed vs. Sustainability: A Cautionary Note
Experts warn that rushing the Fund’s implementation could undermine its long-term credibility. “Genetic resources are national assets. So is DSI,” says Nithin Ramakrishnan, a DSI policy researcher with India’s Center for Public Policy Research.
“CBD and its member states must prioritize sustainability over speed and avoid reducing benefit-sharing to just a financial transaction,” he says, cautioning against letting corporations dictate biodiversity governance. “If countries are made responsible for reporting DSI usage to companies, we risk placing corporate interests above sovereign conservation agendas,” he adds.
Why the Cali Fund Still Matters
Despite its growing pains, the Cali Fund represents a paradigm shift. For the first time, the global community is acknowledging that genetic information has monetary value—and that value must be shared equitably, not extracted and hoarded.
As Vishaish Uppal—Governance, Law and Policy Director at WW India—notes, the Cali Fund “speaks to the third, often overlooked, pillar of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity: benefit-sharing.”
That matters deeply in today’s context of digital colonialism, where genetic data is extracted from the Global South and monetized in the Global North—leaving Indigenous and local communities out of the loop.
IPS UN Bureau Report
 
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<title>The Risks Artificial Intelligence Pose for the Global South</title>
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<pubDate>Mon, 14 Jul 2025 07:06:57 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Naomi Myint Breuer</dc:creator>
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<description><![CDATA[Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly developing and leaving its mark across the globe. Yet the implementation of AI risks widening the gap between the Global North and South. It is projected that the AI market’s global revenue will increase by 19.6 percent each year. By 2030, AI could contribute USD 15.7 trillion to the global […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img width="300" height="200" src="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/AI-story-photo-300x200.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="UN Secretary General António Guterres addresses the session “Strengthening multilateralism, economic - financial affairs and artificial intelligence” on July 6 at the 17th summit of BRICS in Rio de Janeiro. For the first time ever, artificial intelligence was a major topic of concern at the BRICS summit. Credit: UN Photo/Ana Carolina Fernandes" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/AI-story-photo-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/AI-story-photo.jpg 630w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />UN Secretary General António Guterres addresses the session “Strengthening multilateralism, economic - financial affairs and artificial intelligence” on July 6 at the 17th summit of BRICS in Rio de Janeiro. For the first time ever, artificial intelligence was a major topic of concern at the BRICS summit. Credit: UN Photo/Ana Carolina FernandesBy Naomi Myint Breuer UNITED NATIONS, Jul 14 2025 (IPS) Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly developing and leaving its mark across the globe. Yet the implementation of AI risks widening the gap between the Global North and South.
It is projected that the AI market’s global revenue will <a href="https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/6305e5d52c28356b4fe71bac/64a5cc95611532c10c1adcfb_Holistic-AI-E-book-The-State-of-Global-AI-Regulation-in-2023-Compressed.pdf">increase</a> by 19.6 percent each year. By 2030, AI could <a href="https://www.weforum.org/stories/2023/01/davos23-ai-divide-global-north-global-south/">contribute</a> USD 15.7 trillion to the global economy. However, the increases to nations’ GDP will be unequally dispersed, with North America and China experiencing the most gains while the Global South gains far less.
The risks of AI to the Global South
Due to smaller capacities to fund research, development and implementation, fewer countries in the Global South are adopting AI technology. Access to affordable AI compute to train AI models is one of the AI field’s greatest barriers to entry in the Global South, according to the 2024 UN <a href="https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/governing_ai_for_humanity_final_report_en.pdf">report,</a> “Governing AI for Humanity.”
Further, AI is designed to create profitable market extraction that does not benefit the global majority, according to Vilas Dhar, President and Trustee of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation. As countries in the Global North are AI’s primary investors, it is being developed to address their needs.
“The result is a quiet erosion of political and economic autonomy,” he said. “Without deliberate intervention, AI risks becoming a mechanism for reinforcing historical patterns of exploitation through technical means. It also risks losing the incredible value of diverse, globally minded inputs into designing our collective AI future.”
Across the world, people risk losing their jobs to AI, but many countries in the Global South are reliant on <a href="https://networkreadinessindex.org/artificial-intelligence-in-the-global-south/">labor intensive industries</a>, and AI poses a greater threat to increasing unemployment and poverty. Particularly children, women, youths, people with disabilities, older workers, creatives and people with jobs susceptible to automation are at risk.
According to <a href="https://www.project-syndicate.org/magazine/artificial-intelligence-in-developing-countries-by-daron-acemoglu-2020-04">Daron Acemoglu</a>, professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, labor-replacing AI poses a greater threat to workers in the developing world, as capital-intensive technology may not be useful in these nations where oftentimes capital is scarce and labor is abundant and cheap. Technology that prioritizes labor-intensive production is better suited to their comparative advantage.
“Because advanced economies have no reason to invest in such labor-intensive technologies, the trajectory of technological change will increasingly disfavor poor countries,” he said.
If these trends continue, these nations will experience increased unemployment and fall behind in the deployment of capital-intensive AI, due to limited financial resources and digital skill sets. More AI policies and guidelines, as well as education on data privacy and algorithmic bias, could assist in reducing this inequality.
Evidently, AI threatens to widen the gap between the Global North and South, as AI capacities are consolidated within a small group of institutions and regions. In Dhar’s view, AI will need to be designed to serve people and problems rather than be focused on profit maximization.
“If left unaddressed, this imbalance will cement a way of thinking about the world that mirrors the development of the Internet or social media – a process we do not want to replicate,” Dhar said.
Opportunities of the new technology
But the development of AI also poses opportunities for the Global South.
AI could design context-specific systems for local areas in the Global South that are not just based on the Global North, according to Dhar. “It can unlock new models of inclusion and resilience,” he said.
For example, AI could aid farmers in decision-making by informing them of weather and drought predictions using geospatial intelligence, as well as of marketing price information. AI could also help train farmers and other producers. It can also be used to improve education and healthcare in nations where these are major issues harming their populations and stunting development.
Acemoglu said that AI should be developed to complement rather than replace human labor for these benefits to become possible. “That will require forward-looking leadership on the part of policymakers,” he said.
AI in conflict
AI is also starting to make an appearance in conflict. In Ukraine, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/02/technology/ukraine-war-ai-weapons.html">autonomous drones</a> are being used, which are capable of tracking and engaging enemies, as well as <a href="https://www.eurasiantimes.com/ukraine-unleashes-british-robot-dogs/">BAD.2 model robot dogs</a>, which are ground drones that can survey areas for enemies. Autonomous machine guns are also used, in which AI helps spot and target enemies.
The use of AI in conflict poses an ethical dilemma. AI could protect human lives on one side of the conflict but pose a great threat to the lives on the other end of the battlefield. This also raises the question of whether AI should be given the power to engage in harm.
But perhaps the use of AI can reduce the number of people engaging in conflicts harming developing countries and move these people to other sectors where they can realize more potential and aid their country’s economic development.
What international frameworks should do
Clear international frameworks must be established to prevent a rise in inequality and a greater gap between the Global North and South.
For the first time ever, AI was a major topic of discussion at the 17th BRICS summit, which serves as a coordination forum for nations from the Global South, in Rio de Janeiro. BRICS member countries signed the Leaders’ Declaration on Global Governance of Artificial Intelligence, which presents guidelines to ensure AI is developed and used responsibly to advance sustainability and inclusive growth.
The declaration called on members of the UN to promote including emerging markets and developing countries (EMDCs) and the Global South in decision-making regarding AI.
“New technologies must operate under a governance model that is fair, inclusive, and equitable. The development of AI must not become a privilege for a handful of countries, nor a tool of manipulation in the hands of millionaires,” Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said at the summit.
However, the UN report “Governing AI for Humanity” <a href="https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/governing_ai_for_humanity_final_report_en.pdf">found</a> that 118 countries, most of which are in the Global South, were not part of a sample of non-UN AI governance initiatives, while seven countries, all of which are in the Global North, were included in all initiatives.
According to Dhar, global governance must create a more equitable distribution of power that entails sharing ownership and embedding the Global South at every level of institutions, agreements and investments, rather than simply for consultation. These nations must also be aided in building capacity, sharing infrastructure, scientific discovery and participation in creating global frameworks, he said.
In his remarks at the BRICS summit, UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his concern over the weaponization of AI and stressed the importance of AI governance that is focused on equity. He said in order for this to be done, the current “multipolar world” must be addressed.
“We cannot govern AI effectively—and fairly—without confronting deeper, structural imbalances in our global system,” Guterres said.
Dhar emphasized that the inclusion of every person in the conversation on AI is crucial to creating legitimate global technological governance.
The future of AI is being negotiated with immediacy and urgency,” Dhar said. “Whether it becomes a force for collective progress or a new vector for inequality depends on who is empowered to shape it.”
IPS UN Bureau Report
 
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<title>NATO’s Trillion-dollar Gamble: The Dangers of Defence Without Accountability</title>
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<pubDate>Mon, 14 Jul 2025 04:55:10 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Samuel King and Ines M Pousadela</dc:creator>
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<description><![CDATA[Donald Trump’s bullying tactics ahead of NATO’s annual summit, held in The Hague in June, worked spectacularly. By threatening to redefine NATO’s article 5 – the collective defence provision that has anchored western security since 1949 – Trump won commitments from NATO allies to almost triple their defence spending to five per cent of GDP […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img width="300" height="200" src="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Piroschka-Van-De-Wouw-300x200.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Piroschka-Van-De-Wouw-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Piroschka-Van-De-Wouw.jpg 569w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Credit: Piroschka Van De Wouw/Reuters via Gallo ImagesBy Samuel King and Inés M. Pousadela BRUSSELS, Belgium / MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, Jul 14 2025 (IPS) Donald Trump’s bullying tactics ahead of NATO’s <a href="https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/235800.htm" target="_blank">annual summit</a>, held in The Hague in June, worked spectacularly. By threatening to <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/donald-trump-nato-summit-sidesteps-article-5-mark-rutte-eu-defense-budget-russia-vladimir-putin-iran-israel-strikes-qatar/" target="_blank">redefine</a> NATO’s <a href="https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_110496.htm" target="_blank">article 5</a> – the collective defence provision that has anchored western security since 1949 – Trump won <a href="https://www.euractiv.com/section/defence/news/rutte-says-nato-allies-ready-for-big-jump-in-defence-spending-commitments/" target="_blank">commitments</a> from NATO allies to almost triple their defence spending to five per cent of GDP by 2035. European defence budgets will <a href="https://www.euractiv.com/section/defence/news/rutte-says-nato-allies-ready-for-big-jump-in-defence-spending-commitments/" target="_blank">balloon</a> from around US$500 billion to over US$1 trillion annually, essentially matching US spending levels.

This is a staggering shift. Some NATO members currently spend around 1.2 per cent of GDP on traditional defence items, making the leap to five per cent an extraordinary proposition. The UK alone is <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jun/25/the-guardian-view-on-the-nato-summit-europe-must-take-the-path-of-strategic-self-reliance" target="_blank">earmarking</a> US$1.3 billion to restore tactical nuclear capabilities, while the European Union (EU) has approved a US$176 billion fund for joint defence projects. Member states will even be allowed to breach normal <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/what-is-natos-new-5-defence-spending-target-2025-06-23/#:~:text=But%20NATO%20countries%20spent%20over,amounted%20to%20some%20%241.75%20trillion." target="_blank">debt limits</a> without penalty – a clear signal that defence spending now trumps all other priorities.
At a time when people across NATO countries struggle with living costs and feel public services have been cut to the bone, this <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/6/25/nato-countries-budgets-compared-defence-vs-healthcare-and-education" target="_blank">remilitarisation</a> threatens deeper economic insecurity. More military spending may mean less for education, healthcare and programmes supporting those most in need. The UK has already <a href="https://www.bond.org.uk/news/2025/06/the-comprehensive-spending-review-a-disappointing-conclusion-for-uk-oda-after-months-of-speculation/" target="_blank">announced cuts</a> to international aid, which a few years ago stood at 0.7 per cent of gross national income, to 0.3 per cent by 2027 to pay for defence, and other countries are following suit. The upshot will be a massive transfer of income from the world’s poorest people to politically powerful defence corporations, mostly based in the USA.
A further alarming aspect of NATO’s spending surge is what it lacks: meaningful transparency requirements or standardised oversight mechanisms. Defence procurement typically <a href="https://euobserver.com/eu-and-the-world/arc912f2e5" target="_blank">operates behind closed doors</a>, so normal accountability rules don’t apply. Decisions are shrouded in secrecy, complex international supply chains make oversight harder and industry-government relationships blur ethical lines. The revolving door between officials and contractors compromises independent decision-making, while national security provides convenient cover for decisions that might not withstand public scrutiny.
Rapid spending increases will exacerbate these accountability problems. The <a href="https://euobserver.com/eu-and-the-world/arc912f2e5" target="_blank">pandemic</a> showed that sudden shifts in state spending are rarely transparent and provide opportunities for corruption. As governments <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jun/25/the-guardian-view-on-the-nato-summit-europe-must-take-the-path-of-strategic-self-reliance" target="_blank">race</a> to meet deadlines and pressure from Trump mounts to show immediate results, expedited procurement processes are likely to bypass normal checks and balances.
History offers sobering lessons. In Afghanistan, billions supposed to develop local defence capacity disappeared into ghost projects and phantom battalions. <a href="https://shs.cairn.info/revue-confluences-mediterranee-2024-2-page-125?lang=en" target="_blank">Corruption</a> undermined military effectiveness by producing substandard equipment and compromising logistics networks, helping enable the Taliban’s <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/8/14/taliban-celebrates-three-years-of-return-to-power-in-afghanistan" target="_blank">rapid return to power</a>. Ukraine’s <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20241114-corruption-overshadows-ukraine-s-multi-billion-reconstruction-progam" target="_blank">experience</a> provides another cautionary tale—despite intense international scrutiny since Russia’s invasion, it took years to root out <a href="https://ti-defence.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Corruption-as-a-threat-to-peace-and-security.pdf" target="_blank">corrupt networks</a> that had captured large portions of the defence budget.
Meanwhile, Russia has spent decades <a href="https://ti-defence.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Corruption-as-a-threat-to-peace-and-security.pdf" target="_blank">honing</a> its malign influence operations, using cash and networks of cronies to hollow out democratic processes in western states, including many NATO members. A defence spending boom with no accountability safeguards risks creating fresh vulnerabilities authoritarian states and organised criminal groups can exploit.
The solution is to democratise defence spending. Recent <a href="https://www.govtransparency.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/State-Capture-Policy-2020.pdf" target="_blank">research</a> on EU defence procurement reveals that more transparent military contracting consistently produces lower corruption levels. Countries with greater transparency spend money more efficiently, with fewer cost overruns and higher-quality equipment.
One of the most <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/03/arms-transfers-are-not-human-rights-free-zone-un-report" target="_blank">glaring gaps</a> in NATO’s current approach is the absence of civil society from defence governance. Other government ministries routinely consult with civil society, but defence ministries make major spending decisions with minimal input from those who can ensure choices reflect real human security needs and democratic values.
Civil society organisations bring crucial capabilities governments often lack: the independence to ask difficult questions, the expertise to spot red flags in complex contracts and the persistence to follow money trails to politically sensitive destinations. Security encompasses <a href="https://lens.civicus.org/interview/expanding-defence-spending-without-proper-accountability-could-weaken-rather-than-strengthen-security/" target="_blank">more than troops and weapons</a> – it includes building institutional resilience, defusing disinformation and strengthening democratic systems against attack, areas where civil society has much to contribute.
Effective oversight doesn’t mean revealing sensitive operational details or compromising security. It requires tracking financial flows, monitoring contractor performance and ensuring competitive bidding processes. Civil society groups have repeatedly demonstrated they can investigate defence spending without endangering national security.
Before the money starts flowing, NATO should establish a defence procurement transparency initiative that sets baseline <a href="https://lens.civicus.org/interview/expanding-defence-spending-without-proper-accountability-could-weaken-rather-than-strengthen-security/" target="_blank">standards</a> for member states. This should include requirements for public disclosure of contract values and vendor selection criteria, covering procurement, exports, offset agreements and spending on AI, cyber capabilities and research and development. National parliaments must be empowered to scrutinise decisions, independent oversight bodies should be adequately resourced to follow the money and both should draw on civil society expertise.
Civil society needs to be protected and allowed access to monitor defence spending flows, and whistleblower protections for defence sector employees should be strengthened. As civil society organisations worldwide endure funding cuts, including because of the Trump administration’s <a href="https://lens.civicus.org/trump-and-musk-take-the-chainsaw-to-global-civil-society/" target="_blank">evisceration of aid spending</a>, any increase in defence spending mustn’t come at the cost of democracy and human rights.
NATO’s credibility, and ultimately its security, depends on reconciling human security with respect for democratic values. That will only be achieved if civil society is able to play its role.
Samuel King is a researcher with the Horizon Europe-funded research project <a href="https://www.ensuredeurope.eu/" target="_blank">ENSURED: Shaping Cooperation for a World in Transition</a> at CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, and Inés M. Pousadela is CIVICUS Senior Research Specialist, writer at <a href="https://lens.civicus.org/" target="_blank">CIVICUS Lens</a> and co-author of the <a href="https://publications.civicus.org/publications/2025-state-of-civil-society-report/" target="_blank">State of Civil Society Report</a>.
For interviews or more information, please contact <a href="mailto:research@civicus.org" target="_blank">research@civicus.org</a>
 
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<title>#KeepHopeAlive Through Education</title>
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<pubDate>Mon, 14 Jul 2025 04:23:10 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Yasmine Sherif</dc:creator>
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<description><![CDATA[International Day of Hope Statement by Education Cannot Wait Executive Director Yasmine Sherif]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img width="300" height="169" src="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/image003___630-300x169.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/image003___630-300x169.jpg 300w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/image003___630.jpg 630w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />By Yasmine Sherif NEW YORK, Jul 14 2025 (IPS-Partners) On the first <a href="https://educationcannotwait.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6baddf6a91b194dcd2e82ac11&id=dd23b76fe1&e=9415dd8371" target="_blank">International Day of Hope</a>, we are all responsible to #KeepHopeAlive for the children impacted by the world’s most severe humanitarian crises. Perhaps the strongest responsibilities lie with those entrusted to lead the world and make the right moral and legal choices. This is especially so today, when we have led the world into an abyss of excruciating pain for nearly a quarter of a billion innocent children now suffering brutal conflicts and violence, forced displacement and punishing climate disasters – without quality education.

Now is the time for genuine empathy and profound maturity among all of us who were privileged to access quality education. We are all connected, and we are all responsible for the young generation. We must serve as role models and pave the way for a better future. 
Our investment in their education is an investment in peace, an investment in sustainable development, an investment in economic prosperity, and an investment in the unique potential of the world’s children and youth. Just like we once enjoyed such investment or made such investment in our own children. 
Our world is changing fast. Across the globe – in Gaza, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ukraine, Sudan and beyond – children and adolescents have no access to education and are losing hope. To make matters worse, we have a compounding climate crisis directly impacting the education and lifelong trajectories of every girl and boy on Earth. 
To keep hope alive, Education Cannot Wait (<a href="https://educationcannotwait.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6baddf6a91b194dcd2e82ac11&id=e2f69fb558&e=9415dd8371" target="_blank">ECW</a>) and our global strategic partners go full force together to make whatever difference we can make in the life of each child we meet, providing them with safe, quality education that brings them hope, builds self-reliance and an ability to survive and thrive with dignity. 
As we actively embrace the <a href="https://educationcannotwait.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6baddf6a91b194dcd2e82ac11&id=2c6bb2e04e&e=9415dd8371" target="_blank">UN80 Initiative</a>, we all must work together, comply with the UN Charter and stand by the promises made in 1945. By working together, we can and must ensure that every child and adolescent calling for help to reclaim hope is heard. We cannot turn a deaf ear to their desperate cries. 
By investing in their potentials and by recognizing their extraordinary resilience, quality education will change their lives and their entire world view. This is the time to #KeepHopeAlive and not turn away as their hopes crumble. They live through darkness. We must kindle their light.
 
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Excerpt: International Day of Hope Statement by Education Cannot Wait Executive Director Yasmine Sherif]]></content:encoded>
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<title>Will the FfD4 Sevilla Commitment Ever be Followed up?</title>
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<pubDate>Mon, 14 Jul 2025 04:04:33 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Simone Galimberti</dc:creator>
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<description><![CDATA[The extensive plan of action adopted at the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), held recently in Sevilla, Spain (30 June – 3 July), triggers the question: Where will the money come from? When I hear of mind-blogging figures of money needed to tackle the most daunting challenges humanity faces, I always ask […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img width="300" height="125" src="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/FFD4_LOGO_E-400x166__-300x125.png" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/FFD4_LOGO_E-400x166__-300x125.png 300w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/FFD4_LOGO_E-400x166__.png 400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />By Simone Galimberti KATHMANDU, Nepal, Jul 14 2025 (IPS) The extensive plan of action adopted at the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), held recently in Sevilla, Spain (30 June – 3 July), triggers the question: Where will the money come from?

When I hear of mind-blogging figures of money needed to tackle the most daunting challenges humanity faces, I always ask myself how these resources will materialize. 
Developing nations are saddled with debts whose serving is getting more and more onerous. Developed nations are entangled in a dangerous geopolitical downward spiral that is pushing them to invest enormous amounts in defense at the expense of global justice. 
Meanwhile climate finance alone is going to be in the surround of trillions American dollars. In addition the recently World Bank published <a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/global-economic-prospects" target="_blank">Global Economic Outlook</a> provides another dismal forecast for the days to come.
“Global growth is slowing due to a substantial rise in trade barriers and the pervasive effects of an uncertain global policy environment. Growth is expected to weaken to 2.3 percent in 2025, with deceleration in most economies relative to last year. This would mark the slowest rate of global growth since 2008, aside from outright global recessions”.
This is the bedrock based on which the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development was recently held in Sevilla. 
The final outcome of the Conference, the <a href="https://financing.desa.un.org/sites/default/files/ffd4-documents/2025/Compromiso de Sevilla for action 16 June.pdf" target="_blank">Sevilla Commitment</a> is an extensive plan of actions with potentially groundbreaking measures that could truly support developing nations. 
Yet as often happens with such documents, we should ask ourselves how this pledge will be upheld and implemented, especially the ones launched during the conference through the <a href="https://financing.desa.un.org/sites/default/files/ffd4-documents/2025/FFD4 SEVILLA PLATFORM FOR ACTION INITIATIVES_Full List.pdf" target="_blank">FFD4 Sevilla Platform for Action Initiatives</a>. 
The onus is going to be equally on both sides of the equation. 
A Universal Peer Review to track the financial commitments of developed nations might be what is needed. 
Will developed nations really be serious about raising their developed aid, mobilize the regional and international multilateral financial institutions that they control while being serious at finding ways to relieve developing nations of parts of their debts? 
Even more crucially, with the stakes so high and the overall economic situation in such a distressful mode, will developed nations muster the courage to truly reform the international financial system? 
On the other hand, will developed nations be committed and determined to root out corruption and malpractices in governance? 
How will these nations be able to raise their taxation basis and undertake policy making actions transparently and inclusively? 
The Sevilla Commitment does offer a broad framework to raise trillions of dollars to achieve the SDGs, including resources for climate and biodiversity actions.
This is an important aspect of the document that cannot go underestimated. 
The document provides, at least in principle, a vision to do away, in matters of financing, with artificial and inefficient silos that the international aid system has created.
Paragraph 8 is key to this ambitious effort.
“National development efforts need to be supported by an enabling international economic environment and effective means of implementation that promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, and prevent external shocks from disproportionately affecting developing countries. We commit to align international support with national strategies, plans and frameworks, such as Integrated National Financing Frameworks (INFFs), and will respect each country’s policy space to pursue sustainable development while remaining consistent with relevant international rules and commitments”.
Annalisa Prizzon, an economist and Principal Research Fellow in the Development and Public Finance Programme at ODI, one of the most renowned development think tanks <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGRE9uTsfzE" target="_blank">offered</a> a clear insight.
“We should focus on “how much but also on how financing for development is delivered and reinvigorate the discussions on what makes cooperation for development effective”.
The <a href="https://financing.desa.un.org/ICE/home" target="_blank">International Commission of Experts on Financing for Development (FFD4)</a> led by José Antonio Ocampo, a former Minister of Finance and Public Credit of Colombia that also included Prizzon, in its <a href="https://financing.desa.un.org/sites/default/files/2025-02/Key Proposals of the International Commission of Experts on FFD 1.pdf" target="_blank">report</a> released in February 2025, there is a proposal of creating a UN Global Economic Coordination Council.
The fact that the whole UN system is under immense pressure of restructuring itself in order to be more of value for money should not imply that it cannot still play an important role.
In a much different way, the UN should especially strengthen its convening and coordination powers among its members. 
Yet I found it baffling that the whole text of the Sevilla Commitment does not contain any reference to the concept of “SDGs Stimulus” that have been championed for long by the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Instead, it was less surprising that in Seville there was a lot of focus on the role of the private sector and blended capitals. 
Now there is an overwhelming consensus that public financing cannot do the job alone and finding private resources, often by leveraging complex and abstruse financial mechanisms that only equity investors seem to comprehend, is seen as a must. 
While it is certainly true that Multilateral Development Banks can be much more effective at increasing their landing capacities and also incentivizing the mobilization of private capitals, the biggest challenges faced by humanity cannot be tackled through shortcuts. 
And centering the international finance for development on private capitals rather than public money in the forms of grants or concessional loans with minimal interests and a lot of flexibility on the receiving nations, developed countries are taking a very convenient route that helps them dodging their moral responsibilities.
At G7 held in Alberta, Canada, it was decided that <a href="https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/g7-caved-to-us-on-global-minimum-corporate-tax-by-joseph-e-stiglitz-et-al-2025-06?a_la=english&a_d=68629c3e786f9b5662e809e4&a_m=&a_a=click&a_s=&a_p=%2Fcommentary%2Fdevelopment-finance-institutions-must-sponsor-commercial-ventures-by-leslie-maasdorp-and-hans-peter-lankes-2025-04&a_li=g7-caved-to-us-on-global-minimum-corporate-tax-by-joseph-e-stiglitz-et-al-2025-06&a_pa=article-body&a_ps=main-article-a3&a_ms=&a_r=" target="_blank">American multinationals would be exempted</a> from the global minimum taxation regime that was agreed in 2021.
While this decision might hit more the revenues of European governments where many American companies operate, it is a troubling signal. If big chunks of the international finance framework are outsourced and handed out to the private sector, then the international community is abdicating from its moral duties. 
The same dynamics is also unfolding in matter of climate negotiations. In the recent held <a href="https://unfccc.int/sb62" target="_blank">Bonn Climate Talks</a>, officially the SB 62 held in the former capital of Western Germany (16 Jun – 26 Jun), even if financing was not a central topic on the official agenda, it was impossible avoid it. 
Developed nations are pushing for a major role of private funding while also, quite correctly, demanding that nations like China and the Gulf Countries step up with new commitments. 
In this context, developing nations must be more assertive with a “Show Me the Money” attitude when dealing with developed nations. The former might have some bargaining chips in the form of rare earth materials that the West is so desperately in need of.
Forums like the G20, where developing and developed nations come together, offer a platform to push for changes. There are also now plenty of serious proposals to change the status quo. 
On the top of the Sevilla Commitment, the same International Commission of Experts on Finance for Development has come up with a holistic array of proposals that, with political will, can make the difference. 
The same can be said with the recently launched “<a href="https://ipdcolumbia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Press-Release_ENG_FOR-ONLINE-vf-1.pdf" target="_blank">The Jubilee Report: A Blueprint for Tackling the Debt and Development Crises and Creating the Financial Foundations for a Sustainable People-Centered Global Economy</a>”, an initiative of the Vatican based Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences and Columbia University’s Initiative for Policy Dialogue.
Yet even if the flow of development finance from the private sector is tempered and controlled and a new governance system is created, we need some new forms of accountability.
What about a Universal Peer Review, UPR for development finance that could be devised while re-thinking the Post 2030 Development Agenda? 
Borrowing from the UPR model in place in the Human Rights Council, such an accountability system could be the only hope to pressurize developed nations to hold to their promises. 
As the international community will soon start discussing what will happen to the Agenda 2030 and the SDGs, we need some strongest mechanisms to hold nations answerable to their pledges. 
While this is itself far from being a perfect mechanism (after all there are is no way of punishing or sanctioning the not complying governments), sometimes some shame is what is needed to give a jolt and ensure rich nations walk the talk.
Simone Galimberti writes about the SDGs, youth-centered policy-making and a stronger and better United Nations.
IPS UN Bureau
 
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<title>UN Reform: Is it Time to Renew the Idea of Clustering the Major Environmental Agreements?</title>
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<pubDate>Mon, 14 Jul 2025 03:47:28 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Felix Dodds and Chris Spence</dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[Biodiversity]]></category>
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<description><![CDATA[“Never let a good crisis go to waste.” Winston Churchill’s famous maxim feels very relevant today, when multilateralism and many environmental causes seem to be in retreat. We now face a triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. Yet, the existing international environmental agreements and science bodies are not addressing these interconnected […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img width="300" height="265" src="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/un_en_-300x265.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/un_en_-300x265.jpg 300w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/un_en_.jpg 415w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />By Felix Dodds and Chris Spence SAN FRANCISCO, California / APEX, North Carolina, US, Jul 14 2025 (IPS) “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” Winston Churchill’s famous maxim feels very relevant today, when multilateralism and many environmental causes seem to be in retreat. We now face a triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.

Yet, the existing international environmental agreements and science bodies are not addressing these interconnected crises as effectively as they could. Can we turn the current situation into an opportunity for positive change and progress? 
Despite the rise in geopolitical fragmentation-or perhaps because of it—many countries appear to be as invested as ever in international cooperation and diplomacy as a means to achieve progress. To take a recent example, last month, negotiators at a meeting in Uruguay agreed to establish a scientific panel on chemicals, waste, and pollution. 
Not all bad news
This new panel, which will be known as the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste and Pollution (ISP-CWP) will become the third scientific panel of its kind, joining the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which was set up in 1988, and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), established in 2012. 
Both IPCC and IPBES have been hugely important in informing and driving international policy development around climate change and biodiversity. Now, ISP-CWP has an opportunity to do the same for chemicals, waste, and pollution. 
The creation of the third science body also provides a much-needed link to public health concerns such as the quality of our air, water and soil. Having access to better scientific information and analysis could be a game-changer. 
Even the ever-fractious climate negotiations saw some progress recently. The latest UN climate meeting in Bonn experienced just as many difficult moments as its predecessors, with arguments over seemingly trivial matters, such as the agenda. On the other hand, there was genuine progress on how to manage adaptation funding in the future, and apparently a very positive event on oceans and climate change on the margins of the meeting. 
Speaking of oceans, another sign of multilateralism’s resilience was evident last month at the UN Ocean Conference in France, where 18 countries announced that they had ratified the High Seas Treaty. The agreement, which aims to protect marine life in international waters, now has 49 ratifications, only 11 short of the number needed for it to enter into force. 
Meanwhile, a working group on the Montreal Protocol is meeting in Thailand this week to continue its ongoing, long-term work on protecting the ozone layer. Early signs indicate that the collaborative and positive spirit that has often characterized these talks shows no signs of abating. 
It is also hoped in August that the negotiations to conclude the plastics convention will be finalized.
Funding Fights
At the same time, the growing geopolitical tensions of today are undeniable. This is set to fundamentally alter the political and sustainable development landscape, with distinct roles emerging for the US and China. 
The US is choosing to pull back or limit its global presence in certain areas, which may open up opportunities for others, particularly China, India, Brazil, and South Africa and other emerging economies such as Türkiye and Indonesia.
Some prominent governments led by the United States have recently voiced skepticism about both the UN’s effectiveness and environmental causes like climate change. Furthermore, the UN’s funding is falling for the first time in its 80-year history, with the US as of the end of 2024 owing $668 million.
Clustering as a Vision 
What should be the response to the daunting challenges facing the multilateral system, from funding cuts to growing scepticism from some key actors? In the environmental realm, clustering key conventions and bringing scientific bodies together would be good steps, offering opportunities to strengthen international environmental governance, while also offering potential cost savings. 
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is an obvious choice for such clustering. UNEP is tasked with being: “The leading global authority on the environment. It unites 193 Member States in an effort to find solutions to climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste, collectively known as the triple planetary crisis.” (UNEP, 2025)
Furthermore, UNEP has played a long-established role in advancing both scientific and policy linkages. It already produces the flagship UN report on the environment, the Global Environment Outlook (GEO), with GEO-7 scheduled for release later this year. 
Currently, however, other key science groups, such as the IPCC, IPBES, and ISP-CWP, operate independently. These different groups should not operate in silos. Is there a benefit to bringing the science bodies closer to UNEP – with them playing a facilitating role? 
UNEP is the policy and normative body of the UN system, utilising its convening power to bring together the various bodies working on environmental issues. And yet, there is a feeling among some involved in this world that UNEP is not fully empowered to play this role effectively. 
The UN Environment Assembly plays a valuable role, yet it convenes only once every two years with the world facing such environmental challenges. Is it time to reinstitute the Global Ministerial Forum in the other year? 
It could play a role as a forum for addressing the interlinkage between various environmental treaties and offer a place for scientific bodies to inform member states collectively about the challenges we are facing. 
We suggest strengthening UNEP as part of the broader “UN80” reform process, launched recently by UN Secretary-General António Guterres. 
Currently, there are hundreds of different multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) in force but perhaps only 20-30 core global MEAs with broad international participation. Although many were established under UNEP, as they were ratified, they developed their governing bodies and operated independently from UNEP. 
This is particularly noticeable when it comes to treaties addressing the triple planetary crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste. Arguably, UNEP is not at the center of any of these issues. But it should be.
Today, we have a fragmented set of environmental conventions with overlapping work, increased inefficiencies, and gaps, even though the issues they address are often interconnected. This fragmentation makes it more challenging to see the benefits that could occur from synergies and linkages between the various conventions. It reduces the UNEP’s ability to be the global voice for the environment, which is so sorely needed. 
Arguments for consolidating and coordinating our global policy response to environmental challenges are not new. Klaus Toepfer, who ran UNEP from 1998-2006, was one of the first to call for clustering the key environmental conventions. In fact, he and his successor, Achim Steiner, made some progress on this, with a decision to link the work and meetings of three chemicals-related treaties—the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions. They now operate through a common meeting often referred to as a ‘Super COP’. So, we have a model to use learning both the positive and negative to help clustering in the areas of climate change and biodiversity.
As early as 2001, a UNEP working group on governance identified the potential for closer cooperation in areas such as capacity-building and information sharing. In 2002, UNEP’s Governing Council specifically supported clustering measures and pilot projects to test their effectiveness. This move aimed to facilitate an integrated life-cycle approach to managing substances covered by these conventions. 
It found that the “clustering approach to multilateral environmental agreements holds some promise, and issues relating to the location of secretariats, meeting agendas and also programmatic cooperation between such bodies and with UNEP should be addressed.” (UNEP, 2002)
Synergies and linkages in the field of scientific assessments also hold some potential. UNEP could help ensure that the IPCC, IPBES, and the new ISP-CWP do not operate in silos. 
Stronger Together?
The recent report for the UN Secretary General on reform suggested bringing the UN’s Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) under UNEP’s purview. 
Currently, the UNFCCC is a “big dog” in the environmental sphere, over which UNEP has no administrative responsibility, as the UNFCCC originated from a General Assembly resolution rather than a UNEP process. 
A move to bring the UNFCCC under UNEP might meet with considerable resistance and objections. But there could well be benefits. Clustering the secretariats and science bodies of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste, could potentially lead to: 
enhanced policy coordination 
greater resource efficiency 
streamlined reporting and compliance 
improved stakeholder engagement 
a stronger focus on cross-cutting issues 
coordinated monitoring and evaluation 
increased political momentum
In short, a stronger UNEP, positioned at the heart of the treaties and the science dealing with the triple planetary crisis, could offer both synergies and cost savings but more important it would give a huge opportunity for a stronger environmental voice in this increasingly insecure world. 
Prof. Felix Dodds and Chris Spence have participated in UN negotiations on the environment and sustainable development since the 1990s. Their new book, <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Environmental-Lobbying-at-the-United-Nations-A-Guide-to-Protecting-Our-Planet/Dodds-Spence/p/book/9781032597461?srsltid=AfmBOop33kT6mCdnoFDNbLOY-2-UQ0nnH_CXGEJRSJdWMZknVFQH4EHD" target="_blank">Environmental Lobbying at the United Nations: A Guide to Protecting Our Planet</a>, is out now (Routledge, 2025).
Felix Dodds is an Adjunct Professor at the University of North Carolina’s Water Institute and has advised stakeholders on their UN engagement for 30 years.
Chris Spence is an environmentalist, writer, and former leader of nonprofits in New York, New Zealand, and California. He has consulted for the UN and other international organizations over many years.
Dodds and Spence also co-wrote and edited <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Heroes-of-Environmental-Diplomacy-Profiles-in-Courage/Dodds-Spence/p/book/9781032065441" target="_blank">Heroes of Environmental Diplomacy</a> in 2022.
IPS UN Bureau
 
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<title>Conflict, Climate Change Push Migrants in Yemen to Return to Their Home Countries</title>
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<pubDate>Sun, 13 Jul 2025 16:00:07 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Juliana White</dc:creator>
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<description><![CDATA[Yemen’s humanitarian crisis, driven by conflict, economic collapse and climate shocks, leaves migrants desperate to return to their home countries. In March 2025, the Global Data Institute Displacement Tracking Matrix recorded that 1,234 non-Yemeni migrants left the country. Once a critical transit and destination point, Yemen is unable to support incoming asylum seekers. Yemenis are […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img width="300" height="200" src="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/People-in-Yemen-receiving-help-from-the-IOM-1-300x200.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="People in Yemen impacted by war and climate shocks receive aid from the IOM. Photo credit: Majed Mohammed/IOM Yemen" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/People-in-Yemen-receiving-help-from-the-IOM-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/People-in-Yemen-receiving-help-from-the-IOM-1.jpg 630w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />People in Yemen impacted by war and climate shocks receive aid from the IOM. Photo credit: Majed Mohammed/IOM YemenBy Juliana White UNITED NATIONS, Jul 13 2025 (IPS) Yemen’s humanitarian crisis, driven by conflict, economic collapse and climate shocks, leaves migrants desperate to return to their home countries.
In March 2025, the <a href="https://dtm.iom.int/dtm_download_track/76601?file=1&amp;type=node&amp;id=51396">Global Data Institute Displacement Tracking</a> Matrix recorded that 1,234 non-Yemeni migrants left the country. 
Once a critical transit and destination point, Yemen is unable to support incoming asylum seekers. Yemenis are struggling to survive amidst a decade-long conflict and worsening climate change impacts. Over <a href="https://www.iom.int/news/iom-chief-sounds-alarm-yemen-marks-decade-war-and-humanitarian-despair#:~:text=While%20Yemenis%20suffer%20the%20effects,of%20inaction%20will%20be%20severe.">4.8 million people are internally displaced, and 20 million rely on aid.</a>
Most migrants come from Ethiopia and Somalia, searching for safety or work in the Gulf countries. However, many become stranded in Yemen due to the harsh conditions and abuse.
The <a href="https://www.iom.int/news/iom-chief-sounds-alarm-yemen-marks-decade-war-and-humanitarian-despair#:~:text=While%20Yemenis%20suffer%20the%20effects,of%20inaction%20will%20be%20severe.">International Organization for Migration</a> (IOM) found that in 2024, around 60,900 migrants arrived in Yemen with no means to survive. Subsequently, they are exposed to severe protection risks, including physical and sexual violence, exploitation, abduction, detention, and debt bondage.
“With limited humanitarian resources and few service providers on the ground, migrants often suffer from hunger, untreated medical conditions, and lack of shelter. Many are stranded without access to even the most basic services,” said the IOM to IPS.
“Meanwhile, public hostility toward migrants has increased, as they are increasingly viewed as competing with vulnerable Yemeni populations for scarce assistance. The ongoing conflict in Yemen further compounds these vulnerabilities, with migrants caught in airstrikes, exposed to explosive ordnance, and lacking access to safety.”
Women and girls are the most vulnerable group of migrants traveling through Yemen. They are disproportionately threatened with gender-based and sexual abuse.
“I’ve been beaten, detained, and exploited in Yemen,” said a 24-year-old Ethiopian woman to IOM. “Most nights, I went hungry. After everything that happened to me, I am happy to go back to my home and family.”
Severe climate impacts also make it increasingly difficult for both migrants and Yemenis to access food and water. Around <a href="https://www.unrefugees.org/emergencies/yemen/#:~:text=The%20conflict%20and%20economic%20collapse,access%20to%20publicly%20supplied%20electricity.">17.1 million</a> Yemenis are struggling with food insecurity, and climate-related issues are only exacerbating this crisis.
<a href="https://yemen.iom.int/sites/g/files/tmzbdl1176/files/documents/2024-02/en-iom-yemen-vhr-2023-achievements.pdf">The June 2025 Migration, Environment, and Climate Change (MECC)</a> Country Report on Yemen by the IOM says that Yemen is the 12th most water-scarce country in the world. This significantly influences food insecurity, as rising temperatures caused by climate change create unpredictable rainfall.
In some areas, severe droughts are turning fertile farmland into arid deserts, forcing farmers to plant new crops or move in search of better conditions. Meanwhile, in other communities, heavy rain is sparking extreme flooding. Impacted areas are decimated by soil erosion and disease from contaminated water.
“Areas that used to experience heavy rainfall have now suffered from drought, and farmers have to adapt to this drought by either planting drought-resistant crops, changing their livelihoods, or migrating to another location. And some areas used to suffer from drought but now experience heavy rainfall, where the intensity of rainfall has led to the emergence of new diseases brought by floods,” said an official in the General Authority for Environmental Protection responsible for planning and information to the IOM.
Together, brutal conflict and a lack of access to vital necessities significantly limit migrants’ ability to return to their home countries. The <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/09/1099262">IOM reported</a> that in 2020, around 18,200 people risked their lives traveling by sea. Overcrowded vessels traversing rough waters often capsize, killing dozens on board.
For others, their journey back home leads them through heavily war-inflicted areas. Without proper assistance, migrants are left to navigate through dangerous frontlines, risking death from armed violence and landmines.
However, programs like the IOM’s <a href="https://yemen.iom.int/sites/g/files/tmzbdl1176/files/documents/2024-02/en-iom-yemen-vhr-2023-achievements.pdf">Voluntary Humanitarian Return (VHR)</a> aim to facilitate migrants’ safe return home. VHR is one of the only solutions for stranded migrants to voluntarily return in a safe and dignified manner.
So far, the IOM has helped 66 migrants safely return this year. This is a significant drop compared to the 5,200 individuals returned in 2024.
“IOM provides lifesaving protection and health service through Migrant Response Points (MRPs) in Aden, Sanaa and Marib and Community-based Care centers in Aden and Sanaa, as well as through mobile teams along the migratory routes funded by ECHO and UK FCDO,” said the IOM to IPS. “Since 2015, IOM has been facilitating Voluntary Humanitarian Return (VHR) as the only viable solution for stranded migrants who wish to return home voluntarily, safely, and with dignity.”
The IOM is backed by numerous groups such as the European Union, the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief), the US State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, and the governments of Germany, France, Norway, and Finland. Unfortunately, despite widespread support for the program, more donations are urgently needed. The IOM is struggling to help migrants due to significant funding cuts.
“As migration flows continue to surge, the demand for safe and dignified return options for migrants has reached critical levels,” said Matt Huber, IOM’s former Chief of Mission in Yemen. “Without immediate funding support, the continuity of this vital programme is at risk, leaving thousands of vulnerable migrants stranded in precarious conditions with many experiencing serious protection violations.”
IPS UN Bureau Report
 
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<title>WFP Deputy Chief Describes Unprecedented Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza</title>
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<pubDate>Sun, 13 Jul 2025 15:32:49 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Naomi Myint Breuer</dc:creator>
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<description><![CDATA[Carl Skau, Deputy Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), described the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza following his recent visit, speaking at a press briefing at the UN Headquarters on July 11. “The situation is worse than I’ve ever seen it before,” he said. Skau has visited Gaza four times since the war […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img width="300" height="251" src="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/WFP-photo-300x251.png" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="Carl Skau, Deputy Executive Director of World Food Programme (WFP) briefs media at the UN. Credit: Naomi Breuer/IPS" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/WFP-photo-300x251.png 300w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/WFP-photo-768x644.png 768w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/WFP-photo-563x472.png 563w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/WFP-photo.png 940w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Carl Skau, Deputy Executive Director of World Food Programme (WFP) briefs media at the UN. Credit: Naomi Breuer/IPSBy Naomi Myint Breuer UNITED NATIONS, Jul 13 2025 (IPS) Carl Skau, Deputy Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), described the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza following his recent visit, speaking at a press briefing at the UN Headquarters on July 11.
“The situation is worse than I’ve ever seen it before,” he said. Skau has visited Gaza four times since the war with Israel began.
Skau said the situation entails the desperate humanitarian needs, particularly the spreading starvation, and the fact that the WFP’s ability to respond to the crisis has “never been more constrained.”
An Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) <a href="https://www.ipcinfo.org/ipc-country-analysis/details-map/en/c/1159596/">report</a> published in May found that half a million people were starving in the Gaza Strip. The report projected that Gaza would classify as Emergency from May 11 through the end of September 2025. According to Skau, the situation has deteriorated since the report was published.
Recent UNICEF <a href="https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/more-5000-children-diagnosed-malnutrition-gaza-strip-may">data</a> highlights that malnutrition is widespread, with 5,119 children between 6 months and 5 years of age admitted for treatment for acute malnutrition in the month of May, a 50 percent increase from April. Basic commodity prices have soared. On Skau’s visit, a kilo of wheat flour was priced at USD 25. Oftentimes, when people get food to eat, it is just hot soup with a few lentils or pasta.
During his visit, Skau also met with families who have been displaced multiple times in the past 10 days, some as many as 30 times since the war began. During each move, they are able to bring less with them in order to survive.
“The fact that people are now dying every day trying to get food, I think, is the starkest demonstration of how desperate the situation is,” Skau said.
He reported that conditions for the WFP team are far from ideal. They are only able to bring in a fraction of what is needed in the region, and their teams often get stuck waiting for 15-20 hours for clearances or at checkpoints. He said it is “unacceptable” for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to interfere with their deliveries. Some Israeli officials he met with on his visit agreed that the IDF must allow the UN to carry out its work in the region.
On July 11, the WFP was able to conduct a delivery through the north of the Gaza Strip for the first time in several days, which Skau said is the more orderly route to deliver food through.
But WFP vehicles do not have enough fuel or spare parts. Most of the windows of armed vehicles have been damaged, and they are only able to communicate with each other within a 20 meter range.
The staff is under immense pressure, and the WFP cannot provide the amount and variety of food an operation like this would usually require.
“Our national staff who are living in the midst of this crisis are the true heroes here, in terms of getting up every day and doing their work,” Skau said.
During the 42 days of the last ceasefire, the WFP was able to open 25 bakeries and hundreds of soup kitchens, bring in over 8,000 trucks, deliver food packages to over 1.5 million people, and stock up warehouses, which allowed them to continue operating for half of the duration of the blockade.
However, for the humanitarian situation to vastly improve, Skau said a ceasefire is “urgent.” All entry routes into Gaza need to be opened, and trucks need to be allowed to enter every day in order for the UN to deliver at the same level as before. Half of the deliveries should go to the north, he said, to stabilize the situation and bring prices down.
Currently, none of the WFP bakeries are running since owners are uncomfortable operating under the current level of desperation. The WFP is unable to provide fresh produce, which must come from the private sector. Skau did not see any markets open during this visit.
The beach in northern Gaza was covered in tents. He spoke to the women at the encampment, who are experiencing, worse than ever before, a “disheartening” experience.
“They’re telling their kids not to play [to conserve energy], and they speak about the frustration and the anger their husbands and their sons have,” he said. “They were talking about going and standing in queues to these soup kitchens, coming back, sometimes, with nothing.”
IPS UN Bureau Report
 
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<title>Afghan Refugees Expelled from Iran and Exposed to Horrific Abuse</title>
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<pubDate>Fri, 11 Jul 2025 16:00:53 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Oritro Karim</dc:creator>
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<description><![CDATA[Since early June, Afghan refugees in Iran have endured increasingly harsh humanitarian conditions, with many being forced to repatriate under conditions that violate the principles of international humanitarian law. In 2025 alone, over one million refugees have returned to Afghanistan, further stretching the limited supply of resources amid a severe and multifaceted humanitarian crisis. As […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img width="300" height="200" src="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Amir-Saeid-Iravani_-300x200.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Amir-Saeid-Iravani_-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Amir-Saeid-Iravani_.jpg 624w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Amir Saeid Iravani (left), Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran, speaks at the Security Council meeting on the situation in Afghanistan. Credit: UN Photo/Evan SchneiderBy Oritro Karim UNITED NATIONS, Jul 11 2025 (IPS) Since early June, Afghan refugees in Iran have endured increasingly harsh humanitarian conditions, with many being forced to repatriate under conditions that violate the principles of international humanitarian law. In 2025 alone, over one million refugees have returned to Afghanistan, further stretching the limited supply of resources amid a severe and multifaceted humanitarian crisis.

As of 2025, it is estimated that Iran is home to approximately 4 million Afghan refugees and migrants, with many having lived there for decades. Iran’s capital, Tehran, hosts a significant portion of the nation’s undocumented Afghan refugees and in 2023, announced plans to expel them. 
The most recent movement by Afghan refugees was triggered when, on June 13, Israel launched a series of airstrikes on military and nuclear facilities in Iran. Tehran was hit particularly hard and its population of highly vulnerable Afghan refugees began to flee toward Afghanistan. According to figures from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (<a href="https://www.unhcr.org/news/briefing-notes/unhcr-needs-intensify-1-4-million-people-return-afghanistan" target="_blank">UNHCR</a>), daily returns of Afghan refugees spiked after these attacks, averaging roughly 5,000 arrivals per day. On July 1, Afghanistan saw its highest daily number of arrivals, with approximately 43,000 returnees recorded.
“Many are returning to a country they barely know, forced out of Iran after decades of living there,” said Arafat Jamal, UNHCR’s Representative in Afghanistan. “The recent Israel-Iran war accelerated their return, pushing numbers to a record high, while deep funding cuts have made humanitarian aid operations increasingly challenging.” 
Additionally, movement toward Afghanistan was accelerated following Tehran’s imposition of a July 6 deadline for all undocumented Afghan refugees to leave Iran. <a href="https://www.unhcr.org/us/news/press-releases/unhcr-sees-sharp-increase-afghan-returns-adverse-circumstances-iran-afghanistan" target="_blank">Additional figures from UNHCR</a> show over 640,000 Afghan refugees having returned since March 20, with over 366,000 of them having been deported. 
According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<a href="https://www.unocha.org/publications/report/afghanistan/afghanistan-returnees-overview-30-june-2025" target="_blank">OCHA</a>), the sharp increase in deportations of Afghan refugees can be attributed to the rise of political tensions and “anti-Afghan sentiment” in Iran. Humanitarian experts have expressed concern that there is a severe protection crisis along the Afghanistan-Iran border, with many of these returns being facilitated under hostile or involuntary circumstances.
Sahar, an Afghan widow and mother of five who resided in Iran for over a decade, spoke to Zan Times, an Afghan news agency, about the conditions that her family faced when they were being deported. “I didn’t even get to pack [my children’s] clothes. [The Iranian authorities] came in the middle of the night. I begged them to give me just two days to collect my things. But they didn’t listen. They threw us out like garbage,” she said.
“Iran is casting out entire communities—men, women, and children—based on prejudice and politics, to a country where their lives and most basic rights are under immediate threat,” said Esfandiar Aban, a senior researcher at the Center for Human Rights in Iran (<a href="https://iranhumanrights.org/2025/07/iran-forcibly-deports-nearly-600000-afghan-migrants-amid-post-war-crackdown/" target="_blank">CHRI</a>). “These deportations are an egregious violation of international law. All migrants and refugees, regardless of documentation status, have the right to due process and protection against forced return to danger.”
Alongside hundreds of deportation cases, Afghan refugees have reported facing harassment, discrimination, and pressure to return to Afghanistan. According to figures from UN Women, roughly 53 percent of a sample size of 119,417 Afghan refugees studied in June reported their main reason for leaving Iran was due to feeling unsafe. 
In a <a href="https://x.com/SR_Afghanistan/status/1941392832926982398" target="_blank">statement shared to X</a> (formerly known as Twitter), the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan Richard Bennett reports that hundreds of Afghan refugees and other ethnic minorities in Iran were arrested and accused of espionage. Bennett also underscores the “dehumanizing” language used in Iranian media to incite discrimination and violence toward Afghan refugees. 
Additionally, there have been numerous reports of Afghan refugees being exposed to a variety of abuses during the repatriation process, including arrests, violence, and harassment. Saeid Dehgan, an Iranian human rights lawyer and director of the Parsi Law Collective, informed reporters that, “given the scale, violence, and systemic nature of these deportations — particularly if combined with beatings, property confiscation, and arbitrary detention — there may be grounds to consider them as potential crimes against humanity.”
There is a severe shortage of access to basic services and humanitarian aid for the majority of these refugees, making living conditions across the border particularly dire.” Said Jamal. “Afghan families are being uprooted once again, arriving with scant belongings, exhausted, hungry, scared about what awaits them in a country many of them have never even set foot in.” 
Food, water, shelter, protection, and healthcare services are scarce and there is not enough staff to sustainably support aid operations. The current supply of funding is dwindling at a rapid rate while thousands of Afghan refugees come in on a daily basis. UNHCR estimates that unless additional funding is secured soon, they will only be able to continue operations for a few more weeks. 
According to CHRI, the forced return of refugees to Afghanistan constitutes violations of the non-refoulement principle, which prohibits a government from exposing peoples to “torture, persecution, or serious human rights violations.” 
Currently, Afghanistan is in the midst of a dire humanitarian crisis, marked by the oppressive rule of the Taliban regime. Women’s rights are severely restricted, with the vast majority unable to hold jobs, move freely, pursue education, and represent themselves in governmental affairs. Additionally, the country faces numerous security concerns as well as rampant poverty. 
“For most Afghans, deportation is not a return home—it is a descent into crisis, into a country ravaged by war and repression,” Aban said. “For Afghan women and girls, it’s even worse. They are being sent back to a regime that has erased them from public life. This is not just a deportation—this is a death sentence for their freedom, their education, their futures.”
IPS UN Bureau Report
 
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<title>Bonn Climate Talks: Why World Needs to go Further, Faster, and Fairer</title>
<link>https://www.ipsnews.net/2025/07/bonn-climate-talks-why-world-needs-to-go-further-faster-and-fairer/</link>
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<pubDate>Fri, 11 Jul 2025 13:36:12 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Umar Manzoor Shah</dc:creator>
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<description><![CDATA[This 62nd meeting of the Subsidiary Bodies (SB62) from June 16 to 26, 2025 revealed the persistent complexities and political tensions that continue to challenge multilateral climate governance. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) convened its 62nd meeting of the Subsidiary Bodies (SB62) from June 16 to 26, 2025 – a critical juncture […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img width="300" height="200" src="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/1750788861811-300x200.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="The June Climate Talks, SB62 under the UNFCCC, in Bonn 16-26 June, Photo Credit: UN Climate Chang/Lara Murillo" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/1750788861811-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/1750788861811-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/1750788861811-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/1750788861811-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/1750788861811-629x419.jpg 629w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/1750788861811.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />The June Climate Talks, SB62 under the UNFCCC, in Bonn 16-26 June, Photo Credit: UN Climate Chang/Lara Murillo
By Umar Manzoor Shah SRINAGAR & BONN, Jul 11 2025 (IPS) This 62nd meeting of the Subsidiary Bodies (SB62) from June 16 to 26, 2025 revealed the persistent complexities and political tensions that continue to challenge multilateral climate governance. 
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) convened its 62nd meeting of the <a href="https://unfccc.int/sb62" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://unfccc.int/sb62&source=gmail&ust=1752326342429000&usg=AOvVaw0S3G28C2L2W6R6__I5V2D6">Subsidiary Bodies (SB62)</a> from June 16 to 26, 2025 – a critical juncture in the global climate negotiation process ahead of the 30th Conference of the Parties (<a href="https://unfccc.int/cop30" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://unfccc.int/cop30&source=gmail&ust=1752326342429000&usg=AOvVaw0ffyt8aMgzdY3Arp6rVeJ3">COP30</a>) set for November in Belém, Brazil.
Often referred to as a “mini-COP”, SB62 serves as a mid-year platform where negotiators and technical experts advance discussions on implementing the Paris Agreement and lay the groundwork for decisions at the COP.
While some progress was made on adaptation and procedural issues, key areas such as climate finance, technology, and scientific assessments remained contentious. Interviews with climate experts Jennifer Chow of the Environmental Defence Fund and Meredith Ryder-Rude shed light on systemic challenges within the UNFCCC process and offered insights into pathways for more effective climate action.
<div id="attachment_191337" style="width: 297px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-191337" class="size-full wp-image-191337" src="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Jennifer-Chow.png" alt="Jennifer Chow of the Environmental Defense Fund" width="287" height="377" srcset="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Jennifer-Chow.png 287w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Jennifer-Chow-228x300.png 228w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 287px) 100vw, 287px" />Jennifer Chow of the Environmental Defense Fund</div>
Deadlock That Foreshadowed the Tense and Fractious Atmosphere
The Bonn conference brought together government delegations, UN agencies, intergovernmental organisations, Indigenous and youth representatives, and civil society observers. The Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) focused on operational matters including finance, capacity-building, and gender equality, while the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) addressed scientific guidance and technical issues such as carbon markets under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
Brazil, as COP30 host, fielded the largest delegation with 173 provisional attendees, signalling its intent to influence the upcoming COP agenda. The Brazilian COP presidency outlined three priorities: reinforcing multilateralism, connecting climate regime outcomes with people’s everyday lives, and accelerating Paris Agreement implementation through institutional reforms.
Yet the meeting’s opening was marked by a two-day delay in adopting the agenda, largely due to disagreements over including discussions on developed countries’ finance obligations under <a href="https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/english_paris_agreement.pdf">Article 9.1 of the Paris Agreement</a>. This early procedural deadlock foreshadowed the tense and fractious atmosphere permeating the conference.
How Scientific Discussions Remained Politically Sensitive
Adaptation emerged as a focal point, with negotiators agreeing on a refined list of global adaptation indicators, including measures related to access to financing — a key demand from developing countries. Steps were also taken toward transitioning the Adaptation Fund to operate exclusively under the Paris Agreement framework and clarifying loss and damage reporting procedures.
Nonetheless, the broader finance discussions exposed deep divides. The <a href="https://unfccc.int/NCQG">collective quantified goal (NCQG)</a> of USD 300 billion, established at COP29 in Baku, continues to be a source of dissatisfaction, especially among developing nations seeking more predictable and adequate funding. These finance issues cut across multiple agenda items, influencing adaptation, transparency, and just transition talks.
Scientific discussions remained politically sensitive. Although the parties agreed to “take note” of recent scientific reports from the World Meteorological Organisation, stronger language expressing concern about current warming trends was blocked by some countries. This reflected ongoing sensitivity around acknowledging the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C temperature limit.
Streamlining, Trust, and Effective Finance Delivery
In an exclusive interview with Inter Press Service, <a href="https://dcid.sanford.duke.edu/profile/jennifer-chow/">Jennifer Chow</a>, Senior Director for Climate-Resilient Food Systems at the <a href="https://www.edf.org/">Environmental Defense Fund</a>, highlighted structural challenges impeding UNFCCC efficiency and effectiveness:
“As is true for other multilateral processes, it is nearly impossible to address a growing list of issues efficiently without a concerted effort to prioritise, simplify approaches, and partner with others who may not require budgetary support. I think this is more pertinent to focus on than funding fluctuations.”
Chow claimed that the proliferation of agenda items and ballooning delegation sizes have complicated negotiations. “There are too many agenda items—and delegations have ballooned as a result. The secretariat and bureau could closely examine the COP, CMA, and SB agendas, propose streamlining, and develop a list of agenda items to sunset over the next two years, as some issues may no longer require negotiation. In some areas, constituted bodies can take up the work. Closing agenda items does not have to equal a lack of ambition.”
She also pointed to the trust deficit within the process.
“We can focus on giving more time for areas of convergence and less ‘unlimited’ time on issues where there is no consensus. Additionally, we need to give more leadership roles to S<a href="https://www.un.org/ohrlls/content/about-small-island-developing-states">mall Island Developing States (SIDS)</a> and <a href="https://unctad.org/topic/least-developed-countries/list">Least Developed Countries (LDCs)</a>. We have conflated progress review and rule-making, and renegotiating matters that were already agreed upon can erode trust.”
On countries’ climate plans, Chow stressed the need to prioritise implementation. “A plan is a plan. Evidence of implementation and progress towards 2030 commitments should be highlighted just as much as new 2035 commitments. Let’s not lose sight of the critical decade and sprint to 2030. Stronger implementation now will result in more ambitious plans later.”
 
<div id="attachment_191338" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-191338" class="size-full wp-image-191338" src="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Meredith-Ryder-Rude.jpg" alt="Environmental Defense Fund's expert Meredith Ryder-Rude" width="300" height="394" srcset="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Meredith-Ryder-Rude.jpg 300w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Meredith-Ryder-Rude-228x300.jpg 228w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Environmental Defense Fund’s expert Meredith Ryder-Rude</div>
<a href="https://www.edf.org/people/meredith-ryder-rude">Meredith Ryder-Rude</a>, also from the Environmental Defense Fund, shed light on the reasons behind stalled adaptation finance negotiations and the challenges of ensuring funds reach vulnerable communities.
“The recent negotiations stalled because the sticking point has historically been disagreement over which funding sources can be ‘counted’ towards adaptation finance goals. There is no disagreement over the urgent need for dramatically higher adaptation finance, but political and ideological differences remain over what types of funding from developed countries are truly delivering adaptation outcomes.”
She explained the complexity of adaptation finance integration.
“Guidance directs countries to mainstream adaptation in development, economic, and financial planning. Given distrust between parties and the severe impacts and costs involved, finding middle ground is difficult. Developed country budgets are tight, and those controlling funds are often not closely involved in climate discussions or understanding of multilateral climate funds, creating a big gap to bridge.”
On improving the effectiveness of finance delivery, Ryder-Rude highlighted the importance of capacity building in recipient countries. “One of the most critical ways to ensure climate finance reaches vulnerable communities effectively is increasing absorptive and financial management capacity at the local level. Funding levels have remained largely static for decades. We focus much on unlocking more funding—the supply side—but more attention is needed on the demand side.”
She pointed to promising models emerging from developing countries. “National-level organisations serve as aggregators managing multimillion-dollar grants from multilaterals and disbursing smaller grants to local community groups. They mentor these groups to increase independence and ability to manage larger sums over time. Eventually, local organisations can manage funding directly with donors. We need more small grant programmes, more national aggregators familiar with local contexts, and generally more trusting, flexible financing—especially for <a href="https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/what-is-climate-change">adaptation</a>.”
Empowering most vulnerable remains critical to the UNFCCC’s future effectiveness
Meanwhile, with the world approaching the COP30 in Belém, Brazil, the outcomes of SB62 reveal both the urgency and difficulty of advancing ambitious climate action. Key issues expected to dominate the COP agenda include operationalising the new collective quantified goal for climate finance, finalising rules for<a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2022/05/17/what-you-need-to-know-about-article-6-of-the-paris-agreement"> carbon markets under Article 6</a>, and translating adaptation frameworks into real-world support.
Countries were expected to submit updated <a href="https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/nationally-determined-contributions-ndcs">Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) </a>aligned with the 1.5°C target; however, nearly 95 percent missed the informal February 2025 deadline, raising concerns about political will and transparency.
Brazil’s presidency faces scrutiny over inclusiveness and transparency, especially regarding its proposed Circle of Finance Ministers tasked with developing a new climate finance roadmap. Questions about Belém’s capacity to host an effective COP add another layer of complexity.
Geopolitical challenges—including the notable absence of a formal U.S. delegation due to previous administration policies—further underscore the fragility of global climate leadership. In this context, rebuilding trust, streamlining negotiating processes, and empowering the most vulnerable remain critical to the UNFCCC’s future effectiveness.
IPS UN Bureau Report
 
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<title>The Race Towards Clean Energy: A World Still Gripped by Coal</title>
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<pubDate>Fri, 11 Jul 2025 11:24:13 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Maximilian Malawista</dc:creator>
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<description><![CDATA[Global investments in energy exceeded USD 3 trillion in 2024, with at least USD 2 trillion being invested in clean energy technology and infrastructure. Infrastructure. Despite that progress, fossil fuel consumption continues to rise with little sign of slowing. China led in energy transitions investments, accounting for 48 percent, followed by the United States (17 […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img width="300" height="179" src="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/A-coal-plant_-300x179.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/A-coal-plant_-300x179.jpg 300w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/A-coal-plant_.jpg 624w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />A coal plant in Lamma Island, Hong Kong. Credit: Unsplash/Ben TatlowBy Maximilian Malawista UNITED NATIONS, Jul 11 2025 (IPS) Global investments in energy exceeded USD 3 trillion in 2024, with at least USD 2 trillion being invested in clean energy technology and infrastructure. Infrastructure. Despite that progress, fossil fuel consumption continues to rise with little sign of slowing.

China led in <a href="https://repository.unescap.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/f9ebe277-d5d6-4432-a424-54ae2bdce598/content" target="_blank">energy transitions</a> investments, accounting for 48 percent, followed by the United States (17 percent), Germany (5 percent), the United Kingdom (4 percent), and France (3 percent). These investments have opened the doors to green technologies like solar panels, electric vehicles, and battery storage, at an affordable rate. However, these advancements have been confined to high-income countries. Emerging markets and least developed countries (LDCs), excluding China, remain dependent on coal and fossil fuels to meet their energy needs.
The crossroads of the Asia-Pacific
The Asia and Pacific region has faced the greatest challenge in its transition away from fossil fuels towards renewable energy. In 2023, the Asia-Pacific region accounted for 47 percent of global energy demand, with China, India, Korea, Japan, and Indonesia making up most of this share.
Consider that China occupies a unique position in that it contributes to energy transition as the largest investor in clean energy, while also being the most coal-reliant nation as a major producer and consumer. In perspective, investment in clean energy per capita globally it is at 131 dollars, while Asia and the Pacific is at 115 dollars. However, when excluding China and other high-income countries, that number drops to just 18 dollars a person.
The gaps in investment come heavily from the ten LDCs in the region. Together, these nations account for 1.4 percent of global energy transition investments from 2020 to 2023. However, at COP29, these countries announced plans aimed at increasing their renewable energy capacity from 20 gigawatts (GW) in 2023 to 58 GW by 2030, a 290 percent jump. Meanwhile in South-east Asia, the energy demand is expected to grow to 25 percent between 2024 and 2035, and it is estimated that by 2050 their energy demand may overtake the European Union.
The coal paradox
In 2023, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) <a href="https://repository.unescap.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/f9ebe277-d5d6-4432-a424-54ae2bdce598/content" target="_blank">reported</a> that 81 percent of new renewable energy sources were offering cheaper alternatives to fossil fuels. Even with this margin of difference, coal continues to dominate the Asia-Pacific region without slowing down. In 2023, the Asia-Pacific region generated 45 percent of its energy from coal, which was more than any other region, using the most carbon intensive resource available. The region holds 79 percent of the world’s operating coal plants, generating 1.69 terawatts (TW) of the global 2.13 TW of coal powered energy.
To add to the coal fire, 96 percent of all planned coal capacity, or 553 GW out of 578 GW are solely in the Asia-Pacific. Of that percentage, China accounts for 53 percent of the current capacity, and 71 percent of the future capacity. India, Indonesia and Bangladesh make up the rest of the energy demand for coal. Coal is not just energy, it is money. 
Three of the world’s top exporters of coal — Indonesia, Australia, and Mongolia — are in the Asia-Pacific. Indonesia is the largest exporter of coal globally, with China and India as its largest clients. Australia follows closely behind, exporting over USD 91 billion worth of coal during 2023 through 2024, and its coal mining industry employing 50,000 workers. In Mongolia, coal briquettes were their top export, amassing USD 8.43 billion in wealth.
Coal for these countries represents a vital economic tool, one which will make the transition ever more difficult. 
Existing solutions
To turn around this deficit and make the world greener, we already have this <a href="https://repository.unescap.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/f9ebe277-d5d6-4432-a424-54ae2bdce598/content" target="_blank">technology</a>. We have battery storage, nuclear power, low-carbon hydrogen, and even limited carbon capture technologies. The challenge is implementing these technologies and scaling them at a level which produces tangible results.
Without these shifts in investment and policy, the Asia-Pacific region risks global progress towards energy security, economic stability, and SDG compliance. Leaving many left behind, and in the stifling warm air.
To align with global net-zero carbon emission targets and SDG7, which calls for access to affordable and sustainable energy for all, the annual investment in energy must increase to between USD 2.2 and 2.4 trillion by 2030. At least 90 percent of this investment needs to be focused on clean energy.
A dangerous future
<div id="attachment_191330" style="width: 634px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-191330" src="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Varanasi_.jpg" alt="" width="624" height="350" class="size-full wp-image-191330" srcset="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Varanasi_.jpg 624w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Varanasi_-300x168.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 624px) 100vw, 624px" />Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. Credit: Unsplash/Sarvesh Phansalkar</div>
Despite the urgency of this matter, coal demand among ASEAN economies is projected to rise 5% annually, moving from 491 million metric tons in 2024 to 567 million metric tons by 2027.
This continued reliance on coal as a primary energy will only make energy diversification harder and more expensive. The time to change these outlooks is now, before diversification becomes too difficult. In consequence of these actions, some of the most polluted cities in the world, such as Delhi (India), Dhaka (Bangladesh), Lahore (Pakistan), and Hotan (China), have reported air pollution levels 10 to 20 times higher than what the World Health Organization (WHO) identifies as safe limits. Simply breathing air in these cities can pose a significant health risk, and yet millions do it.
The International Energy Agency Director Faith Birol warns: “Today’s energy world is moving fast, but there is a major risk of many countries around the world being left behind.”
An eye on the Asia-Pacific region
The Asia-Pacific region hosts two-thirds of the global population and account for 46 percent of the world’s GDP exists in the Asia-Pacific. This means that this region is crucial to achieving progress towards SDGs, and without their help, completion is near to impossible.
“Nowhere is this challenge – and opportunity – more urgent than in Asia and the Pacific,” said Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP. She <a href="https://www.unescap.org/taxonomy/term/266" target="_blank">added</a>, “This is our chance to build a more resilient, equitable and sustainable economy for all. We aim to foster solutions that are regionally grounded, technically sound and financially viable. Unless Asia and the Pacific can lead boldly, the global transition will fall short of expectations.”
IPS UN Bureau Report
 
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<title>UN Funding Crisis Threatens Work of Human Rights Council</title>
<link>https://www.ipsnews.net/2025/07/un-funding-crisis-threatens-work-of-human-rights-council/</link>
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<pubDate>Fri, 11 Jul 2025 08:06:58 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Lucy McKernan and Hilary Power</dc:creator>
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<description><![CDATA[The United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) has expressed concern at the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights’ announcement that certain activities mandated by the council cannot be delivered due to a lack of funding. The council has sought clarity on why certain activities had been singled out. Among the activities the commissioner says can’t […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img width="300" height="67" src="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Human-Rights-Council_-300x67.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Human-Rights-Council_-300x67.jpg 300w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Human-Rights-Council_.jpg 624w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />The Human Rights Council is an intergovernmental body within the UN system responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe, and for addressing situations of human rights violations, and making recommendations on them, according to the UN. It has the ability to discuss all thematic human rights issues and situations that require its attention throughout the year. It meets at the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG).By Lucy McKernan and Hilary Power NEW YORK / GENEVA, Jul 11 2025 (IPS) The United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) has <a href="https://hrcmeetings.ohchr.org/HRCSessions/RegularSessions/59/DL_Resolution/L.37 as received.docx" target="_blank">expressed concern</a> at the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights’ announcement that <a href="https://hrcmeetings.ohchr.org/PresidencyBureau/BureauRegionalGroupsCorrespondence/Correspondence/Enclosure %E2%80%93 Letter from the High Commissioner for Human Rights and its annexes, concerning the activities mandated by the Human Rights Council that the Office of the High Commissioner cannot deliver in 2025 and 2026, due to the liquidity crisis of the United Nations.pdf" target="_blank">certain activities</a> mandated by the council cannot be delivered due to a lack of funding. The council has sought clarity on why certain activities had been singled out.

Among the activities the commissioner says can’t be delivered is the <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/02/07/un-rights-council-launches-inquiry-atrocities-eastern-dr-congo" target="_blank">commission of inquiry on grave abuses in Eastern Congo</a>, an <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/06/17/dr-congo-investigations-needed-more-than-ever" target="_blank">important initiative</a> created—at least on paper—at an <a href="https://hrcmeetings.ohchr.org/HRCSessions/SpecialSessions/20250207/Pages/default.aspx" target="_blank">emergency session</a> of the HRC in February <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/02/04/joint-letter-calling-independent-mandate-investigate-rights-violations-and-abuses" target="_blank">in response to an appeal by Congolese, regional, and international rights groups</a>.
The establishment of the commission <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/02/07/un-rights-council-launches-inquiry-atrocities-eastern-dr-congo" target="_blank">offered a glimmer of hope</a> in the face of grave and ongoing atrocities in the region, and it was hoped it might be an important step toward ending the cycle of abuse and impunity and delivering justice and reparations for victims and survivors.
It is not only the activities highlighted by the commissioner that are impacted by the funding crisis, however. Virtually all the HRC’s work has been affected, with investigations into rights abuses—for example in Sudan, Palestine, and Ukraine—reportedly operating at approximately 30-60 percent of capacity.
In discussions about the proposed cuts, several states—notably those credibly accused of rights abuses—have sought to use the financial crisis as cover to attack the council’s country-focused investigative mandates or undermine the Office of the High Commissioner’s broader work and independence. For example, Eritrea invoked the crisis in its <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/06/24/human-rights-council-members-should-reject-eritreas-bid-to-end-scrutiny" target="_blank">ultimately unsuccessful effort</a> to end council scrutiny of its own dismal rights record.
Amid discussions on the current crisis, there has been little reflection among states on how the UN got into this mess. <a href="https://www.un.org/en/ga/contributions/honourroll.shtml" target="_blank">States failing to pay their membership contributions, or failing to pay on time</a>, has compounded the chronic <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/01/future-un-and-multilateralism-must-be-grounded-human-rights-un-experts" target="_blank">underfunding of the UN’s human rights pillar</a> over decades.
The United States’ failure to pay virtually anything at the moment, followed by China’s late payments, bear the greatest responsibility for the current financial shortfall given their contributions account for nearly half of the UN’s budget.
But they are not alone: <a href="https://www.un.org/en/ga/contributions/honourroll.shtml" target="_blank">79 countries reportedly still haven’t paid their fees for 2025</a> (expected in February). Among those that haven’t yet paid this year are Eritrea, Iran, Cuba, Russia, and others that have used the crisis to take aim at the council’s country mandates or to undermine the work or independence of the high commissioner’s office.
Rather than seeking to meddle in the office’s work or reduce the HRC’s scrutiny of crises, states should work with the UN to ensure funds are available for at least partial delivery of all activities they mandate through the council, particularly in emergencies.
Urgent investigations into situations of mass atrocities are key tools for prevention, protection, and supporting access to justice. They cannot wait until the financial crisis blows over.
Lucy McKernan is United Nations Deputy Director, Advocacy, Human Rights Watch (HRW), and Hilary Power is UN Geneva Director, HRW
IPS UN Bureau
 
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<title>Escalating Gang Violence in Haiti Threatens to Override State Control</title>
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<pubDate>Thu, 10 Jul 2025 18:09:10 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Oritro Karim</dc:creator>
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<description><![CDATA[Over the month of June, the security situation in Haiti has taken a considerable turn for the worse, with armed gangs continuing to coordinate brutal attacks, seizing more territory, and obstructing critical humanitarian aid deliveries. In the past week, new waves of hostilities were reported in the nation’s Centre Department, which has elicited concern from […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img width="300" height="200" src="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Pierre-Ericq-Pierre_-300x200.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Pierre-Ericq-Pierre_-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Pierre-Ericq-Pierre_.jpg 624w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Pierre Ericq Pierre, Permanent Representative of Haiti to the United Nations, addresses the Security Council meeting on the question concerning Haiti. Credit: UN Photo/Evan SchneiderBy Oritro Karim UNITED NATIONS, Jul 10 2025 (IPS) Over the month of June, the security situation in Haiti has taken a considerable turn for the worse, with armed gangs continuing to coordinate brutal attacks, seizing more territory, and obstructing critical humanitarian aid deliveries. In the past week, new waves of hostilities were reported in the nation’s Centre Department, which has elicited concern from humanitarian organizations that gang influence could soon completely overpower state control.

“As gang control expands, the state’s capacity to govern is rapidly shrinking, with social, economic and security implications,” said Ghada Fathi Waly, the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (<a href="https://www.unodc.org/" target="_blank">UNODC</a>). “This erosion of state legitimacy has cascading effects,” such as the suspension of legal commerce along critical trade routes and the exacerbation of food insecurity. 
Approximately 90 percent of the nation’s capital of Port-Au-Prince is estimated to be under gang control, with widespread cases of abuse and impunity being documented. On July 2, Miroslav Jenča, the Assistant Secretary-General for the Americas at the Department of Political Affairs (<a href="https://dppa.un.org/en/mtg-sc-9953-asg-jenca-2-jul-2025%23:~:text=During%2520my%2520visit,%2520I%2520was,the%2520Toussaint%2520Louverture%2520international%2520airport." target="_blank">DPPA</a>) informed reporters that international commercial flights have been suspended, effectively leaving the capital “paralyzed” and “isolated”.
“Since (January), gangs have only strengthened their foothold, which now affects all communes of the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area and beyond, pushing the situation closer to the brink,” said Jenča. “Without increased action by the international community, the total collapse of state presence in the capital could become a very real scenario.”
On July 7, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<a href="https://www.unocha.org/publications/report/haiti/haiti-ongoing-population-movements-lascahobas-commune-centre-department-flash-update-4-3-july-2025" target="_blank">OCHA</a>) released its latest situation report detailing the escalation of insecurity across several communes in the Centre Department. According to the report, the security situation in the Lower Plateau had been destabilized following an attack on the Lascahobas commune on July 3, which triggered mass displacement to surrounding areas where resources were already stretched.
According to estimates from OCHA, prior to these attacks, Belladere and Hinche housed 27,000 and 10,000 displaced individuals, respectively. The International Organization for Migration (<a href="https://dtm.iom.int/reports/haiti-emergency-tracking-tool-66-displacement-following-armed-attacks-areas-bordering" target="_blank">IOM</a>) reports that following the attacks, roughly 16,250 Haitians, or 4,003 households, were forced to flee from Lascahobas, with 57 percent being displaced to Belladere, 14 percent to Hinche, 8 percent to Savanette, and 18 percent to a neighboring municipality in the West Department.
This attack underscores the drastic escalation of hostilities in previously calm areas. Prior to the attacks on Mirebalais and Sauts-d’Eau in March, the Centre Department had largely been isolated from gang related violence. This is also the case for the southern and eastern regions of Haiti, with the latter reporting numerous cases of gangs exploiting critical crossings used for the movement of goods. 
In addition to combating gang activity, the Haitian National Police (HNP) have also struggled to control the emergence of self-defense groups. “While some are motivated by the urgent need to protect their communities, many operate outside existing legal frameworks, in some cases engaging in extrajudicial actions and colluding with gangs,” said Waly. 
Despite some of these groups serving as critical lines of defense in numerous regions, many of them participate in extrajudicial actions, many of which violate international humanitarian law and exacerbate regional insecurity. 
“Although these groups often serve as the last remaining security mechanisms in many areas, they violate fundamental human rights, including the right to life and right to a fair trial, and simultaneously fuel further violence in the form of retaliatory attacks by gangs,” said Jenča. Over the last three months, these groups reportedly killed at least 100 men, and one woman suspected of gang association or collaboration.” Waly adds that these actions push the national demand for guns, military weapons, and ammunition, fueling the persistence of illicit arms markets and violent crimes.
Additionally, humanitarian organizations have expressed concern over the recent use of drone technology by armed groups to conduct surveillance on their territories and track HNP movement. These tactics were first observed during the March 2024 attacks on two of Haiti’s largest prisons in Port-Au-Prince and Croix des Bouquets. The use of drones in densely populated civilian areas raises concerns about a lack of regulations and operational frameworks. 
Furthermore, the UN has underscored the persistence of human rights violations, particularly rates of human trafficking. Over the past three months, the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) recorded a significant increase in rates of sexual violence, which has been bolstered by a lack of reporting, continued social stigma, and a fear of reprisals. Additionally, BINUH has reported cases of illegal organ removal. 
According to a UN spokesperson, the current humanitarian situation in Haiti is particularly alarming due to the Haitian government’s lack of action in addressing the structural gaps that allowed gang violence to prosper. 
“While the expansion of territorial control brings gangs additional sources of revenue and bargaining power, these attacks are also backed by individuals trying to destabilize the political transition for their own political goals,” UN experts said on the way that gangs have exploited the disorganized response to the security crisis. 
To bring lasting change in Haiti, it is imperative for the international community to scale up responses, particularly to assist the relatively weak national police and the multinational force. Furthermore, it is crucial for Haiti to establish harsher regulations for the importation of weapons. 
IPS UN Bureau Report
 
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<title>HIV/AIDS Funding Crisis Risks Reversing Decades of Global Progress</title>
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<pubDate>Thu, 10 Jul 2025 17:53:08 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Jennifer Xin-Tsu Lin Levine</dc:creator>
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<description><![CDATA[UNAIDS called the funding crisis a ticking time bomb, saying the impact of the US cuts to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) could result in 4 million unnecessary AIDS-related deaths by 2029. A historic withdrawal of global HIV/AIDS funding threatens to derail decades of hard-won progress in the fight against AIDS, according […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img width="300" height="200" src="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/WhatsApp-Image-2025-07-10-at-18.21.55-300x200.jpeg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="About 9.2 million people across the world living with HIV were not receiving treatment in 2024, according to the UNAIDS report. At the launch of the report was Rev. Mbulelo Dyasi, Executive Director of SANARELA. Winnie Byanyima, UNAIDS Executive Director, Aaron Motsoaledi, Minister of Health of South Africa. Juwan Betty Wani, Programme Coordinator, Adolescents Girls and young women Network South Sudan. Helen Rees, Executive Director, Wits RHI. Credit: UNAIDS" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/WhatsApp-Image-2025-07-10-at-18.21.55-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/WhatsApp-Image-2025-07-10-at-18.21.55-1024x682.jpeg 1024w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/WhatsApp-Image-2025-07-10-at-18.21.55-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/WhatsApp-Image-2025-07-10-at-18.21.55-629x419.jpeg 629w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/WhatsApp-Image-2025-07-10-at-18.21.55.jpeg 1280w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />About 9.2 million people across the world living with HIV were not receiving treatment in 2024, according to the UNAIDS report. At the launch of the report were Rev. Mbulelo Dyasi, Executive Director of SANARELA. Winnie Byanyima, UNAIDS Executive Director, Aaron Motsoaledi, Minister of Health of South Africa. Juwan Betty Wani, Programme Coordinator, Adolescents Girls and young women Network South Sudan. Helen Rees, Executive Director, Wits RHI. Credit: UNAIDSBy Jennifer Xin-Tsu Lin Levine UNITED NATIONS, Jul 10 2025 (IPS) UNAIDS called the funding crisis a ticking time bomb, saying the impact of the US cuts to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) could result in 4 million unnecessary AIDS-related deaths by 2029.
A historic withdrawal of global HIV/AIDS funding threatens to derail decades of hard-won progress in the fight against AIDS, according to UNAIDS’ annual report, entitled Aids, Crisis and the Power to Transform. This funding shortage – caused by sudden and massive cuts from international donors – is already dismantling frontline services, disrupting lifesaving treatments for millions and endangering countless lives in the world’s most vulnerable communities.
“This is not just a funding gap—it’s a ticking time bomb,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima.
Despite major strides in 2024, including a decrease in new HIV infections by 40 percent and a decrease in AIDS-related deaths by 56% since 2010, the onset of restricted international assistance, which makes up 80 percent of prevention in low- and middle-income countries, could have disastrous effects. The report, mostly researched at the end of 2024, concluded that the end of AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 was in sight.
However, in early 2025 the United States government announced “shifting foreign assistance strategies,” causing them to withdraw aid from organizations like the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which had earlier promised 4.3 billion USD in 2025. PEPFAR is one of the primary HIV testing and treatment services in countries most affected. Such a drastic decision could have ripple effects, including pushing other major donor countries to revoke their aid. The report projected that if international funding permanently disappears, they expect an additional 6 million HIV infections and 4 million AIDS-related deaths by 2029.
At a Press Briefing, Assistant Secretary-General for UNAIDS Angeli Achrekar noted the importance of PEPFAR since its inception in 2003, calling it one of the most successful public health endeavors. She expressed hope that as the US lessens its support, other organizations and countries are able to take up the global promise of ending AIDS without eroding the gains already made.
Achrekar noted “acute shifts” in a weakening of commitment from countries less directly affected by HIV/AIDS since the US has pulled funding.
UNAIDS also reports a rising number of countries criminalizing populations most at risk of HIV – raising stigma and worsening gender-based violence and non-consensual sex, two of the highest HIV risk-enhancing behaviors. The report showed the primary groups who lacked care were child HIV infections and young women, which is likely related to government campaigns “attacking HIV-related human rights, including for public health, with girls, women and people from key populations.”
These punitive laws include criminalization or prosecution based on general criminal laws of HIV exposure, criminalization of sex work, transgender people and same-sex sexual activity and possession of small amounts of drugs. These laws have been on the rise for the past few years, and in conjunction with limited funding, the results for HIV/AIDS-positive patients could be fatal.
Recently, scientific breakthroughs have been made regarding long-acting medicine to prevent HIV infection. Health workers have seen tremendous success, both with new technologies like annual injections and the potential for more growth in the form of monthly preventative tablets and in old prevention techniques like condom procurement and distribution and access to clean, safe needles for drug users. However, due to various global conflicts and wars, supply chains have been disrupted, often harming countries not in the thick of the altercation but reliant on products like PrEP, an HIV prevention medication.
Although many countries most afflicted with the AIDS crisis have stepped up, promising more national funding for the issue, and many community networks have doubled down on their efforts, the disruption of supply chains and the lack of international frontline health workers cannot be solved overnight. To entirely restructure how healthcare is provided takes time – something those with HIV do not always have.
Areas like sub-Saharan Africa, which in 2024 housed half of the 9.2 million people not receiving HIV treatment, have been particularly affected by the recent changes. The majority of child infections still occur there, and combinations of “debt distress, slow economic growth and underperforming tax systems” provide countries in sub-Saharan Africa with limited fiscal room to increase domestic funding for HIV.
Despite the loss of funding, significant progress has been made to protect essential HIV treatment gains. South Africa currently funds 77% of its AIDS response, and its 2025 budget review includes a 3.3% annual increase for HIV and tuberculosis programs over the next three years. As of December 2024, seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa have achieved the 95-95-95 targets established by UNAIDS: 95% of people living with HIV know their status, 95% of those are on treatment, and 95% of those on treatment are virally suppressed. UNAIDS emphasized the importance of this being scaled up to a global level.
Achrekar observed, referring to countries whose domestic funds towards AIDS have increased, that “prevention is the last thing that is prioritized, but we will never be able to turn off the tap of the new infections without focusing on prevention as well.”
She reiterated the importance of countries most affected by the HIV/AIDS crisis establishing self-sustaining health practices to ensure longevity in both prevention and treatment.
Achrekar praised the global South for their work in taking ownership of treatment while still calling upon the rest of the world to join.
She said, “The HIV response was forged in crisis, and it was built to be resilient. We need, and are calling for, global solidarity once again, to rebuild a nationally owned and led, sustainable and inclusive multi-sectoral HIV response.”
IPS UN Bureau Report
 
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<title>The New Silk Road of Central Asia: Landlocked Countries Now Connected</title>
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<pubDate>Thu, 10 Jul 2025 12:11:09 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Maximilian Malawista</dc:creator>
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<description><![CDATA[Once landlocked, now connected, the UN Global Compact has bridged the gap between Europe, Asia, and the Middle East: having many call it the “New Silk Road”. On June 22nd, the UN Global Compact launched their Central Asia Network to drive SDG progress, connecting more than 140 participant companies to the world’s largest corporate sustainability […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img width="300" height="200" src="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Chinese-Freight_-300x200.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Chinese-Freight_-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Chinese-Freight_.jpg 624w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Chinese Freight Train. Credit: Unsplash/KUA YUEBy Maximilian Malawista UNITED NATIONS, Jul 10 2025 (IPS) Once landlocked, now connected, the UN Global Compact has bridged the gap between Europe, Asia, and the Middle East: having many call it the “New Silk Road”.

On June 22nd, the UN Global Compact launched their Central Asia Network to drive SDG progress, connecting more than 140 participant companies to the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative. This initiative will offer the tools and resources necessary to drive business practices which are sustainable and in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Kazakhstan will serve as the initiative’s multi-country office connecting Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. Previously operating separately in silos, these five nations will now be part of a unified platform integrating a green economic strategy and promoting regional development.
“By launching a Country Network here, we are anchoring responsible investment and sustainability into this dynamic corridor, “ <a href="https://unglobalcompact.org/news/5368-06-19-2025" target="_blank">said</a> Sanda Ojiambo, CEO and Executive Director of the UN Global Compact. “We are harnessing the region’s untapped private-sector potential to drive green growth, improve transparency and foster social cohesion.”
This region holds immense capabilities. As sixty percent of people in the region are under age thirty, this offers a powerful human capital to support a new generation of job creation, infrastructure development, and supply chain capabilities.
The Belt and Road Initiative: a new ally
In 2023, The UN Global Compact and China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) formalized a partnership in Beijing, designed to align infrastructure development with long-term sustainability.
As part of this initiative, two tools were introduced:
<ul>· <a href="https://ungc-communications-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/publications/1.1%2520Global%2520Compact%2520Ten%2520Principles%2520Applied%2520in%2520Infrastructure%2520Sectors%2520under%2520the%2520Belt%2520and%2520Road%2520Initiative%2520(BRI)%2520A%2520Practical%2520Guide%2520for%2520Private%2520Sector%2520Players%2520Human%2520Rights%2520and%2520Labour%2520Principles.pdf" target="_blank">Global Compact Ten Principles Applied in Infrastructure Sectors under the BRI: A Practical Guide for Private Sector Players.</a>
· <a href="https://ungc-communications-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/publications/2.%2520Maximizing%2520Impact%2520towards%2520the%2520SDGs%2520Guidance%2520and%2520Assessment%2520Tool%2520for%2520Companies%2520to%2520Advance%2520Sustainable%2520Infrastructure%2520under%2520the%2520Belt%2520and%2520Road%2520Initiative.pdf" target="_blank">Maximizing Impact towards the SDGs: Guidance and Assessment Tool for Companies to Advance Sustainable Infrastructure under the Belt and Road Initiative.</a></ul>
These resources give private sector actors a strategy to not only reach the SGDs, but also further develop infrastructure planning, finance and project implementation, thereby advancing regional connectivity.
The results of this are happening fast. During a summit held in Astana on June 22, President of Xinhua News Agency Fu Hua exchanged a cooperation agreement with Arman Kyrykbayev, Assistant to the President of Kazakhstan, which outlined a collaboration facilitating big data-computing centers, and the creation of a China-Kazakhstan Exchange and Cooperation Center. The new hub will support the facilitation of trade, currency settlement, and cross border intellectual property transactions, reflecting BRI’s vital role in molding a more connected and integrated central Asia. The center is only one of four key regional centers that were launched under the umbrella of China-Central Asia collaboration, with the other three dedicated to poverty reduction, education exchange and desertification control.
In that same week, speaking in Astana, President Xi Jinping of China introduced the “China-Central Asia Spirit,” which he characterized it as a show of “mutual respect, mutual trust, mutual benefit and mutual assistance for the joint pursuit of modernization through high-quality development”. During the summit, Xi, and the leaders of five Central Asian countries signed the treaty of permanent good-neighborliness and friendly cooperation, formalizing a shared vision for an expansive future.
The impact of these economic and diplomatic participations has been clear. China-Central Asia trade in 2024 reached 94.8 billion USD, yielding an increase of 5.4 billion dollars from the previous year. In perspective, this volume of trade is the equivalent of Uzbekistan’s entire GDP, a staggering development for a region previously left behind in the world of trade and commerce.
Infrastructure: the rails and ships of now
<div id="attachment_191318" style="width: 634px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-191318" src="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/A-port-in-the-Yantian_.jpg" alt="" width="624" height="415" class="size-full wp-image-191318" srcset="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/A-port-in-the-Yantian_.jpg 624w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/A-port-in-the-Yantian_-300x200.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 624px) 100vw, 624px" />A port in the Yantian District in Shenzen, China. Credit: Unsplash/Leoon Liang</div>
While policy and values have paved the way, infrastructure is laying the foundation. New railway and freight hubs are rapidly transforming Central Asia from a previously landlocked entity to a vital logistics mega hub.
The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway and the China-Europe Caspian Sea Express are examples of this. These new routes link Central Asia to the Middle East, South Asia, and Europe, expanding its market access exponentially. Chinese cities are opening freight train routes and direct flights to Central Asia, further enhancing supply chains, and making travel ever more efficient.
On June 30, the China-Europe Caspian Sea Express launched, making its multimodal journey to its destination in Baku from Beijing. The journey took approximately fifteen days, cutting travel by more than <a href="https://eng.yidaiyilu.gov.cn/p/0S787N7N.html" target="_blank">half</a>. The train was loaded with 104 TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units), carrying approximately 2,300 tons of export goods, journeying across more than 8,000 kilometers. The corridor will also distribute cargo to Georgia, Türkiye and Serbia, among other regional entities.
The reality of regional cooperation
The transformation of Central Asian supply chains is not theoretical. This is happening in real time, with a new agreement being signed each day. While once fragmented and landlocked, Central Asia is becoming the new bridge between the East and the West: fast tracking expansion globally. Through the coordination of the UN Global Compact, China’s BRI, and regional partnerships, Central Asia has become the new hub for green innovation, sustainable trade, and youth driven economic revitalization.
IPS UN Bureau Report
 
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<title>For the Aged, Their Sunset Years Will Be Bedeviled by Lethal Heatwaves</title>
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<pubDate>Thu, 10 Jul 2025 08:18:26 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Manipadma Jena</dc:creator>
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<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.ipsnews.net/?p=191313</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The global population is aging at a time when heat exposure is rising due to climate change. Extreme heat can be deadly for older populations given their reduced ability to regulate body temperature. Already there has been an 85 percent increase since 1990 in annual heat-related deaths of adults aged above 65, driven by both […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[The global population is aging at a time when heat exposure is rising due to climate change. Extreme heat can be deadly for older populations given their reduced ability to regulate body temperature. Already there has been an 85 percent increase since 1990 in annual heat-related deaths of adults aged above 65, driven by both […]]]></content:encoded>
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<title>Seychelles’ Path to Macroeconomic Stability and Resilience</title>
<link>https://www.ipsnews.net/2025/07/seychelles-path-to-macroeconomic-stability-and-resilience/</link>
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<pubDate>Thu, 10 Jul 2025 03:10:58 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Todd Schneider - Hany Abdel-Latif - Pedro Maciel - Henry Qua</dc:creator>
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<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.ipsnews.net/?p=191308</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Seychelles—a nation of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean—today enjoys a comparatively high degree of economic stability. Inflation is below 2 percent, real GDP has largely recovered from the pandemic, public debt is on course to reach the government’s target of less than 50 percent of GDP before 2030, and per capita income is the […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img width="300" height="169" src="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Dark_Eni_-300x169.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Dark_Eni_-300x169.jpg 300w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Dark_Eni_.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Credit: Dark_Eni/iStock by Getty ImagesBy Todd Schneider, Hany Abdel-Latif, Pedro Maciel and Henry Quach WASHINGTON DC, Jul 10 2025 (IPS) Seychelles—a nation of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean—today enjoys a comparatively high degree of economic stability. Inflation is below 2 percent, real GDP has largely recovered from the pandemic, public debt is on course to reach the government’s target of less than 50 percent of GDP before 2030, and per capita income is the highest in Sub-Saharan Africa.

But this stands in stark contrast to the country’s fortunes twenty years ago when it faced an economic crisis. What’s behind this turnaround?
From times of crisis
In the mid-2000s, Seychelles faced significant macroeconomic challenges stemming from expansionary fiscal policies and a rigid state-led economy. Large fiscal deficits were driven by high public spending on capital projects, subsidies, transfers to state enterprises and high debt service payments, while government revenues were constrained by significant tax concessions to foreign investors in the growing tourism sector. 
An expansionary monetary policy within a fixed exchange rate framework and extensive exchange controls led to external imbalances and depletion of foreign reserves. 
By 2008, gross public debt exceeded 192 percent of GDP and reserves had dwindled to just 2 weeks of import cover. The global financial crisis exacerbated these vulnerabilities, and the crisis came to a head in mid-2008 when the Seychelles authorities missed payments on the nation’s private foreign debt and Standard & Poor’s downgraded Seychelles to selective default.
Changing course
In response to this crisis, the government launched a comprehensive reform program with support from the IMF and other development partners. Key actions included abolishing all exchange restrictions and floating the rupee, consolidating public finances, reforming state enterprises, and abolishing indirect product subsidies in favor of a targeted social safety net. 
Paris Club creditors agreed to a debt stock reduction. These measures quickly yielded positive outcomes: inflation fell, foreign reserves were restored to over 3 months of import cover, and public debt declined to below 70 percent of GDP within five years. 
This turnaround rebuilt investor confidence, and the restoration of macroeconomic stability allowed policymakers room to shift from crisis management to macro-structural reforms in support of sustainable growth.
Resilience and commitment tested
The COVID-19 pandemic, which caused a sudden collapse in global tourism, was another tremendous shock. But its years of macroeconomic stability enabled Seychelles to face this new challenge from a position of strength. 
Confronted with an economic contraction of nearly 12 percent in 2020, the government implemented timely fiscal and monetary measures to support households and businesses, utilized emergency financing from the IMF, and moved quickly to resume tourism. 
As tourism rebounded in 2021 and 2022, economic growth surged to nearly 13 percent in 2022, helping to regain lost ground. Foreign exchange reserves were maintained above 3 months of import cover, and the exchange rate was allowed to move to facilitate adjustment. 
Key to managing the effects of the pandemic and the international commodity shock that followed were the fiscal and foreign exchange buffers built up in prior years and a commitment to macro fiscal discipline demonstrated by the government.
Staying on course
Given highly volatile global economic and financial conditions, Seychelles’ hard-won macroeconomic stability will likely be put to the test again. Environmental pressures limit scope to expand tourism, while vulnerability to external shocks argues for continued strong fiscal discipline and external buffers. 
To ensure continued economic growth and resilience, vital investments in infrastructure will be necessary, together with deeper development of human capital, more efficient public services, and financial sector deepening and inclusion. 
Concerted efforts are also needed to strengthen the social safety net and address critical social ills that hamper productivity and economic development. Some of these areas fall within the reform agenda under the current IMF-supported Extended Fund Facility and Resilience and Sustainability Facility, but others will require new policy commitments.
Seychelles’ economic record highlights the importance of sound macroeconomic management and institutional strengthening in achieving and sustaining economic prosperity. Its journey offers valuable lessons for other small economies aiming at building resilience in an increasingly uncertain global landscape.
Todd Schneider is IMF mission chief to Seychelles and an advisor in the IMF’s African Department, where Hany Abdel-Latif is an economist, Pedro Maciel is a senior economist, and Henry Quach is a research analyst.
The IMF Executive Board recently completed the <a href="https://imf.sitecoresend.io/tracking/lc/e163086b-fa0f-401a-b0d8-cb033efa3f82/383cdfc1-0321-4d92-8dbc-77853c52d534/29a537e8-4930-c2f7-954a-de3b649ceffa/" target="_blank">fourth review</a> of Seychelles’ economic performance under the <a href="https://imf.sitecoresend.io/tracking/lc/e163086b-fa0f-401a-b0d8-cb033efa3f82/882cb6a6-1d46-47d7-baf0-62bf16ff8d2d/29a537e8-4930-c2f7-954a-de3b649ceffa/" target="_blank">Extended Fund Facility (EFF)</a> and <a href="https://imf.sitecoresend.io/tracking/lc/e163086b-fa0f-401a-b0d8-cb033efa3f82/5c483213-1ec4-4680-b376-40b76f96e613/29a537e8-4930-c2f7-954a-de3b649ceffa/" target="_blank">Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF)</a>.
IPS UN Bureau
 
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<title>WHO Launches Initiative to Tax Tobacco and Beverage Corporations to Boost Public Health</title>
<link>https://www.ipsnews.net/2025/07/who-launches-initiative-to-tax-tobacco-and-beverage-corporations-to-boost-public-health/</link>
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<pubDate>Wed, 09 Jul 2025 18:03:23 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Oritro Karim</dc:creator>
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<description><![CDATA[On July 2, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched the “3 by 35” initiative in an effort to boost public health and limit global consumption of harmful substances. By urging international governments to implement taxes on tobacco, sugary drinks, and alcohol, WHO seeks to reduce worldwide cases of noncommunicable disease amid heightened strains on global […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img width="300" height="200" src="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Tedros-Adhanom-Ghebreyesus_-300x200.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Tedros-Adhanom-Ghebreyesus_-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Tedros-Adhanom-Ghebreyesus_.jpg 624w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), delivers a message to multi-stakeholders on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases. Credit: UN Photo/Loey FelipeBy Oritro Karim UNITED NATIONS, Jul 9 2025 (IPS) On July 2, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched the “<a href="https://www.who.int/initiatives/3-by-35" target="_blank">3 by 35</a>” initiative in an effort to boost public health and limit global consumption of harmful substances. By urging international governments to implement taxes on tobacco, sugary drinks, and alcohol, WHO seeks to reduce worldwide cases of noncommunicable disease amid heightened strains on global health systems and a shrinking supply of funding.

Through the initiative, WHO aims to introduce “health taxes” that would raise the prices of tobacco, sugary drinks, and alcohol by 50 percent by 2035. In addition to promoting healthier lifestyle choices, health and humanitarian experts are hopeful that these taxes could boost public revenue that could be used to revitalize critical public sectors, particularly in developing and lower-income countries that are experiencing diminishing funding for development aid. 
WHO is optimistic that these taxes could raise $1 trillion dollars in revenue in the next ten years. “Health taxes are one of the most efficient tools we have,” said Dr Jeremy Farrar, Assistant Director-General, Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and Control, WHO. “They cut the consumption of harmful products and create revenue governments can reinvest in health care, education, and social protection. It’s time to act.”
This comes after the success of similar strategies that have been implemented across various regions. In 2017, Colombia implemented a tax on sugary beverages which resulted in a 22 percent decline in nationwide sugary beverage consumption and generated approximately USD 360 million annually, which was allocated for funding healthcare programs. 
On the other hand, Vietnam’s recent push to increase taxes on alcohol and tobacco has yielded mixed results. In June 2025, the Vietnamese Parliament approved a tax increase on alcoholic beverages from 65 percent to 90 percent by 2031. Additionally, parliament is actively considering the implementation of a hybrid tax system on tobacco products, including an Ad Valorem tax of 75 percent as well as an additional fixed tax per pack. 
The tax on alcohol in Vietnam poses numerous economic risks as the brewing industry could see substantial losses, leading to job cuts and a significant decline in revenue. Both of these taxes could also raise rates of illicit trade and the alternative consumption of unregulated goods. 
Despite the recent initiative eliciting significant pushback from beverage corporations, WHO is adamant that it will yield long-term benefits for public health. WHO attributes this to the results of previous tobacco taxes implemented by 140 countries from 2012 to 2022. In 2020, WHO <a href="https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/topics/raise-taxes-on-tobacco" target="_blank">estimated</a> that approximately 1 billion people around the world experienced health benefits from living in countries with high taxes on tobacco.
According to WHO, consumption of sugary drinks, tobacco, and alcohol accounts for nearly 75 percent of all deaths worldwide, the majority of which are from heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Additionally, it is estimated that the taxes proposed in the initiative could prevent approximately 50 million premature deaths over the next 50 years. 
Vietnam’s WHO Representative Dr. Angela Pratt <a href="https://www.who.int/vietnam/news/speeches/speech/speech-by-dr-angela-pratt-for-world-no-tobacco-day-in-viet-nam-2025" target="_blank">states</a> that taxes like these are instrumental in securing a healthy and prosperous future for younger generations, describing the current marketing tactics of tobacco companies as “manipulative”. 
“We have seen this in Vietnam, especially for e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, with flavours like watermelon, raspberry slush and lemon tart that mask the harshness of nicotine, and bright packaging that attracts youth,” Pratt said. “Tobacco tax is like a vaccine against the health harms of tobacco for young people – by stopping them from starting smoking, we are helping to protect them from the risks of tobacco use for life.” 
Despite this, many countries around the world continue to provide tax exemptions and commercial incentives to tobacco and beverage industries. To combat this, WHO is bringing together policymakers, stakeholders, and its “powerful group of global partners” to collaborate on policies that could be used on an international level to reduce the consumption of harmful substances. Furthermore, they are working to raise awareness about the benefits of health taxes and empower healthcare systems worldwide.
IPS UN Bureau Report
 
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<title>Preventing Pandemics Needs Every Tool in the Toolbox – Including Animal Vaccines</title>
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<pubDate>Wed, 09 Jul 2025 17:46:54 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Susana Pombo</dc:creator>
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<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.ipsnews.net/?p=191302</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Just five years on from the Covid-19 pandemic, another animal-borne disease is mutating and spreading across borders and species. Avian influenza has already resulted in the loss of more than 630 million birds in the last 20 years. And new figures from the inaugural State of the World’s Animal Health report find that the number […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img width="300" height="200" src="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Preventing-Pandemics_-300x200.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Preventing-Pandemics_-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Preventing-Pandemics_.jpg 630w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Dr Susana Pombo addresses the WOAH General Session in May. Credit: WOAH/Maurine TricBy Susana Pombo LISBON, Jul 9 2025 (IPS) Just five years on from the Covid-19 pandemic, another animal-borne disease is mutating and spreading across borders and species.
Avian influenza has already resulted in the loss of <a href="https://www.woah.org/app/uploads/2025/02/hpai-report-67.pdf" target="_blank">more than 630 million birds</a> in the last 20 years. And new figures from the inaugural State of the World’s Animal Health report find that the number of reported outbreaks in mammals, including cattle, sheep and cats, doubled last year compared to 2023. 

The risk of human infection with avian flu remains low. But the more species of mammals become infected, the greater the possibility of the virus adapting to mammal-to-mammal – and potentially human – transmission. And recent experience has shown exactly how devastating and disruptive a zoonotic pandemic can be for all aspects of life.
After the World Health Organization (WHO) adopted a new pandemic accord at the 78th World Health Assembly, the global community must remember that animal vaccines can be one of our most powerful tools for preventing zoonotic disease outbreaks, alongside other control measures. 
At present, many countries are unable to include vaccination within their avian flu control strategies because of its impact on trade, livelihoods and food security. The difficulty of distinguishing a vaccinated bird with immunity from an infected bird means widespread vaccination can result in damaging trade barriers.
But controlling avian flu in poultry stops it from spreading to other animals and people, and vaccination can play a highly effective role alongside other measures when integrated carefully. 
For example, the Toulouse Veterinary School modelled that France would experience up to 700 avian flu outbreaks in 2023. But, according to the French Chief Veterinary Officer, a nationwide campaign to vaccinate ducks meant the country only suffered 10 outbreaks. 
Key to this was transparency and dialogue, with the French authorities consulting regularly with the scientific community via the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES), veterinarians and researchers, local farmers and international trading partners.
For more countries to incorporate animal vaccination into avian flu control strategies and avert the risk of another pandemic, governments and agencies around the world must overcome a number of locally-specific barriers, which often hold back vaccination against other animal diseases. 
First, governments must recognise animal health as an intrinsic part of global health and foster international cooperation for disease monitoring, data-sharing, early warning systems and harmonised vaccination approaches.
The more authorities know about how and where the disease is spreading, the greater the chance of containing it. And agreeing an approach to vaccination with trade partners to contain a specific outbreak, or to target wild animals as disease reservoirs, can limit the impact that disease control has on exports.
Secondly, the livestock sector would benefit enormously from the development and use of advanced diagnostic tools to differentiate between vaccinated and infected animals. Known as the DIVA principle, this will enable accurate disease tracking and trade transparency.
The ability to demonstrate that an animal is immune rather than infected would help overcome trade barriers to vaccination, but this requires greater public and private investment and collaboration.
Lastly, more investment is urgently needed for the use of vaccines as well as biosecurity measures, hygiene protocols and other disease prevention measures. Veterinary professionals need ongoing education and field training, in addition to the appropriate infrastructure, to ensure effective vaccine delivery and disease management at the grassroots level.
The return on investment from disease control spans both public and private sectors, supporting improved public health as well as agricultural productivity, trade and food security.
If Covid-19 taught the world anything, it is that global health is an interconnected system that includes animals of all kinds as well as environmental factors. 
Tackling animal diseases through vaccination, biosecurity and other measures is as critical for animals as it is for people and pandemic prevention, and just like Covid-19, it needs global collaboration, innovation and investment.
Dr. Susana Pombo is President of the World Organisation for Animal Health’s Council 
IPS UN Bureau
 
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<title>‘Only a Handful of Environmental Organisations Still Dare Challenge Corporate Projects in Court’</title>
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<pubDate>Wed, 09 Jul 2025 07:38:02 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>CIVICUS</dc:creator>
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<description><![CDATA[  CIVICUS speaks to Cristinel Buzatu, regional legal advisor for Central and Eastern Europe at Greenpeace, about how Romania’s state gas company is weaponising the courts to silence environmental opposition. On 10 June, the state-owned energy giant Romgaz filed a lawsuit seeking to dissolve Greenpeace Romania. The legal attack came after the organisation campaigned against […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[By CIVICUS Jul 9 2025 (IPS)   
CIVICUS speaks to Cristinel Buzatu, regional legal advisor for Central and Eastern Europe at Greenpeace, about how Romania’s state gas company is weaponising the courts to silence environmental opposition. 

<div id="attachment_191298" style="width: 271px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-191298" src="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Cristinel-Buzatu.jpg" alt="" width="261" height="261" class="size-full wp-image-191298" srcset="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Cristinel-Buzatu.jpg 261w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Cristinel-Buzatu-100x100.jpg 100w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Cristinel-Buzatu-144x144.jpg 144w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 261px) 100vw, 261px" />Cristinel Buzatu</div>On 10 June, the state-owned energy giant Romgaz filed a lawsuit seeking to dissolve Greenpeace Romania. The legal attack came after the organisation campaigned against the company’s plans to exploit a Black Sea gas field. Politicians say the project is crucial for Romania’s energy independence and its ability to export gas to Moldova, while civil society is clear that fossil fuel extraction must stop to prevent runaway climate change. Romgaz withdrew the case just hours before the first hearing, but the lawsuit exposed how fossil fuel companies are exploiting legal loopholes to silence dissent, marking a dangerous escalation in corporate attacks on climate activists.
What’s the Neptun Deep project and why is Greenpeace challenging it?
The Neptun Deep project is the largest proposed fossil gas drilling project in the European Union (EU), and we’re fighting it on multiple fronts. Operated by Romgaz Black Sea Limited Nassau SRL and OMV Petrom SA in the Romanian Black Sea, this massive drilling operation threatens biodiversity, accelerates climate change and extreme weather and locks Romania and the EU into an outdated and harmful fossil fuel system.
Our legal challenge targets the project’s environmental permit. We asked the Bucharest Tribunal to suspend it, arguing the Constanța Environmental Protection Agency had approved it in breach of environmental law. The agency’s evaluation was superficial at best, relying on outdated data on the project’s climate impacts and greenhouse gas emissions. Crucially, they ignored its impacts on biodiversity and water bodies, failed to consider risks from potential military conflicts and bypassed meaningful public consultation. Key documents such as ecotoxicity tests and archaeological diagnostic reports were kept hidden from public scrutiny.
When the court rejected our application, it hit us with a massive bill of 150,000 lei (approx. US$34,550) in legal costs to each company. They had demanded even more.
How did Romgaz turn legal costs into a weapon?
Romgaz claimed we failed to pay those costs and were therefore insolvent, which is grounds for dissolving an organisation under Romanian law. They alleged we had no assets or bank accounts and were using several legal entities to avoid responsibility. But the truth is we’ve never received a formal payment notice. When we actively requested one, none came.
Yet Romgaz pressed ahead, filing for our dissolution while launching a media smear campaign. We prepared our defence, confident the facts would vindicate us, as Romgaz’s claims were demonstrably false. But we never got our day in court. Just hours before the first hearing, Romgaz abruptly withdrew the case. Even then, it publicly reaffirmed its accusations and vowed to try again. The strategy was clear: inflict maximum reputational damage while denying us any opportunity to defend ourselves.
Is this part of a broader attack on environmental groups?
Absolutely. This case exemplifies a troubling trend targeting civil society in Romania, particularly environmental groups that dare to use the courts. The playbook is simple: companies that win cases demand excessive legal costs. When organisations can’t pay, the companies pursue their dissolution on insolvency grounds.
We’ve seen this weapon deployed repeatedly. Take Militia Spirituala, a local organisation that was dissolved at the request of a real estate developer. The same developer also tried to shut down Salvati Bucurestiul over unpaid legal fees, although the organisation survived by paying up. Now that developer is suing several organisations for damages totalling a million euros.
The chilling effect is undeniable. While we lack exact figures on litigation rates, the reality speaks for itself: only a handful of organisations still dare to challenge corporate projects in court. Most have been scared off by the legal and financial risks. This amounts to a serious restriction on access to justice, and we urgently need to find ways to reverse this trend.
How did civil society fight back against Romgaz?
The response was immediate and powerful. Civil society recognised the Romgaz case for what it was: a textbook <a href="https://www.civicus.org/index.php/re-imagining-democracy/stories-from-the-frontlines/3281-how-slapps-undermine-democracy-a-case-study-of-the-usa" target="_blank">SLAPP</a> – a strategic litigation against public participation. Within just 24 hours, over 25,000 people signed a <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org/romania/comunicat-presa/10780/peste-22-000-de-semnaturi-in-24-de-ore-petitie-catre-nicusor-dan-si-viitorul-premier-ca-sebastian-burduja-sa-nu-fie-numit-in-viitorul-guvern/" target="_blank">petition</a> condemning the attempt to silence us.
But the attack’s roots went deeper than one company’s aggression: it was a coordinated effort made from the highest levels of government. On 20 March, the Ministry of Energy held up the <a href="https://lens.civicus.org/the-price-of-protest-greenpeace-hit-with-huge-penalty/" target="_blank">Energy Transfer lawsuit</a> in the USA against three Greenpeace organisations as a model to emulate, explicitly encouraging national energy firms to launch similar legal assaults on environmental groups that challenge their projects. The message was unmistakable: the state stands with corporations against civil society.
This provoked unprecedented unity. Over 110 civil society organisations from diverse fields signed an open letter demanding the minister’s dismissal. Yet even this solidarity wasn’t enough to stop the attacks. In May, the minister openly welcomed Romgaz’s attempt to dissolve us, repeating baseless claims about our finances and structure – the same lies peddled in court.
Still, something remarkable has happened. Many people who have never supported us before reached out, saying that while they might not always agree with our campaigns, they recognised this legal action as pure intimidation. That support gives us strength to carry on, defend civic space and resist corporate capture of our democracy.
GET IN TOUCH 
<a href="https://www.greenpeace.org/romania/" target="_blank">Website</a> 
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/greenpeace.ro/" target="_blank">Facebook</a> 
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/greenpeace_romania/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> 
<a href="https://x.com/GreenpeaceRO" target="_blank">Twitter</a> 
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/GreenpeaceRomania09" target="_blank">YouTube</a>
SEE ALSO 
<a href="https://lens.civicus.org/the-price-of-protest-greenpeace-hit-with-huge-penalty/" target="_blank">The price of protest: Greenpeace hit with huge penalty</a> CIVICUS Lens 09.Apr.2025 
<a href="https://lens.civicus.org/interview/energy-transfers-lawsuit-against-greenpeace-is-an-attempt-to-drain-our-resources-and-silence-dissent/" target="_blank">‘Energy Transfer’s lawsuit against Greenpeace is an attempt to drain our resources and silence dissent’</a> CIVICUS Lens | Interview with Daniel Simons 01.Apr.2025 
<a href="https://civicus.org/index.php/media-resources/news/interviews/6922-europe-member-states-must-introduce-national-anti-slapp-legislation-to-protect-public-watchdogs" target="_blank">Europe: ‘Member states must introduce national anti-SLAPP legislation to protect public watchdogs’</a> CIVICUS Lens | Interview with Francesca Borg Costanzi 21.Mar.2024
 
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<title>How Mongolia Can Expedite It’s Just Transition Plans to Include Its Nomads</title>
<link>https://www.ipsnews.net/2025/07/how-mongolia-can-expedite-its-just-transition-plans-to-include-its-nomads/</link>
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<pubDate>Wed, 09 Jul 2025 06:11:02 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Aatreyee Dhar</dc:creator>
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<description><![CDATA[Youth activist Gereltuya Bayanmukh still reflects on the events in her formative years that inspired her to become a climate activist. When she was a child, she would visit her grandparents in a village 20 km to the south of the border between Russia and Mongolia. She was happy to see each of the nomadic […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img width="300" height="169" src="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/GereltuyaBayanmukh_Photo01-300x169.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="Gereltuya Bayanmukh speaks about her motivations to become involved in climate activism. Credit: Leo Galduh/IPS" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/GereltuyaBayanmukh_Photo01-300x169.jpg 300w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/GereltuyaBayanmukh_Photo01.jpg 630w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Gereltuya Bayanmukh speaks about her motivations to become involved in climate activism. Credit: Leo Galduh/IPSBy Aatreyee Dhar ULAANBAATAR, Jul 9 2025 (IPS) Youth activist Gereltuya Bayanmukh still reflects on the events in her formative years that inspired her to become a climate activist. When she was a child, she would visit her grandparents in a village 20 km to the south of the border between Russia and Mongolia.
She was happy to see each of the nomadic people in their traditional gers power up their settlements using solar power.
“I remember seeing my neighbors own a solar panel and a battery to accumulate power. They were turning on lights and watching TV using solar power. Nowadays, they even have fridges,” she says.
She thought the herders made a conscious choice about their lifestyles and understood the need of the hour in the face of the looming climate crisis. That is to say, switch to renewable energy and power a safer future.
“This was the reason I became a climate activist,” she says.
No matter how unwitting her notion about her community achieving self-sufficiency with renewable energy was, the findings about what entailed this system revealed something else.
“I later learned that the solar panels were partially subsidized by the government as a part of the nationwide government to equip 100,000 nomadic households with solar energy,” she says.
What she perceived turned out to be a nationwide renewable energy scheme by the Mongolian government for the nomadic herders.
The scheme, called the National 100,000 Solar Ger [Yurt] Electricity Program, introduced in 2000, provided herders with portable photovoltaic solar home systems that complement their traditional nomadic lifestyle.
At least 30 percent of Mongolia’s population comprises nomadic herders. Before 2000, when the scheme came into effect, herders had limited or no access to modern electricity. By 2005, the government managed to equip over 30,000 herder families through funds from several donor nations.
However, the full-scale electrification effort for herders was beginning to stagnate. The 2006 midterm custom audit performance report by the Standing Committee on Environment, Food and Agriculture of the Parliament carried sobering revelations.
The scheme in its initial phase was poorly managed: there was no control over the distribution process, with some units delivered to local areas landing in the hands of non-residents violating the contract, failure to deliver the targeted number of generators, misappropriation of the program funds, and inability to repay the loans within the contractual period.
However, in the third phase–2006-2012–the program was able to expand its implementation with the support of several international donors, including the World Bank.
“At first, I thought how great that we started out with the renewable energy transition, giving access to renewable energy at a lower price. And it was even in 1999. That was when I was just four years old. I believe we were on our way to building a future like this. Like we visualized here. The future of green nomadism. However, my optimism faded when I read the midterm audit report and discovered that the program had been (just as) poorly managed as the first part. It was only with the assistance of the international partners that the program finished well,” says Gereltuya.
Gereltuya is the co-founder and board director of her NGO, Green Dot Climate, which focuses on empowering youth as climate activists and raising awareness and practical skills for climate action.
One of the mottoes of her NGO is to change the youth’s and Mongolian people’s attitudes and practices around climate change issues as well as solutions.
In the past year, the NGO has been successful in reaching over half a million Mongolians, including nomads, helping them become more environmentally conscious and empowering the youth to be climate activists—makers and doers themselves.
“In the past year, we have reached over half a million Mongolians. Our Green Dot youth community has logged more than 100,000 individual climate actions, saving over 700,000 kg of CO₂, 25 liters of water, and 80,000 kilowatt-hours of energy. Next, we will aim for a million collective actions, a stronger community and a minimum of 50 collaborative climate projects in Mongolia,” Gereltuya said during her delegate speech at the One Young World Summit, a global event that brings in young leaders from around the world to discuss global issues, in 2023.
The state of Mongolia’s nomads in the current energy system
Mongolia as a country heavily relies on coal for energy production, which contributes to 90 percent of its energy production. Coming to just transition, the government aims for a 30 percent renewable energy share by 2030 of its installed capacity, as enshrined in the State Policy on Energy 2015-2030. Mongolia is also committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 22.7 percent by 2030 while the energy sector accounts for 44.78 percent of the total emissions as of 2020 according to Mongolia’s Second Biennial Update Report.
Gereltuya’s NGO, Green Dot Climate, has been mapping Mongolia’s energy systems for the past few years now. As of 2024, Mongolia’s electricity sector relies on CHP [combined heat and power] plants and imports from Russia and China to meet its electricity demands.
Only 7 percent of its total installed energy comes from renewable sources, with the Central Energy System accounting for over 80 percent of the total electricity demand. “We found that about 200,000 households remain unaccounted for in the centralized energy grid calculations. These are likely the same nomadic families or their later generations who likely adopted their first solar systems at least two decades ago,” she explains.
Gereltuya says that her organisation meticulously compared the recent household data cited by the <a href="https://erc.gov.mn/mn/statistic">Energy Regulatory Commission of Mongolia</a> to that of the total number of households as per the <a href="https://1212.mn/mn/statistic/statcate/573051/table-view/DT_NSO_0300_006V1">Mongolian Statistical Information Service</a> to find the numbers that went missing
Mongolia’s backslide into fossil-fuel economy
Although Mongolia has promised to increase its renewable energy share to 30 percent by 2030, it is still far behind in the race to achieve its target.
In the<a href="https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/NDC/2022-06/First%20Submission%20of%20Mongolia%27s%20NDC.pdf"> 2020 Nationally Determined Contribution [NDC] submission to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change [UNFCCC],</a> Mongolia set its mitigation target to “a 22.7% reduction in total national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030,” which can increase to a 27.2 percent reduction if conditional mitigation measures such as the carbon capture and storage and waste-to-energy technology are implemented. Further, if “actions and measures to remove GHG emissions by forest are determined”, the total mitigation target would rise to 44.9 percent by 2030.
“Instead of focusing on decarbonizing its coal-based economy, Mongolia shifted to focus on carbon-sink and sequestration processes to reduce its emissions. This suggests that despite our many promises, policies and past efforts to mainstream renewables, we may still end up with business as usual. A case of bad governance, stagnation and vicious cycles,” she says.
Recommendations for Mongolia’s energy sector
Gereltuya’s NGO has been actively engaged in the survey ‘Earth Month 2025’ that is aimed at collecting specific recommendations from the youth voices in the country for the NDC 3.0 that the government is expected to submit in COP30. She shares a few recommendations that she believes can help improve the country’s energy systems.
On the demand side, households not connected to the grid should update and improve their solar home systems, especially now that the solutions are much cheaper and more efficient.
According to the 2024 World Bank ‘Mongolia Country Climate and Development Report,’ the average residential tariff for electricity in Mongolia was estimated to be 40 percent below cost recovery, and subsidies were worth 3.5 percent of GDP in 2022. The lack of cost recovery created hurdles in efforts to enhance energy efficiency and investment in renewable energy. In the context, those connected to the grid should pay more for their energy use to reflect the real cost of energy production and support renewable energy feed-in tariffs. There should be responsible voting of citizens demanding better policies and implementations and not trading in policies for short-term gains.
On the supply side, there is a need to stop new fossil fuel projects immediately: there are at least six such projects, including one international project under Mongolia’s current Energy Revival Policy, underway.
Secondly, Mongolia’s electricity infrastructure needs significant improvement. As the UNDP recently highlighted, Mongolia’s infrastructure is aging, inefficient and heavily subsidized.
Thirdly, fully utilize installed energy capacity, which is at only 30 percent, largely owing to the infrastructure inefficiency.
Fourth is to increase the overall renewable energy capacity five times to meet demand, which means 15 times the energy made in full demand. And phase out coal-based power, replacing it with fully renewable energy.
IPS UN Bureau Report
 
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<title>Genocide Made Invisible</title>
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<pubDate>Wed, 09 Jul 2025 05:39:47 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Norman Solomon</dc:creator>
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<description><![CDATA[Whatever the outcomes of Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the White House on Monday and the latest scenario for a ceasefire in Gaza, a bilateral policy of genocide has united the Israeli and U.S. governments in a pact of literally breath-taking cruelty. That pact and its horrific consequences for Palestinian people either continue to shock Americans […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img width="300" height="136" src="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/UN-staff-and-medical-workers_-300x136.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/UN-staff-and-medical-workers_-300x136.jpg 300w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/UN-staff-and-medical-workers_.jpg 624w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />UN staff and medical workers evacuating patients from a hospital in northern Gaza in late May 2025. Credit: WHOBy Norman Solomon SAN FRANCISCO, USA, Jul 9 2025 (IPS) Whatever the outcomes of Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the White House on Monday and the latest scenario for a ceasefire in Gaza, a bilateral policy of genocide has united the Israeli and U.S. governments in a pact of literally breath-taking cruelty.

That pact and its horrific consequences for Palestinian people either continue to shock Americans or gradually normalize indifference toward ongoing atrocities on a massive scale.
Recent news reporting that President Trump has pushed for a ceasefire in Gaza is an echo of a familiar refrain about peace-seeking efforts from the Biden and Trump administrations. The spin remained in sync with the killing – not only with American bombs and bullets but also with Israel’s refusal to allow more than a pittance of food and other essentials into Gaza.
Last year began with a United Nations statement that “Gazans now make up 80 per cent of all people facing famine or catastrophic hunger worldwide, marking an unparalleled humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip amid Israel’s continued bombardment and siege.” The UN quoted experts who said: “Currently every single person in Gaza is hungry, a quarter of the population are starving and struggling to find food and drinkable water, and famine is imminent.”
In late February 2024, President Biden talked to journalists about prospects for a “ceasefire” (which did not take place) while holding a vanilla ice cream cone. “My national security adviser tells me that we’re close, we’re close, we’re not done yet,” Biden said, before sauntering off. He spoke during a photo op at an ice cream parlor in Manhattan, while the UN was sounding an alarm that “very little humanitarian aid has entered besieged Gaza this month.”
During the 16 months since then, variants of facile verbiage from top U.S. government officials have repeated endlessly, while normalizing genocide with a steep race to the ethical bottom, so that – in Orwellian terms, much like “war is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength” – genocide is not genocide.
Refusal to acknowledge the complicity and impunity is most of all maintained by avoidance and silence. The process makes a terrible truth inadmissible rather than admittable.
All the doublethink and newspeak must detour around the reality that the U.S.-supported Israeli siege of Gaza is genocide, which the international Genocide Convention defines as “acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group” – with such actions as “deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part.”
Israel’s actions in Gaza clearly meet that definition, as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have unequivocally concluded with exhaustive reports. But under the cloaks of the Israeli and American flags, the official stories insist that the unconscionable should be invisible.
Liberal Zionist groups in the United States are part of the process. Here’s what I wrote in an article for The Nation early this year after examining public statements by the “pro-Israel, pro-peace” group J Street:
“Routinely, while calling for the release of the Israeli hostages, the organization also expressed concern about the deaths and suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. But none of J Street’s 132 news releases between October 7 and the start of the [temporary] ceasefire in late January 2025 called for an end to shipments of the U.S. bombs and weapons that were killing those civilians while enforcing Israel’s policy of using starvation as a weapon of war – a glaring omission for a group that declares itself to be ‘pro-peace.’
It was as if J Street thought that vague humanistic pleas could paper over these gaping cracks in its stance.
“However, J Street felt comfortable taking a firm line on the question of whether Israel was committing genocide in Gaza. Here, it aligned itself completely with the position of the U.S. and Israeli governments. In mid-January 2024, when oral arguments ended at the International Court of Justice in the case brought by South Africa that charged the Israeli government with violating the Genocide Convention in Gaza, a news release declared that ‘J Street rejects the allegation of genocide against the State of Israel.’
Four months later, on May 24, J Street responded quickly when the ICJ ordered Israel to ‘immediately halt its military offensive’ in Rafah. ‘J Street continues to reject the allegation of genocide in this case,’ a news release said.”
Likewise, with rare exceptions, U.S. news media and members of Congress dodge the reality of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
Meanwhile, the events in Gaza and the evasions in the United States have been enormously instructive, shattering illusions along the way. Many Americans, especially young people, know much more about their country and its government than they did just two years ago.
What has come to light includes mass murder of certain other human beings as de facto policy and functional ideology.
Norman Solomon is the national director of RootsAction and executive director of the Institute for Public Accuracy. The paperback edition of his latest book, War Made Invisible: How America Hides the Human Toll of Its Military Machine, includes an afterword about the Gaza war.
IPS UN Bureau
 
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<title>World Bank’s IFC Finally Adopts Remedial Action Framework</title>
<link>https://www.ipsnews.net/2025/07/world-bank-ifcs-landmark-remedial-action-framework/</link>
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<pubDate>Tue, 08 Jul 2025 07:06:20 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Carla Garcia Zendejas</dc:creator>
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<description><![CDATA[The World Bank’s private sector arm has raised the bar — and others may follow. On April 15, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) became the first development finance institution to adopt a formal remedy policy, publishing its Remedial Action Framework (RAF) to address environmental and social harm caused by IFC-supported investment projects. The move sets […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img width="200" height="300" src="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/ifc_-200x300.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/ifc_-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/ifc_.jpg 218w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" />Credit: CIELBy Carla García Zendejas WASHINGTON DC, Jul 8 2025 (IPS) The World Bank’s private sector arm has raised the bar — and others may follow. On April 15, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) became the first development finance institution to adopt a formal remedy policy, publishing its <a href="https://www.ifc.org/en/about/accountability/consultation-on-the-proposed-ifc-miga-approach-to-remedial-action" target="_blank">Remedial Action Framework</a> (RAF) to address environmental and social harm caused by IFC-supported investment projects.

The move sets a precedent and ramps up pressure on other development banks — including the Inter-American Development Bank — which are expected to release their own remedy frameworks.
Development institutions such as IFC finance projects meant to improve lives worldwide. Yet too often, these projects have caused environmental harm, displaced communities, and led to reprisals. This new framework is a milestone — both a leap forward for IFC and a sign of hope for communities harmed by development projects.
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), on April 15, 2025, adopted a Remedial Action Framework (RAF), an explicit policy on remedy, formalizing a commitment to address environmental and social harms caused by IFC-supported investment projects.
The IFC/Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) RAF is a cornerstone at a time when the World Bank Group is reviewing accountability systems on both its public and private sides. This framework sets a precedent, signaling a profound institution-wide commitment to avoid harm. It acknowledges that remedy is not only possible but essential and that it must be part of a broader cultural shift across the entire institution. 
<div id="attachment_191291" style="width: 447px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-191291" src="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/ifc_2_.jpg" alt="" width="437" height="327" class="size-full wp-image-191291" srcset="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/ifc_2_.jpg 437w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/ifc_2_-300x224.jpg 300w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/ifc_2_-200x149.jpg 200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 437px) 100vw, 437px" />Credit: CIEL</div>
The remedy framework is the result of years of advocacy by stakeholders both outside and inside the institution, and strenuous efforts from civil society organizations and project-affected people worldwide. Their contributions — grounded in <a href="https://www.ciel.org/reports/alto-maipo-fight-for-justice/" target="_blank">firsthand experience of harm</a> and technical recommendations — have centered remedy on the rights and the needs of those harmed. 
Carla Garcia Zendejas of CIEL moderates a panel after a screening of the film “The Fisherman and the Banker” April 2024 in Washington, D.C. The film, produced by Sheena Sumaria over ten years, follows the fishing community of Gujarat, India as they sue the IFC, the lending arm of the World Bank, for funding a power plant which has harmed the ecology of the community.
<div id="attachment_191292" style="width: 446px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-191292" src="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/ifc_3_.jpg" alt="" width="436" height="246" class="size-full wp-image-191292" srcset="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/ifc_3_.jpg 436w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/ifc_3_-300x169.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 436px) 100vw, 436px" />Credit: CIEL</div>
Cases like <a href="https://www.ciel.org/reports/alto-maipo-fight-for-justice/" target="_blank">Alto Maipo</a>, Titan Cement, and Tata Tea revealed how inadequate existing complaint systems were in responding to and remedying environmental and social harm to communities. The momentum needed was created with the Tata Mundra case and the landmark <a href="https://www.ciel.org/news/supreme-court-rules-world-bank-group-immunity-jam-v-ifc/" target="_blank">Jam v. IFC litigation</a> by Indian fisherfolk, when IFC again dismissed findings reported by its own accountability mechanism.
With the RAF, IFC now acknowledges a <a href="https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Remedying-Harm_Lessons-from-International-Law-for-Development-Finance.pdf" target="_blank">core tenet of international law</a>: institutions should avoid infringing on human rights and should address adverse human rights impacts when they have contributed to harm. 
The framework introduces a structured approach to address environmental and social harms based on three pillars: Prevention and Preparedness, Access to Remedy, and Contribution to Remedial Action. While it still distinguishes between the roles of IFC/MIGA and their clients, it no longer denies responsibility. 
Prevention remains key. IFC has reiterated the value of its existing sustainability policies to identify and manage environmental and social risks early — something civil society has long demanded, avoiding harm rather than managing its aftermath. 
Still, given the numerous and disturbing failed past projects under existing policies, real change will depend on applying an environmental and social lens across all operations. A human rights-based approach must guide this shift.
The RAF also acknowledges the central role of grievance mechanisms. Effective, reliable, and independent grievance mechanisms and systems are essential for project-affected people to raise complaints and seek remedy when things go wrong. Considering IFC’s history with its own accountability mechanism —the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman— this is a significant step.
IFC/MIGA has restated its commitment to using its influence to push its clients to take remedial action and will also provide support for enabling activities, such as fact-finding, technical assistance, and community development activities. But the effectiveness of these contributions will depend on how meaningfully they engage with communities seeking remedy.
Importantly, the RAF applies to all IFC-supported investment projects and to all investment projects covered by MIGA political risk insurance guarantees, an encouraging decision.
Under IFC’s Sustainability Framework, clients have long been responsible for managing environmental and social risks. Now, they are also expected to fund and implement remedy. This is not as straightforward as it would seem: Development finance institutions’ operations are at the center of an often nebulous division of roles. 
If IFC fails to properly supervise and monitor its clients, performs weak due diligence, or neglects to notice a low-capacity client, the risk of harm increases — and so does the institution’s responsibility. One of the thorniest issues during the creation of the framework was the cost of providing remedy. 
Remarkably, private sector clients did not oppose remedy in principle — they questioned how to deliver it and how costs would be shared. They accepted responsibility for harms caused by construction or operations but they needed clarity on implementation.
Notably, the RAF instructs IFC to use its own financial resources — whether from project funds, donor trust funds, internal budgets, or operational risk capital — to support remedy. That is a major shift, one that could influence other development finance institutions and open a door to systemic change. Already, discussions on remedy are well underway at institutions such as the Inter-American Development Bank.
The RAF was approved on an interim basis, with a three-year piloting phase. The challenge ahead is turning policy into practice. Harm is harm — regardless of how it is funded or who caused it. As environmental and climate crises grow globally, and financial institutions multiply funds in search of solutions, we can point to the first remedial action framework as a standard to follow and as a way forward. 
Now there is a way to address harms and provide remedy, the commitment to do so has been set, and many are ready to make this happen, as challenging as it will undoubtedly be. Remedy must be more than a principle. It must be a reality.
Carla García Zendejas is People, Land, and Resources Program Director at the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL)
IPS UN Bureau
 
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<title>Staff Union Dismisses UN Restructuring as “Chaotic, Incoherent, Rushed & Lacking Strategy”</title>
<link>https://www.ipsnews.net/2025/07/staff-union-dismisses-un-restructuring-as-chaotic-incoherent-rushed-lacking/</link>
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<pubDate>Tue, 08 Jul 2025 06:37:13 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Thalif Deen</dc:creator>
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<description><![CDATA[A coalition of UN staff unions, led by the 60,000-strong Coordinating Committee of International Staff Unions and Associations (CCISUA), has written to UN member states criticizing the UN80 reform process as “incoherent and lacking strategy”. The union, one of the largest single coalitions in the world body, is asking the 193 member states to take […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img width="300" height="200" src="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Staff-Union-Dismisses_-300x200.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Staff-Union-Dismisses_-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Staff-Union-Dismisses_.jpg 624w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Under-Secretary-General for Policy Guy Ryder who coordinates a Task Force responsible for the ongoing restructuring plans. By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS, Jul 8 2025 (IPS) A coalition of UN staff unions, led by the 60,000-strong Coordinating Committee of International Staff Unions and Associations (CCISUA), has written to UN member states criticizing the UN80 reform process as “incoherent and lacking strategy”.
The union, one of the largest single coalitions in the world body, is asking the 193 member states to take over the UN reform process which is currently in the hands of a Task Force.
<a href="https://www.ccisua.org/about-us/" target="_blank">https://www.ccisua.org/about-us/</a>
Among several issues raised by the (CCISUA), UN80 is dismissed as “chaotic and rushed.” In a critical analysis, the staff union points out that the proposed restructuring: 
<ul>• Doesn’t address the roots of the problem 
• Forces managers to cut positions without an analysis of how the UN can be more relevant 
• May need to be fixed by the next Secretary-General 
• Will impact frontline services (either through UN 80 or prevailing funding shortages) 
• Will result in a loss of capacity especially at the national level 
• Shows a poor understanding of how the UN system is currently structured 
• Is led by a task force that is arbitrarily composed, which in turn biases the outcomes 
• Will be costly to implement 
• Is being carried out without consultation.</ul>
The letter calls on UN member states to take greater control of the process. 
Separately, the Secretariat staff unions wrote to the President of the General Assembly requesting to address member states on UN80. 
“Closer to Geneva, a good example of issues with the coherence of UN80 is OHCHR downsizing offices in the field while expanding offices in Vienna under the justification of getting closer to those we serve”. 
As a reminder, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed his special adviser, Guy Ryder, to lead UN 80. “We will be following up with further actions to contain the damage being caused by Mr. Ryder’s initiative,” the letter said.
Guy Candusso, a former First Vice-President of the UN Staff Union in New York, told IPS the reform process is usually in the hands of those who want to protect their own interests 
“The UN, since Under-Secretary-General Joseph Connor left, has become top heavy with a proliferation of D2s and above. Reforms put forward are already driven by politics.” 
Putting it in the hands of member states, he cautioned, is not going to help since it comes down to money. “If the funds are not forthcoming then I can’t see a good outlook for staff,” he said.
Meanwhile, Laura Johnson, Executive Secretary and Ian Richards, President of the UN Staff Union in Geneva, have provided an update on the latest developments regarding the UN 80 initiative.
The Staff-Management Committee (SMC), the global body for consultations between management and staff unions, met at the headquarters of the UN Mission in Kosovo last week.
First, despite its repeated assertions to the General Assembly and staff, management at the SMC did not present detailed UN80 proposals (including the 20 per cent budget cuts, which apply to regular budget (RB) and peacekeeping posts) to the unions and would not consult on UN80. 
The only exception to this was a circular and incomplete discussion on potential mitigating measures to assist staff affected by cuts or relocations, once a final decision is made by the General Assembly on the 2026 budget at the end of this year. We asked management to correct its miscommunications on union consultation, but it has so far refused. 
Given this, staff unions have had to engage informally with member states directly (see further down). On the mitigating measures, these remain subject to final approval, but are broadly the following:
<ul>• In July/August, agreed termination packages will be offered to staff who will be over 55 by the end of the year. 
• No staff need to relocate before 30 June 2026 and there may be remote onboarding and up to 3 months of telecommuting from the original duty stations if possible. 
• If the approved 2026 budget has more staff than posts for a particular entity, this entity would need to activate the <a href="https://documents.un.org/api/symbol/access?j=N2300365&t=pdf&i=ST/AI/2023/1_7171759" target="_blank">downsizing policy</a> and set up Staff-Management Groups to carry out a comparative review to determine an order of retention of staff. This would take place January to February 2026. There will also be measures to ensure that RB fixed-term contracts expiring before then are renewed.
• Staff who are separated may have the option of being put on special leave without pay (SLWOP) for a period to be determined. 
• There will also be flagging in Inspira to prioritise selection of staff in retention group 1 of the comparative review if new positions later become available. Subject to agreement by the Secretary-General, this flagging period will be extended beyond what is set out in the downsizing policy as an exceptional measure. 
• If posts are moved, including to a common administrative platform, staff would normally move with their post. If staff don’t want to move, other suitable staff may be able to volunteer.</ul>
“The lack of finality on these measures and the lack of consideration of proposals presented by unions has been frustrating and will create more anxiety, as we made clear to management”, the letter said.
In addition to the cuts to RB and peacekeeping posts (20%), the initial phase of UN80 will establish common administrative platforms (CAPs), first in Geneva and New York and then in other locations. 
Unions repeatedly asked for clarification on the CAPs as it is likely that administrative posts across the UN Secretariat will be reduced and appointments terminated, necessitating the activation of the downsizing policy. 
In particular, “we asked for further explanation on how the order of retention for administrative posts across duty stations, entities and funding streams will be managed, but were unable to get clarity.”
It is clear that the General Assembly’s decision on the 2026 budget will be key. Therefore, staff unions have been informally engaging with member states. 
The letter sent by CISUA highlighted the serious consequences of the UN 80 initiative on delivery, its lack of vision and the feeling that task force members were using the process to their own ends. 
It also questioned how UN 80 will resolve the liquidity situation that triggered the initiative.
Many of these concerns were mentioned by member states during an <a href="https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1r/k1rtsyd5f5" target="_blank">informal briefing</a> to the General Assembly last week. One member state has also circulated a <a href="https://unogstaffunion.org/wp-content/uploads/NV_2726.pdf" target="_blank">draft resolution</a> for member states to have greater oversight of the process.
Additionally, said the letter, Guy Ryder has retreated from his previous position of UN 80%. He said that the budget proposals with 20 per cent cuts were for entity heads to reflect on how they could cut costs. The Secretary-General will not necessarily make all these cuts and the final budget will reflect his priorities. 
When asked what those priorities were, Ryder said he wasn’t able to reply. 
“Our engagement with member states has not been without consequences. Management said at SMC that the unions had breached the staff rules and scolded unions for fulfilling their advocacy role. As an example, UNHCR management has tried to intimidate its staff representative. We called out this action and clearly set out how the staff rules, standards of conduct and General Assembly resolution 67/255 in fact explicitly allow for this important engagement”.
“We will continue to keep you updated and fight to roll back this harmful and pointless reform. The Secretary-General should be saving the UN. We believe Guy Ryder is doing the opposite”.
IPS UN Bureau Report
 
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<title>Kenya’s Shirika Plan: A New Dawn for Refugee Rights and Integration</title>
<link>https://www.ipsnews.net/2025/07/kenyas-shirika-plan-a-new-dawn-for-refugee-rights-and-integration/</link>
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<pubDate>Mon, 07 Jul 2025 11:03:25 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Jackson Okata</dc:creator>
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<description><![CDATA[When Jean Baremba arrived in Kenya in 2018, he looked forward to rebuilding a life shattered by war in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The 42-year-old father of four says he escaped DR Congo to save his children after the death of their mother in a 2017 dawn attack by rebel fighters on their […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img width="300" height="225" src="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/IPS-PHOTO-2-300x225.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="Refugees gather to give their input on the Shirika plan during a stakeholders’ meeting in Nakuru City, west of Nairobi, earlier in February 2025. Credit: By Jackson Okata/IPS" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/IPS-PHOTO-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/IPS-PHOTO-2-200x149.jpg 200w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/IPS-PHOTO-2.jpg 630w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Refugees gather to give their input on the Shirika plan during a stakeholders’ meeting in Nakuru City, west of Nairobi, earlier in February 2025. Credit: By Jackson Okata/IPSBy Jackson Okata NAIROBI, Jul 7 2025 (IPS) When Jean Baremba arrived in Kenya in 2018, he looked forward to rebuilding a life shattered by war in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
The 42-year-old father of four says he escaped DR Congo to save his children after the death of their mother in a 2017 dawn attack by rebel fighters on their village.
“The rebels were forcibly recruiting men to fight for their army. Those resisting were killed and their property torched. I managed to escape; unfortunately, my wife lost her life,” Baremba told IPS.
A skilled carpenter, Baremba and his four children found their way into the Kakuma refugee camp, 497 miles northwest of Kenya’s Capital, Nairobi.
“Despite all the challenges, Kakuma gave me a second life and renewed hope.”
A Growing Challenge
Kenya hosts approximately 836,907 refugees and asylum seekers, with 51 percent of this population residing in Dadaab Refugee Camp, 36 percent in Kakuma Refugee Camp, and 13 percent in urban areas. The numbers comprise 73 percent refugees and 27 percent asylum-seekers.
Over the years, the ever-rising number of people seeking refuge in Kenya, especially from the Great Lakes region, has continued to <a href="https://refugee.go.ke/kenya-calls-increased-global-support-refugees-amid-rising-challenges">exert pressure</a> on the East African nation amid reduced global donor and humanitarian aid and support.
Kenya’s Department of Refugee Services has 220,000 <a href="https://refugee.go.ke/sites/default/files/2025-01/Kenya%20Statistics%20Package%20%20-%2031%20December%202024.pdf">pending</a> refugee and asylum seeker applications.
Initially, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) was in charge of refugee seekers’ management, but the Kenyan government took over in 2021 following the passage of the <a href="https://refugee.go.ke/sites/default/files/downloads/Refugees-Act-2021.pdf">Refugee Act</a>.
To solve the refugee crisis, the Kenyan government launched a <a href="https://refugee.go.ke/government-launches-shirika-plan-enhance-refugee-and-host-communities-inclusion">plan</a> to transform all refugees and asylum seekers into the Kenyan community by transitioning the Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps into integrated settlements.
The five-year transition plan, dubbed the <a href="https://refugee.go.ke/sites/default/files/2025-04/SHIRIKA%20PLAN%20FOR%20REFUGEES%20AND%20HOST%20COMMUNITIES.pdf">Shirika Plan</a>, aims to transform the refugee camps into integrated settlements for both refugees and host communities to make refugees economically self-reliant.
Shirika is a Swahili word for “coming together” or “partnering.”
The plan will allow refugees to access education, health, government identity cards, business permits, and banking services.
Additionally, refugees will be issued government tax numbers to enable them to open bank accounts and register and operate businesses.
At the same time, the plan will allow refugees to travel and live in any part of Kenya without a special movement permit.
The plan will see refugee students receive government education scholarships to enable them to pursue college and university education.
To enhance access to health services for refugees, the plan allows them to be listed on the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), a government-managed public health fund.
Self-Reliance
For people like Baremba, being allowed to live like other Kenyans will grant refugees the much-needed economic independence.
“Integration will allow me to put my carpentry skills to work, and the Kenyan community will form part of my market,” Baremba said.
He added, “With a source of income, I will no longer rely on support from UNHCR.”
Mary Ajok, a South Sudanese refugee, hopes that the implementation of the Shirika plan will provide a permanent solution to crowded shelters, limited food rations and lack of proper healthcare services plaguing refugees in the camps.
“Raising children in a refugee camp can be challenging. Integration provides a peaceful and friendly environment for children,” Ajok told IPS.
Ajok hopes to establish a catering business to serve both refugees and the host community of Kakuma.
“Majority of refugees have various skills that can be put to use and contribute to the growth of Kenya’s economy,” she said.
Funding 
During the official <a href="https://www.president.go.ke/wp-content/uploads/DURING-THE-OFFICIAL-LAUNCH-OF-THE-SHIRIKA-PLAN.pdf">launch</a> of the Shirika Plan at State House, Nairobi, President William Ruto said, “The plan will upgrade refugee management, shifting from humanitarian dependency to a more inclusive and progressive development model centered on human rights.”
US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Marc Dillard, who also doubles as the chair of the Refugee Donor Group, describes the Shirika plan as a milestone for advancing socio-economic conditions and human rights for refugees in Kenya.
The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) will work with the Kenyan government to implement the Shirika Plan.
The plan’s implementation budget is estimated to be USD 943 million. Kenya’s Minister for National Administration, Kipchumba Murkomen, has been meeting refugee donor groups appealing for funding to implement the plan.
The World Bank, UNHCR, International Finance Corporation and the Kenya Commercial Bank Group have pledged to fund the plan’s implementation.
Global and Regional Goals
The Shirika Plan contributes to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS) and the <a href="https://au.int/Agenda2063/popular_version">AU Agenda 2063</a> and aligns with global commitments such as the <a href="https://www.unhcr.org/media/global-compact-refugees-booklet">Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) of 2018</a>, the <a href="https://refugee.go.ke/sites/default/files/downloads/1969-OAU-Convention.pdf">1969 OAU convention</a>, the <a href="https://refugee.go.ke/sites/default/files/downloads/1951-Convention.pdf">1951 UN convention</a>, and the <a href="https://refugee.go.ke/sites/default/files/downloads/1951-Convention.pdf">1967 UN convention</a>
Inclusivity and non-discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion, nationality, gender, or any other grounds are key guiding principles for the plan.
For refugees not keen on being integrated, the plan provides pathways for voluntary repatriation to stable home countries and third-country resettlement for deserving, vulnerable refugees.
Opposing Voices
The refugee integration plan is, however, facing resistance from a section of political leaders from Northern Kenya, citing inadequate consultations.
Farah Maalim and Daniel Epuyo, Members of Parliament representing Dadaab and Turkana West constituencies, have accused the government of Kenya and UNHCR of hurriedly rolling out the plan.
The two legislators are instead pushing for the repatriation of refugees back to their home countries.
“We cannot talk of integrating refugees when locals have pressing needs that are yet to be met,” Epuyo said.
Maalim said, “The Hosting Communities of Refugees are not ready for integration. Most refugees would opt for voluntary repatriation with generous assistance to enable them to reintegrate back in Somalia.”
IPS UN Bureau Report
 
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<title>Bangladesh’s Democratic Promise Hangs in the Balance</title>
<link>https://www.ipsnews.net/2025/07/bangladeshs-democratic-promise-hangs-in-the-balance/</link>
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<pubDate>Mon, 07 Jul 2025 11:01:56 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Ines M Pousadela</dc:creator>
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<description><![CDATA[When Bangladesh’s streets erupted in protest in mid-2024, few could have predicted how swiftly Sheikh Hasina’s regime would crumble. The ousting of the prime minister last August, after years of mounting authoritarianism and growing discontent, was heralded as a historic opportunity for democratic renewal. Almost a year on, the question remains whether Bangladesh is genuinely […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img width="300" height="200" src="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Abdul-Goni_-300x200.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Abdul-Goni_-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Abdul-Goni_.jpg 601w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Credit: Abdul Goni/Reuters via Gallo ImagesBy Inés M. Pousadela MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, Jul 7 2025 (IPS) When Bangladesh’s streets erupted in protest in mid-2024, few could have predicted how swiftly Sheikh Hasina’s regime would crumble. The <a href="https://www.cfr.org/blog/how-protests-ousted-sheikh-hasina" target="_blank">ousting</a> of the prime minister last August, after years of mounting authoritarianism and growing discontent, was heralded as a historic opportunity for democratic renewal. Almost a year on, the question remains whether Bangladesh is genuinely evolving towards democracy, or if one form of repression is replacing another.

The <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/8/8/muhammad-yunus-takes-oath-as-head-of-bangladeshs-interim-government" target="_blank">interim government</a>, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, confronts enormous challenges in delivering meaningful change. While it has taken significant steps – releasing political prisoners, initiating constitutional reforms, signing international human rights treaties and pursuing accountability for past violations – persistent abuses, political exclusion and economic instability continue to cast long shadows over the transition. The coming months will prove decisive in determining whether Bangladesh can truly break from its authoritarian past.
From electoral fraud to revolution
The roots of Bangladesh’s current upheaval trace back to the deeply flawed general election of 7 January 2024. The vote, which saw Hasina’s Awami League (AL) secure a fourth consecutive term, was widely <a href="https://lens.civicus.org/bangladesh-election-with-a-foregone-conclusion/" target="_blank">dismissed as a foregone conclusion</a>. The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party boycotted the election in protest at the government’s refusal to reinstate a neutral caretaker system.
The government unleashed an <a href="https://monitor.civicus.org/explore/bangladesh-crackdown-on-the-political-opposition-and-activists-continues-ahead-of-elections/" target="_blank">intense crackdown</a> ahead of the vote. It imprisoned thousands of opposition activists and weaponised the criminal justice system to silence dissent, leading to deaths in police custody and enforced disappearances. This repression extended to civil society, with human rights activists and <a href="https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/rsf-report-2024-bangladesh-3rd-most-dangerous-country-journos-3774451" target="_blank">journalists</a> facing harassment, arbitrary detention and violence. The government sponsored fake opposition candidates to create an illusion of competition, resulting in plummeting voter turnout and a crisis of legitimacy.
When opposition rallies occurred, they were met with overwhelming force. On 28 October 2023, police responded to a <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/10/bangladesh-repeated-cycle-of-deaths-arrests-and-repression-during-protests-must-end/" target="_blank">major opposition protest</a> in Dhaka with rubber bullets, teargas and stun grenades, resulting in <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/11/26/bangladesh-violent-autocratic-crackdown-ahead-elections" target="_blank">at least 16 deaths</a>, with thousands injured and detained.
The situation deteriorated further after the election. In June 2024, the reinstatement of a controversial quota system for public sector jobs triggered <a href="https://monitor.civicus.org/explore/bangladesh-brutal-crackdown-on-quota-reform-protesters-by-security-forces-and-ruling-party-youth-wing/" target="_blank">mass student-led protests</a> that would ultimately topple Hasina’s government. These protests rapidly evolved into a broader revolt against entrenched corruption, economic inequality and political impunity.
The government’s response was systematically brutal. According to a United Nations <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/countries/bangladesh/ohchr-fftb-hr-violations-bd.pdf" target="_blank">fact-finding report</a>, between July and August security forces killed as many as 1,400 people, including many children, often shooting protesters at point-blank range. They denied the injured medical care and intimidated hospital staff. The scale of violence eventually led the military to refuse further involvement, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/why-did-bangladesh-pm-sheikh-hasina-resign-where-is-she-now-2024-08-06/" target="_blank">forcing Hasina to resign and flee Bangladesh</a>.
Reform efforts amid political discord
The <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2025/5/24/why-is-bangladeshs-interim-leader-muhammad-yunus-considering-resigning" target="_blank">interim government</a> identified three core priorities: institutional reforms, trials of perpetrators of political violence and elections. Its initial months brought <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/03/03/how-interim-government-can-make-lasting-reforms-bangladesh" target="_blank">significant progress</a>. The government released detained protesters and human rights defenders, <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/08/bangladesh-signing-of-convention-on-enforced-disappearances-is-a-much-welcome-first-step/" target="_blank">signed</a> the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances and established a <a href="https://netra.news/2024/bangladesh-commission-on-disappearance/" target="_blank">commission of inquiry into enforced disappearances</a>.
This commission <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/06/16/bangladesh-extend-the-mandate-of-the-commission-of-inquiry-on-enforced" target="_blank">documented</a> around 1,700 complaints and found evidence of systematic use of enforced disappearances to target political opponents and activists, with <a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/12/27/nx-s1-5237518/now-ousted-bangladeshi-pm-was-involved-in-thousands-of-disappearances-report-says" target="_blank">direct complicity</a> by Hasina and senior officials. In October, the Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal issued <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/10/22/bangladesh-arrest-warrant-sheikh-hasina" target="_blank">arrest warrants</a> for Hasina and 44 others for massacres during the 2024 protests, although the tribunal has a troubled history and retains the death penalty, contrary to international norms.
The Constitution Reform Commission has <a href="https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/constitution-reform-commission-proposes-new-principles-bangladesh-3799896" target="_blank">proposed</a> expanding fundamental rights, with a bicameral parliament and term limits for top offices. However, the process has been undermined by the exclusion of major political players – most notably the AL – and minority groups.
Political tensions escalated as the interim government faced <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2025/5/24/why-is-bangladeshs-interim-leader-muhammad-yunus-considering-resigning" target="_blank">mounting pressure</a> to set a general election date. Opposition parties accused it of deliberate stalling. The army chief publicly <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1912727" target="_blank">demanded</a> elections by the end of 2025, while student groups sought <a href="https://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2025/Mar/19/student-led-national-citizen-party-doesnt-want-bangladesh-awami-leagues-participation-in-polls" target="_blank">postponemen</a>t until reforms and justice were secured. After initial uncertainty, the government announced the election would occur in <a href="https://apnews.com/article/bangladesh-yunus-hasina-khaleda-election-10f24102daccf8645341182645554b16" target="_blank">April 2026</a>.
The most dramatic escalation came in May, when the interim government <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/5/11/bangladesh-bans-activities-of-awami-league-the-party-of-ousted-pm-hasina" target="_blank">banned all AL activities</a> under the Anti-Terrorism Act following renewed protests. The Election Commission subsequently <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/ousted-bangladesh-pm-hasinas-party-barred-election-party-registration-suspended-2025-05-13/" target="_blank">suspended</a> the AL’s registration, effectively barring it from future elections and fundamentally altering Bangladesh’s political landscape.
Economic challenges compound these political difficulties. Bangladesh remains fragile after <a href="https://cpd.org.bd/resources/2025/04/Eastern-Bangladesh-Floods-in-2024.pdf" target="_blank">devastating floods</a> in 2024, while the banking sector faces <a href="https://cpd.org.bd/npls-nearly-tripled-to-bdt-345765-crores/" target="_blank">stress</a> from surging non-performing loans. <a href="https://www.thedailystar.net/business/economy/news/inflation-outpaces-wage-growth-34-months-straight-3786671#:~:text=Many%20low%2Dincome%20and%20unskilled,over%20the%20past%20three%20years." target="_blank">Inflation</a> continues outpacing wage growth and <a href="https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/05/14/pr25145-bangladesh-imf-reaches-sla-on-combined-3rd-and-4th-reviews-ecf-eff-and-rsf-arrangements" target="_blank">economic austerity measures</a> agreed with the International Monetary Fund have sparked fresh protests.
Authoritarian patterns persist
Despite promises of change, old patterns of repression prove stubborn. Human rights groups <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/03/03/how-interim-government-can-make-lasting-reforms-bangladesh" target="_blank">document</a> ongoing security forces abuses, including arbitrary arrests of opposition supporters and journalists, denial of due process and continued lack of accountability for past crimes. In the first two months of 2025 alone, <a href="https://www.hrw.org/report/2025/01/27/after-monsoon-revolution/roadmap-lasting-security-sector-reform-bangladesh" target="_blank">over 1,000 police cases</a> were filed against tens of thousands of people, mainly AL members or perceived supporters. A February crackdown on Hasina’s supporters led to <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/bangladesh-arrests-1300-in-crackdown-on-pro-hasina-protests/a-71559468" target="_blank">over 1,300 arrests</a>.
Press freedom remains severely threatened. In November, the interim government <a href="https://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2024/Nov/13/bangladesh-editors-council-slams-interim-governments-move-to-revoke-167-press-accreditations" target="_blank">revoked the accreditation</a> of 167 journalists. Around 140 journalists viewed as aligned with the previous regime have <a href="https://rsf.org/en/more-press-freedom-violations-bangladesh-although-panel-created-monitor-harassment-journalists" target="_blank">faced charges</a>, with 25 accused of crimes against humanity, forcing many into hiding. Attacks on media outlets continue, including <a href="https://rsf.org/en/bangladesh-rsf-condemns-unacceptable-acts-intimidation-against-two-independent-newspapers" target="_blank">vandalism</a> of newspaper offices.
The draft Cyber Protection Ordinance, intended to replace the repressive Cyber Security Act, has drawn <a href="https://www.article19.org/resources/bangladesh-draft-cyber-protection-ordinance/" target="_blank">criticism</a> for retaining vague provisions criminalising defamation and ‘hurting religious sentiments’ while granting authorities sweeping powers for warrantless searches. Rights groups warn this law could stifle dissent in the run-up to elections.
Uncertain path forward
Bangladesh’s journey demonstrates that democratic transitions are inherently difficult, nonlinear and deeply contested processes. Democracy isn’t a guaranteed outcome, but the chances improve when political leaders are genuinely committed to reform and inclusive dialogue, and political players, civil society and the public practise sustained vigilance.
While the interim government has achieved steps unthinkable under the previous regime, the persistence of arbitrary arrests, attacks on journalists and the exclusion of key political players suggests authoritarianism’s shadow still looms large.
The upcoming general election will provide a crucial test of whether Bangladesh can finally turn the page on authoritarianism. The answer lies in whether Bangladeshis across government, civil society and beyond are able to build something genuinely new. The stakes are high in a country where many have already sacrificed much for the promise of democratic freedom.
Inés M. Pousadela is CIVICUS Senior Research Specialist, co-director and writer for <a href="https://lens.civicus.org/" target="_blank">CIVICUS Lens</a> and co-author of the <a href="https://publications.civicus.org/publications/2025-state-of-civil-society-report/" target="_blank">State of Civil Society Report</a>.
For interviews or more information, please contact <a href="mailto:research@civicus.org" target="_blank">research@civicus.org</a>
 
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<title>How Global Fund is Saving Lives from Malaria, TB, & HIV across Africa</title>
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<pubDate>Mon, 07 Jul 2025 08:43:18 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Praise Nutakor</dc:creator>
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<description><![CDATA[In Gabú, Guinea-Bissau, a grandmother named N’beta hesitated. Her six-month-old grandson, Seco, was healthy, so why give him medicine? But community health workers Jamilia and Amadu gently explained that the medicine wasn’t for illness, but for protection. It was part of a seasonal malaria chemoprevention campaign designed to protect children during the worst malaria transmission […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img width="300" height="136" src="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/UNOCHA-Giles-Clarke_-300x136.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/UNOCHA-Giles-Clarke_-300x136.jpg 300w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/UNOCHA-Giles-Clarke_.jpg 624w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Credit: UNOCHA/Giles ClarkeBy Praise Nutakor NEW YORK, Jul 7 2025 (IPS) In Gabú, Guinea-Bissau, a grandmother named N’beta hesitated. Her six-month-old grandson, Seco, was healthy, so why give him medicine? But community health workers Jamilia and Amadu gently explained that the medicine wasn’t for illness, but for protection. It was part of a seasonal malaria chemoprevention campaign designed to protect children during the worst malaria transmission months — the rainy season.

“Now I understand it’s to keep him safe,” N’beta said, watching Seco become one of 250,000 children protected in 2024 with a simple but life-saving dose. 
Malaria remains a deadly threat across Africa, especially for children under five. But with support from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and its partners are reaching the most vulnerable, particularly in hard-to-reach communities. 
In Chad, 9.4 million mosquito nets were distributed using a fully digitalized system in 2023, protecting 3.5 million households. In Burundi, 1.3 million people were protected through indoor spraying in 2024. In Guinea-Bissau, malaria prevalence dropped by more than half in just three years from 2020-2023.
But malaria is only one of the threats. 
In South Sudan, tuberculosis (TB) continues to claim lives, often undetected. 
“Not everyone can read and interpret an X-ray report,” said Dr. Ofere Ohide, a Radiologist at Torit State Hospital. “But with new AI-assisted X-ray machines, even clinics without power or specialists can now detect TB early,” he says of the digital x-ray machines provided through the Global Fund support. 
These innovations, combined with decentralized care and improved case notification, helped 92% of people with TB receive treatment in 2023, contributing to a 75% drop in TB-related deaths in South Sudan since 2015. Similarly, close to 20,000 people got cured of TB out of about 23,000 TB cases registered in 2023 representing 85% treatment success rate.
And then there’s HIV – a virus that once devastated entire generations. 
In Zimbabwe, where AIDS once slashed life expectancy to 45 years, progress has been hard-won. One young woman, Princess, 17, a survivor of sexual abuse, found strength through a Global Fund-supported comprehensive sexuality education programme delivered by UNDP and partners.
“I reclaimed my voice and will use it to ensure justice for survivors of abuse,” she said, now dreaming of becoming a lawyer.
In Angola, 22-year-old Ana Alexandre became a peer educator after joining sessions on sexual and reproductive health. “I am no longer ashamed to talk about sexuality,” she shared. “My little sister can come to me and ask things… I answer normally and clearly.”
Since 2003, UNDP and the Global Fund have worked hand-in-hand with governments, civil society, and communities to end HIV, TB, and malaria, even in the most fragile settings. In Africa, countries supported by UNDP and the Global Fund include Angola, Burundi, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Guinea-Bissau, Zimbabwe, São Tomé and Príncipe, Mozambique, and South Sudan. 
<a href="https://www.undp.org/africa/publications/healthy-lives-resilient-systems-undp-and-global-fund-africa" target="_blank">In 2023</a> alone: 
1.5 million people received HIV treatment 
44,000 people were treated for TB 
13.1 million mosquito nets were distributed to prevent malaria 
To all the partners of the Global Fund including the governments of Germany, France, Portugal, Japan, the UK, Canada, the EU, Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands – thank you. Your support is not just saving lives. It is restoring dignity, hope, and the promise of a healthier, more prosperous, and secure future.
But the work is not done. 
To protect every child like Seco, to empower every girl like Princess, and to reach every community still at risk, we must keep going. Continued investment, including in the Global Fund’s Eighth Replenishment, is essential to ensure health for all and end HIV, TB and malaria by 2030.
Praise Nutakor is Partnerships and Communications Specialist, UN Development Programme (UNDP)
IPS UN Bureau
 
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<title>FfD4 at Sevilla Plants the Seeds of Debtor Unity</title>
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<pubDate>Fri, 04 Jul 2025 14:59:22 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Michael Galant</dc:creator>
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<description><![CDATA[UN Member States adopted the ‘Compromiso de Sevilla’ at the Fourth Financing for Development Forum (FfD4) which concluded July 3– the culmination of months of contentious negotiations that pitted wealthy nations against the developing world in competing visions for reform of the global economic architecture. The wide-ranging outcome document will be met with both fanfare […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img width="300" height="200" src="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Pedro-Sanchez_-300x200.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Pedro-Sanchez_-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Pedro-Sanchez_.jpg 624w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Pedro Sánchez, Ursula Von der Leyen, António Guterres, from left to right, at the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development. Credit: Dati Bendo/European UnionBy Michael Galant NEW YORK, Jul 4 2025 (IPS) UN Member States adopted the ‘<a href="https://financing.desa.un.org/sites/default/files/ffd4-documents/2025/Compromiso de Sevilla for action 16 June.pdf" target="_blank">Compromiso de Sevilla</a>’ at the Fourth Financing for Development Forum (FfD4) which concluded July 3– the culmination of months of contentious negotiations that pitted wealthy nations against the developing world in competing visions for reform of the global economic architecture.

The wide-ranging outcome document will be met with both fanfare — from the host countries and UN officials keen to portray the process as a success — and criticism — from civil society groups lamenting the watering down of material commitments into so many toothless words. But buried in its 38 pages is a single paragraph that quietly plants the seed for a more transformative agenda: 
We will establish a platform for borrower countries with support from existing institutions, and a UN entity serving as its secretariat. The platform may be used to discuss technical issues, share information and experiences in addressing debt challenges, increase access to technical assistance and capacity building in debt management, coordinate approaches, and strengthen borrower countries’ voices in the global debt architecture.
Uniting borrowing countries has long been a dream of those concerned with the imbalance of power in the global financial system. Creditors are organized into collectives like the Paris Club, they argue; so too should debtors work together to build collective negotiating power, underwritten by the threat of a coordinated default. 
With <a href="https://www.bu.edu/gdp/files/2023/03/TF-Assessment-Report-FINAL.pdf" target="_blank">two thirds</a> of low-income and a <a href="https://www.wilsoncenter.org/blog-post/much-world-facing-debt-distress" target="_blank">quarter</a> of middle-income countries in or near debt distress, a common negotiating front could not only obtain better terms of restructuring during times of crisis, but also bolster demands for lasting <a href="https://ipdcolumbia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Jubilee-report_veryfinal.pdf" target="_blank">reforms</a> of a failing system that keeps countries trapped in a <a href="https://cepr.net/publications/the-rising-cost-of-debt-an-obstacle-to-achieving-climate-and-development-goals/" target="_blank">vicious cycle</a> of debt and underdevelopment.
This is easier said than done. 
Developing countries, and the economic elites that typically govern them, are dependent on international finance, and reluctant to do anything that might spook financial markets. Simultaneously overcoming these fears in multiple countries, each with their own contexts and interests, is a tall order. 
The FFD document thus conspicuously avoids the language of a “debtors’ club” or any threat of collective negotiation or default, leading instead with more neutral modes of cooperation like information-sharing and capacity-building. But even tentative steps toward cooperation can have a meaningful impact. Indeed, they have before.
In June 1984, eleven Latin American countries met in Cartagena, Colombia to coordinate their responses to the debt crisis that had by then roiled the region for two years. The resulting <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/23396588?seq=5" target="_blank">Cartagena Consensus</a> was clear that it was not a “debtors’ club,” but a forum for collaboration. The group would meet five times in the years that would follow, developing common positions on the source of the crisis and the terms of its resolution.
The Cartagena Consensus is often held up as a cautionary tale for debtors considering coordination. The Group never became a fully realized “debtors’ club” capable of collective negotiation, and petered out before the crisis was resolved as creditors peeled away desperate debtors with sweetheart deals.
But even the tacit threat that a club could be in formation bore fruit. Principles developed collectively shaped early deals, the concessions from which bolstered the positions of subsequent negotiators, and less confrontational governments benefitted from gains won by the more radical. 
As scholar Diana Tussie <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/3466858.pdf" target="_blank">wrote</a> at the time: “a significant improvement in the cost of the negotiated credit was achieved, spreads were reduced, rescheduling fees were drastically reduced, the cost of the loan was reduced, and the amortization period increased significantly.” 
Rhetorically, the Consensus helped recast the crisis as a political one, rooted in global financial inequities and exogenous factors like rising interest rates in advanced economies, rather than a purely technocratic or moralistic question of responsible spending.
Today’s multilateral commitment to form a borrowers’ platform has advantages that Cartagena did not. While the developing world is facing a generalized debt crisis, it is not in the acute situation that beset the Cartagena Consensus, and so has an opportunity to gradually build its infrastructure under less desperate conditions. 
The borrowers’ platform is to operate with UN support and a wider range of global participants. And the emergence of major <a href="https://www.bu.edu/gdp/2021/03/08/bailouts-from-beijing-how-china-functions-as-an-alternative-to-the-imf/" target="_blank">new bilateral creditors</a>, though not without its own challenges, may strengthen debtors’ negotiating hands. 
Of course, the global debt challenge cannot be reduced to a zero-sum restructuring negotiation. Substantive <a href="https://ipdcolumbia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Jubilee-report_veryfinal.pdf" target="_blank">reforms</a> are needed to address the many faults in the debt system, from ongoing <a href="https://ipdcolumbia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/IPD_IGP_SovereignDebt_FINAL.pdf" target="_blank">legislative efforts</a> to combat creditor holdouts in Albany, to the establishment of a permanent multilateral sovereign debt workout mechanism — a top <a href="https://assets.nationbuilder.com/eurodad/pages/7229/attachments/original/1749562936/Letter_FFD_debt_May.pdf?1749562936" target="_blank">priority</a> of debt relief advocates.
Yet these efforts have repeatedly been blocked by the intransigence of creditors. Movement toward reform will only be strengthened by the coordination of the countries that stand to benefit most.
A promise to establish a borrowers’ platform is far from a fully realized debtors’ club, and farther still from a panacea to the Global South’s ongoing debt crisis. But in a document short on transformative ambition, it is a concrete step toward the rebalancing of unequal power relations — and a sign that debtor countries will not submit themselves to creditor inaction forever.
Michael Galant is Senior Research and Outreach Associate at the Center for Economic and Policy Research (<a href="http://cepr.net/" target="_blank">cepr.net</a>) in Washington, DC.
IPS UN Bureau
 
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<title>The Silencing of Hong Kong</title>
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<pubDate>Fri, 04 Jul 2025 09:08:35 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Andrew Firmin</dc:creator>
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<description><![CDATA[Joshua Wong sits in a maximum-security prison cell, knowing the Hong Kong authorities are determined to silence him forever. On 6 June, police arrived at Stanley Prison bringing fresh charges that could see the high-profile democracy campaigner imprisoned for life. This is the reality of Hong Kong: even when behind bars, activists can be considered […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img width="300" height="200" src="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Anthony-Kwan_-300x200.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Anthony-Kwan_-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Anthony-Kwan_.jpg 484w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Credit: Anthony Kwan/Getty Images via Gallo ImagesBy Andrew Firmin LONDON, Jul 4 2025 (IPS) Joshua Wong sits in a maximum-security prison cell, knowing the Hong Kong authorities are determined to silence him forever. On 6 June, police arrived at Stanley Prison bringing <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/07/jailed-hong-kong-democracy-activist-joshua-wong-hit-with-new-charges" target="_blank">fresh charges</a> that could see the high-profile democracy campaigner imprisoned for life. This is the reality of Hong Kong: even when behind bars, activists can be considered too dangerous ever to be freed.

An infamous anniversary is approaching. 30 June will mark five years since the passing of Hong Kong’s draconian national security law. Imposed on the supposedly autonomous territory by the Chinese government, the law made it a crime to call for democracy, leading to numerous jail sentences.
Last year, the Hong Kong authorities gave themselves still more powers to suppress dissent by passing another law, the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. Already, police have used the new law to arrest <a href="https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2025/country-chapters/china" target="_blank">over 300 people</a>, including for such trivial offences as wearing T-shirts with protest slogans. 
Democracy movement ruthlessly suppressed
The heady days of Hong Kong’s vibrant youth-led democracy movement, which erupted into <a href="https://civicus.org/documents/SOCS2021Part4.pdf#page=79" target="_blank">large-scale protests</a> in 2019, are a distant memory. It’s been so long now that some of those jailed have been <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/china/second-group-hong-kong-democrats-freed-after-4-years-jail-2025-05-30/" target="_blank">freed from prison</a> at the end of their sentences. But the authorities are determined to keep persecuting the most high-profile activists.
Wong’s case exemplifies the authorities’ determination to silence prominent voices. The young activist is the movement’s most famous faces. He’s been repeatedly jailed for protest-related offences going back to 2017, and has now spent over four years in prison either serving sentences or awaiting further trials. He’s now charged with conspiring to collude with foreign forces, for allegedly working with exiled democracy activists to urge international sanctions on China, a crime under the national security law.
Meanwhile, <a href="https://supportjimmylai.com/trial-updates" target="_blank">Jimmy Lai’s</a> trial continues. The former media owner used his Apple Daily newspaper to support the democracy movement, until the authorities forced it to close in 2021. Like Wong, Lai has already received several sentences, but his current drawn-out trial is on the more serious charges of colluding with foreign forces and conspiring to publish seditious materials.
Lai, who also holds British citizenship, has been held in solitary confinement since December 2020. He’s 77 years old and in poor health, and his family are concerned that in such conditions he might not withstand the fierce heat of another summer. The authorities clearly intend for him to die in jail.
Tradition of dissent crushed
The Hong Kong of today is unrecognisable from the country once promised. When the UK handed the territory over to China in 1997, it was under a treaty in which the Chinese state committed to maintaining its separate political system for 50 years. This included guarantees to uphold civic freedoms. But China has unilaterally torn up that agreement and is determined to make Hong Kong indistinguishable from the totalitarian mainland. 
On top of criminalising thousands of protesters, the authorities have thoroughly suppressed a once vibrant media. Hong Kong now stands at 140 out of 180 countries on Reporters Without Borders’ <a href="https://rsf.org/en/index" target="_blank">Press Freedom Index</a>; in 2018, before the current intensive crackdown began, it was in 70th place. Recently, journalists have been subjected to a systematic campaign of anonymous <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/sep/13/hong-kong-journalists-harassed-systemic-organised-attack" target="_blank">harassment and intimidation</a>. Authorities have started to target journalists and media companies for supposedly random <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/22/hong-kong-authorities-disrupt-independent-press-inland-revenue-tax-audits" target="_blank">tax audits</a>.
In these conditions, many civil society groups, political parties and media houses have had no choice but to shut down, while international media have been forced to relocate. In April, it was the turn of Hong Kong’s oldest and biggest pro-democracy party, the Democratic Party, to <a href="https://monitor.civicus.org/explore/hong-kong-government-targets-activists-in-exile-their-families-at-home-while-last-major-opposition-party-disbands/" target="_blank">close</a>. Long a moderate voice that was careful not to speak out against China, it had nonetheless recently received warnings from Chinese state officials.
The timing reveals the authorities’ desire for absolute control. The next election for the Legislative Council, Hong Kong’s parliament, is due in December, and in democracies, parties gear up rather than close down ahead of elections. But most Legislative Council seats aren’t directly elected and only pro-China candidates are allowed to stand. With this latest party closure, the authorities are evidently intent on denying even the prospect of token opposition.
In the face of the crackdown, some democracy activists have managed to escape into exile, but there’s no safety there, since China is the world’s number one <a href="https://lens.civicus.org/the-long-reach-of-authoritarianism/" target="_blank">transnational repressor</a>. In 2023 and 2024, the authorities <a href="https://lens.civicus.org/hong-kong-goes-after-its-exiles/" target="_blank">placed a bounty</a> on the heads of 19 exiled activists, offering rewards for their capture.
Hong Kong authorities have stripped exiles of passports, while police have targeted their families for <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/11/police-in-hong-kong-raid-family-home-of-uk-based-exile-nathan-law" target="_blank">questioning</a>. May saw a further escalation, when police <a href="https://globalvoices.org/2025/05/23/hong-kong-activist-anna-kwoks-father-is-being-prosecuted-as-a-form-of-collective-punishment-according-to-rights-groups/" target="_blank">arrested</a> the father and brother of US-based exile Anna Kwok, one of the 19 with a price on their heads.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/today-hong_.jpg" alt="" width="370" height="514" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-191274" srcset="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/today-hong_.jpg 370w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/today-hong_-216x300.jpg 216w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/today-hong_-340x472.jpg 340w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 370px) 100vw, 370px" />
Ever-growing control
The Chinese state’s reach now extends to the most trivial aspects of daily life. Pro-China informants <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c87p97w72exo" target="_blank">report people</a> who fall foul of laws, and there’s seemingly no act of rebellion too small to escape official notice. In June, Hong Kong police <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/games/2025/jun/11/hong-kong-police-taiwan-mobile-games-reversed-front" target="_blank">warned people</a> not to download a mobile phone game developed in Taiwan on the grounds it was secessionist. Teachers – who must deliver a <a href="https://lens.civicus.org/hong-kongs-crackdown-intensifies/" target="_blank">pro-China curriculum</a> – have been <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/20/hong-kong-teachers-allegedly-told-to-avoid-us-independence-day-events" target="_blank">instructed</a> not to attend 4 July events organised by the US consulate, and to discourage students attending. Education minister Christine Choi Yuk-lin recently <a href="https://www.thestandard.com.hk/hong-kong-news/article/304850/Education-chief-warns-of-soft-resistance-in-schools" target="_blank">warned</a> of the dangers of book fairs and other acts of ‘soft resistance’ in schools.
The Chinese state now holds all the cards in Hong Kong. But Hong Kong’s story isn’t just about a small territory’s loss of freedom: it’s a warning to the world about what happens when authoritarianism advances unchecked. As Wong faces the prospect of life imprisonment for the crime of calling for democracy and Lai withers in solitary confinement, the international community must review its commitment to democracy. The very least Hong Kong’s underground and exiled activists deserve is international solidarity and support to ensure their safety against attacks. As their struggle continues, the world shouldn’t look away.
Andrew Firmin is CIVICUS Editor-in-Chief, co-director and writer for <a href="https://lens.civicus.org/" target="_blank">CIVICUS Lens</a> and co-author of the <a href="https://publications.civicus.org/publications/2025-state-of-civil-society-report/" target="_blank">State of Civil Society Report</a>.
For interviews or more information, please contact <a href="mailto:research@civicus.org" target="_blank">research@civicus.org</a>
 
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<title>Lessons from South Africa on Monitoring the Impact of Invasive Trees on Water Resources</title>
<link>https://www.ipsnews.net/2025/07/lessons-from-south-africa-on-monitoring-the-impact-of-invasive-trees-on-water-resources/</link>
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<pubDate>Fri, 04 Jul 2025 08:10:26 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Richard Bugan</dc:creator>
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<description><![CDATA[Concerns about the impacts of invasive species is not new; it dates to the 19th century. The term was popularized in Charles Elton’s 1958 book “The Ecology of Invasions by Animals and Plants”. However, the concept gained significant attention in the 1990s and early 2000s as academic interest surged. This led to an increase in […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img width="300" height="200" src="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/invasivetrees-300x200.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="In catchment areas of the Western Cape Water Supply System, critical for the water supply to Cape Town, invasive trees are responsible for the loss of up to 55 million cubic meters of water per year—equivalent to about two months’ water supply for the city. If not managed, this loss could increase to 100 million cubic meters per year by 2045." decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/invasivetrees-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/invasivetrees.jpg 629w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) estimates that the minimum economic cost of biological invasions globally from 1970 to 2017 is USD 1.2 trillion. Credit: Jorge Luis Baños/IPSBy Richard Bugan CAPE TOWN, South Africa, Jul 4 2025 (IPS) Concerns about the impacts of invasive species is not new; it dates to the 19th century. The term was popularized in Charles Elton’s 1958 book “The Ecology of Invasions by Animals and Plants”. However, the concept gained significant attention in the 1990s and early 2000s as academic interest surged. This led to an increase in publications by invasion biologists.
Today, the impact of invasive species has increased significantly, with regions with fragile ecosystems being more vulnerable than others. Globally, the scale of the problem is staggering. The <a href="https://iucn.org/our-work/topic/invasive-alien-species">International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)</a> estimates that the minimum economic cost of biological invasions globally from 1970 to 2017 is USD 1.2 trillion. This figure accounts for expenses related to the prevention, reduction, or mitigation of damages caused by these species.
In Africa, a continent expected to be severely affected by climate change, the challenges posed by invasive species are expected to worsen. Among the most pressing is the spread of invasive plants, which not only endanger native biodiversity but also impact the economy, water security, food security and livelihoods.
One such example can be found in South Africa’s Cape Floristic Region, which is known for its remarkable plant diversity, where 70% of plant species are unique to this area.
In catchment areas of the Western Cape Water Supply System, critical for the water supply to Cape Town, invasive trees are responsible for the loss of up to 55 million cubic meters of water per year—equivalent to about two months’ water supply for the city. If not managed, this loss could increase to 100 million cubic meters per year by 2045.
It is evident that the Earth is approaching a tipping point in terms of <a href="https://www.ipsnews.net/news/environment/biodiversity/">biodiversity loss</a>, and there is no time to waste. Many scientists, including myself, are deeply concerned about the impact of these water-consuming invasive trees.
<div id="attachment_191269" style="width: 250px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-191269" class="size-medium wp-image-191269" src="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/richardbuganinvasivespecies-240x300.jpg" alt="" width="240" height="300" srcset="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/richardbuganinvasivespecies-240x300.jpg 240w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/richardbuganinvasivespecies-378x472.jpg 378w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/richardbuganinvasivespecies.jpg 400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 240px) 100vw, 240px" />Richard Bugan</div>
As the Science, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Manager for <a href="https://www.nature.org/">The Nature Conservancy</a> (TNC) in South Africa, I lead a team dedicated to using sound science to monitor and evaluate the progress of the Greater Cape Town Water Fund, which was launched in 2018 by TNC and its partners as South Africa’s first Water Fund.
Our work includes tracking the hectares cleared in pursuit of our 2026 target of 59,300 hectares cleared, along with assessing the associated water benefits and biodiversity impacts (for both freshwater ecosystems and the recovery of native fynbos).
As of February 2025, the Water Fund has cleared 33,000 hectares (56% of the target) and completed follow-up clearing efforts across 31,000 hectares to prevent regrowth of invasive species and maintain the cleared areas. This effort has reclaimed approximately 34 million cubic meters of water per year to the benefit of both people and the environment.
TNC is committed to accurately quantifying the impact of invasive trees on water resources in South Africa. This is achieved through the application of hydrological models and infield monitoring activities. During October 2019 – February 2020, six catchments around Theewaterskloof Dam, were instrumented with streamflow and rainfall monitoring equipment. The results of this hydrological monitoring represent a unique opportunity to provide measured evidence of the water benefits achieved through the clearing of invasive trees.
But we are learning that our monitoring activities can hit a snag due to potential equipment failures, storms, and wildfires, which pose risks to their success. To address these challenges, we upgraded the paired catchment monitoring stations in December 2024 through the support of Microsoft. A new telemetry system was installed, linking each piece of equipment via radio frequency and the mobile network. This enhancement significantly reduced the risk of data loss, improved accuracy, and supported the long-term resilience of the monitoring.
After almost six years of monitoring, we are frequently asked whether clearing invasive trees is increasing streamflow. Preliminary results suggest that reference (fynbos dominated) catchments exhibit, on average, a 34% increase in annual streamflow volumes compared to invaded catchments. This represents a significant amount of water, benefiting both people and nature in this beautiful region. We are excited about these incontrovertible findings as they provide concrete evidence of the benefits derived from the removal of invasive trees.
Restoring biodiversity to its original state may take a long time. However, I am just as excited about this moment. The fact that we can contribute every day to a matter of international importance is a gradual step to success.
The author is the Science, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Manager (TNC South Africa)
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<title>The Rise of Islamophobia in New York’s Mayoral Elections– with the Statue of Liberty in a Burqa</title>
<link>https://www.ipsnews.net/2025/07/the-rise-of-islamophobia-in-new-yorks-mayoral-elections-with-the-statue-of-liberty-in-a-burqa/</link>
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<pubDate>Fri, 04 Jul 2025 07:01:22 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Thalif Deen</dc:creator>
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<description><![CDATA[The prospect of New Yorkers electing their first Muslim Mayor, come November, has ignited a rash of paranoid statements by right-wing US politicians, including Islamophobia– the irrational fear and hatred against Islam and Muslims. Last week, a Republican politician caricatured America’s iconic Statue of Liberty wearing a burqa– an outer garment worn by some Muslim […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img width="240" height="300" src="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/thank-you_-240x300.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/thank-you_-240x300.jpg 240w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/thank-you_-378x472.jpg 378w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/thank-you_.jpg 513w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 240px) 100vw, 240px" />By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS, Jul 4 2025 (IPS) The prospect of New Yorkers electing their first Muslim Mayor, come November, has ignited a rash of paranoid statements by right-wing US politicians, including Islamophobia– the irrational fear and hatred against Islam and Muslims.
Last week, a Republican politician caricatured America’s iconic Statue of Liberty wearing a burqa– an outer garment worn by some Muslim women that covers the entire body and face. But that internet meme, spreading across social media, was deleted after protests. 

And another right-winger falsely warned that Zohran Mamdani, who last month won the Democratic Mayoral primary, may introduce the Islamic sharia law into the statute books of New York city’s five boroughs—with adulterers stoned to death in public.
If that punishment becomes a reality, one cynic jokingly predicted, New York may run out of stones—as once recounted about the fallout from Sharia law in a sandy Middle Eastern desert kingdom.
Meanwhile, President Trump, not surprisingly, jumped into the fray dismissing Mamdani as “a Communist lunatic.” That remark was a grim reminder of the spread of “McCarthyism” in the US in the early 1950s: a campaign against alleged Communists in the US government and other institutions. 
Led by Senator Joseph McCarthy, the campaign, which falsely accused scores of politicians and Hollywood celebrities as “Communists”, was labeled the “search for reds under every bed”.
The 33-year-old Mamdani, a Democratic socialist and a social media star, is currently a member of the New York State Assembly from the 36th district, based in the New York city borough of Queens.
At the primary elections last month, he defeated Andrew Cuomo, the thrice-elected Governor of New York state. Mamdani’s father is a professor at the prestigious Ivy League Columbia University and his mother the celebrity award-winning movie producer Mira Nair.
Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda and his middle name Kwame was a tribute to Kwame Nkrumah, a political theorist and revolutionary, who served as Prime Minister of the Gold Coast (later Ghana) and President, from 1957 until 1966.
Mamdani migrated to New York City when he was seven years old and graduated from the Bronx High School of Science and later earning a bachelor’s degree in Africana studies from Bowdoin College. 
Dr James E. Jennings, President, Conscience International, told IPS: “If New York is really a global city, having a Muslim mayor should be a welcome development. A quarter of the world’s population and almost 10% of New York’s citizens are Muslims. Where else but in the Big Apple could the United States better demonstrate our founding principles of liberty and justice for all? he asked.
First, the horror of September 11 fascinated the world, then New York’s most disreputable playboy took charge in Washington with global repercussions. Perhaps now an exemplary US citizen like Mamdani, who happens to be a Muslim, could lead our current politics in a more rational and moral way. His election might help repair frayed ties with the world’s 50 Muslim-majority countries and lead US politics out of its current anti-immigrant jingoism, said Dr Jennings. 
 Prejudice against Muslims, he pointed out, is hopelessly entangled with the politics of the Middle East. A clear voice like Mamdani’s is needed to speak out for justice and repudiate the “attack first” mentality of the Netanyahu-Trump cabal that keeps the US involved in unnecessary wars and fuels the Military-Industrial Complex (MIC). 
“Those in New York’s Jewish community who deplore the Likud Party’s abandonment of Israel’s founding principles and repudiate the genocide in Gaza have apparently already decided to vote for the progressive candidate”, said Dr Jennings. 
Ian G. Williams, President Foreign Press Association (FPA), told IPS Mamdani’s biggest electoral asset is that when asked, he answers questions directly and factually without looking over his shoulders to see what the funders and PACs think. (Political action committees and super PACs play significant roles in federal election campaigns by raising and spending money to influence elections.)
“No hedging, no pandering no Clintonesque squirming about what the meaning of “is” is. Voters will respect the courage even if they are not totally onside with the message”, said Williams former speechwriter for Neil Kinnock, whose speeches derailed Joe Biden’s 1988 Presidential run when he was caught out in unacknowledged plagiarism.
 The turning point was when he fielded the “gotcha” question and redirected it against the other candidates paralyzed by fear of AIPAC (the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a pro-Israel lobbying group in the United States.).
 When asked about going to Israel, in effect, he challenged them to explain WHY a mayor of a city with so many problems would take time off to visit an Eastern mediterranean state committing war crimes. In many ways this was more effective than chanting on a stage at Glastonbury.
It is less than a lifetime ago that JF Kennedy’s candidacy was dubious because he was a Catholic. The bigots who evoked Zohran’s Muslim background while applauding applied dogma from Opus Dei in SCOTUS are irrelevant, declared Williams, a former President of the UN Correspondents’ Association (UNCA). 
Dr Ramzy Baroud, a journalist and Editor of The Palestine Chronicle, told IPS the attacks on Mamdani, a principled man with a solid following among people who are seeking value-based politics, are a strange amalgamation of all the tropes of the past: those that accompanied the McCarthyism era, those pertaining to any criticisms of Israel, and those that preceded and intensified after the September 11, 2001, attacks.
“This hodgepodge of accusations, he said, lacks a central theme, though the real, often unstated fear is that Mamdani is a danger to the ruling classes, frankly on both sides. They are simultaneously accusing him of being a communist, an Islamist, a crazy person, and an antisemite, among a long list of ridiculous accusations”. 
This reflects not only the overriding racism and foolishness that continues to control political discourse in the U.S., but also a degree of desperation, said Dr Baroud.
“The fallout of this madness is that they are repeating the same lines that many Americans are fed up with and no longer accept or tolerate. In other words, the attacks on Mamdani could very much be the reason behind his potential victory in the New York Mayoral race, which in turn will further elevate and make more meaningful the overall political discourse”.
The current level of so-called political debate is arguably the most debased in history, and it seems to be getting worse with time, where the president of what is supposed to be one of the greatest democracies in the world is making physical threats to arrest and deport popular politicians for disagreeing with him. This will bode very badly for the future in the country, thus highlighting the need for Mamdani-like politicians, declared Dr Baroud. 
Norman Solomon, executive director, Institute for Public Accuracy and national director, RootsAction, told IPS a gradual trend of lessening racism and increasing anti-racism in the United States, especially among younger Americans, has been a major factor in making possible Mamdani’s primary victory. 
Likewise, overall, a reduction of ethnocentrism and increasing affirmation of multiculturalism in urban areas – contrary to the very real racism and xenophobia led by Donald Trump – have opened the door to electoral progress by progressives who are not white and do not fall into the category of Judeo-Christian heritage. 
This is all to the good for the health of the society, and all to the good for the prospects of victory for genuinely compassionate and forward-looking political leaders like Zohran Mamdani.
But the big backlash against Mamdani’s victory and what it represents has just begun, he warned. “This is a longstanding kind of reactionary bigotry that has always been a motor force for cruelty and systemic injustice in this country”. 
Mamdani’s win is a highly encouraging event that could foreshadow great progress for social justice and against Islamophobia in the United States. 
Yet the hostility that this progress has provoked tells us that powerful attitudes and forces for bigotry are surging to roll back essential progress, declared Solomon, author, “War Made Invisible: How America Hides the Human Toll of Its Military Machine”
IPS UN Bureau Report
 
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<title>Sudanese Refugees and IDPs Disproportionately Affected By Crisis</title>
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<pubDate>Thu, 03 Jul 2025 17:19:08 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Oritro Karim</dc:creator>
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<description><![CDATA[Since the wake of the Sudanese Civil War in 2023, Sudan has faced a dire humanitarian crisis that has been marked by extreme violence, widespread civilian displacement, and an overwhelming lack of basic services in relation to the massive scale of needs. The latest reports from a host of United Nations (UN) organizations shed light […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img width="300" height="200" src="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Children-are-screened_-300x200.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Children-are-screened_-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/Children-are-screened_.jpg 624w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Children are screened for malnutrition and provided with treatment at Elhmedia health centre, Rokoro, Central Darfur. Credit: UNICEF/Omar TarigBy Oritro Karim UNITED NATIONS, Jul 3 2025 (IPS) Since the wake of the Sudanese Civil War in 2023, Sudan has faced a dire humanitarian crisis that has been marked by extreme violence, widespread civilian displacement, and an overwhelming lack of basic services in relation to the massive scale of needs. The latest reports from a host of United Nations (UN) organizations shed light on the rapid deterioration of living conditions for Sudanese internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees.

In March, the Danish Refugee Council (<a href="https://drc.ngo/resources/news/global-displacement-crisis-set-to-surge-by-6-7-million-people-due-to-ongoing-conflicts-and-civilian-attacks-new-drc-forecast/" target="_blank">DRC</a>) issued its Global Displacement Forecast Report, which detailed the projected trends in civilian movement for the remainder of the year. Sudan, which has been described as the world’s most dire displacement crisis, accounts for nearly one-third of new global displacements this year. It is estimated that by the end of 2026, an additional 2.1 million Sudanese civilians will be internally displaced.
According to the latest Displacement Tracking Matrix (<a href="https://dtm.iom.int/reports/dtm-sudan-mobility-update-18" target="_blank">DTM</a>) report from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), as of May 28, over 10 million civilians are currently internally displaced across all 18 states in Sudan. Roughly 7.7 million have been displaced since the wake of hostilities in April 2023 and have never returned home. 
Additionally, IOM estimates that from June 26-29, approximately 3,260 households were displaced across several counties in the Bara locality of North Kordofan as a result of heightened violence. Over half of the displaced civilians reported were children under the age of 18-years old. 
On June 29, the United Nations Children’s Fund (<a href="https://www.unicef.org/sudan/reports/unicef-sudan-humanitarian-situation-report-may-2025" target="_blank">UNICEF</a>) released a situation report detailing the escalation of hostilities recorded in May. Renewed clashes between warring parties were reported in the West Kordofan, South Kordofan, Khartoum, and North Darfur states, spurring nearly 100,000 new internal displacement cases. West Kordofan was hit the hardest as brutal clashes in the areas surrounding the An Nuhud and Al Khiwai towns drove roughly 60,415 people away from their homes.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (<a href="https://www.unhcr.org/news/briefing-notes/unhcr-warns-crisis-reaching-breaking-point-sudanese-refugee-numbers-triple-chad" target="_blank">UNHCR</a>), since April 2023, over 4 million Sudanese civilians have been forcefully displaced to neighbouring countries, with Egypt and Chad housing the largest numbers of refugees. In early April this year, UNHCR recorded numerous armed attacks on displacement camps in North Darfur, including the Zamzam and Abu Shouk shelters, which further spurred mass movements to Chad.
Doctors Without Borders (<a href="https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/sudanese-refugees-chad-safe-bombs-struggling-survive" target="_blank">MSF</a>) states that since April, over 80,000 Sudanese refugees have crossed into Chad, with approximately 68,556 being concentrated in the Wadi Fira and Ennedi Est provinces. As of June, there has been a daily average of 1,400 Sudanese civilians crossing into Chad. 
UNICEF reports that despite the new surges of heightened insecurity, May saw an overall reduction in displacement, with roughly 1.1 million civilians returning to their sites of origin, most being recorded in Al Jazira. However, the vast majority of these individuals still struggle with risks of violence and an overwhelming lack of essential resources, such as food, shelter, healthcare, and water and hygiene (WASH) services.
UNHCR interviewed roughly 6,810 of the refugees in Chad. They found that nearly 60 percent of them had been separated from their families, and 72 percent reported experiencing severe human rights violations, including physical and/or sexual violence, arbitrary detention, and forced recruitment. 
Additionally, Sudanese refugees and IDPs alike face heightened risks of food insecurity. According to UNICEF, over 17,766 children in Sudan were diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition. In Uganda, the World Food Programme (<a href="https://www.wfp.org/news/refugees-escaping-sudan-face-escalating-hunger-and-malnutrition-food-aid-risks-major" target="_blank">WFP</a>) estimates that Sudanese refugees are relying on 500 calories per day, only roughly a quarter of the daily needs per person. In Chad, nutritional support has been stretched to its limits and food rations are to be significantly reduced in the coming months unless additional funding is secured soon.
“This is a full-blown regional crisis that’s playing out in countries that already have extreme levels of food insecurity and high levels of conflict,” said Shaun Hughes, WFP’s Emergency Coordinator for the Sudan Regional Crisis. “Millions of people who have fled Sudan depend wholly on support from WFP, but without additional funding we will be forced to make further cuts to food assistance. This will leave vulnerable families, and particularly children, at increasingly severe risk of hunger and malnutrition.”
Due to limited access to WASH services and healthcare for the majority of Sudanese IDPs, there have been 23,000 new cases of cholera declared this year. With cumulative cases exceeding 73,000, UNICEF warns that the health situation in Sudan is projected to deteriorate significantly as the upcoming rainy season approaches. 
According to UNHCR, of the Sudanese refugees in neighbouring countries, children bear the brunt of the crisis. It is estimated that 66 percent of refugee children lack access to educational services and roughly 30 percent have sustained serious injuries. 
“(My son’s) hand got ripped off by a shrapnel bomb, some got stuck in his right eye. He arrived at the MSF clinic in (Chad’s) Tine camp several weeks ago. Each time, doctors and nurses struggled to even access the wound as the child was traumatized and in immense pain,” said the mother of Mahanat, an eleven-year-old Sudanese refugee who fled to Chad after an April attack on the Zamzam camp in Sudan, in an interview with MSF.
UNHCR states that only 14 percent of humanitarian needs for Sudanese refugees have been met, leaving thousands particularly vulnerable to extreme weather events, adverse health conditions, and violence. It is estimated that the average Sudanese refugee receives roughly 5 liters of water per day, which is about 4 times less than the global average per person. 
“Again, we ask donors, the UN, and humanitarian organizations to start providing or scaling up support in terms of food, shelter, sanitation, and medical care, including mental health services,” said Claire San Filippo, MSF’s emergency coordinator for Sudan. “The current response is grossly insufficient.”
IPS UN Bureau Report
 
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<title>Does the UN Overstep Its Responsibility to Protect Mandate?</title>
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<pubDate>Thu, 03 Jul 2025 08:07:17 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Jennifer Xin-Tsu Lin Levine</dc:creator>
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<description><![CDATA[The UN has been criticized by some member states for overstepping the mandate of its Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine during a debate in the General Assembly. United Nations member states held another General Assembly meeting to discuss the 20-year-old doctrine Responsibility to Protect, where many powerful members spoke out against the political contract. On […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img width="300" height="200" src="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/UN71104897_20250625_LF_9820_Low-Resolution-300x200.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="Philemon Yang (centre), President of the seventy-ninth session of the United Nations General Assembly, chairs the 80th plenary meeting of the General Assembly on the theme responsibility to protect and the prevention of genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. At left is Secretary-General António Guterres, who delivered a report on "Responsibility to protect: 20 years of commitment to principled and collective action" to the Assembly. Credit: UN Photo/Loey Felipe" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/UN71104897_20250625_LF_9820_Low-Resolution-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.ipsnews.net/Library/2025/07/UN71104897_20250625_LF_9820_Low-Resolution.jpg 630w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Philemon Yang (centre), President of the seventy-ninth session of the United
Nations General Assembly, chairs the 80th plenary meeting of the General Assembly on the theme
responsibility to protect and the prevention of genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes
against humanity. At left is Secretary-General António Guterres, who delivered a report on
"Responsibility to protect: 20 years of commitment to principled and collective action" to the
Assembly.
Credit: UN Photo/Loey FelipeBy Jennifer Xin-Tsu Lin Levine UNITED NATIONS, Jul 3 2025 (IPS) The UN has been criticized by some member states for overstepping the mandate of its Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine during a debate in the General Assembly.
United Nations member states held another General Assembly meeting to discuss the 20-year-old doctrine Responsibility to Protect, where many powerful members spoke out against the political contract. 
On Tuesday, July 1, the General Assembly invited United Nations member states to resume discussion about Responsibility to Protect (R2P), the doctrine meant to prevent crimes against humanity. Previously, many member states <a href="https://www.ipsnews.net/2025/06/growing-gap-principle-implementation-20-years-responsibility-protect/">spoke</a> in support of the doctrine, calling for countries to reaffirm their commitment to protecting civilians and to respect the rulings of international law. Although some states speaking shared this sentiment, other powerful representatives advocated emphatically against R2P, criticizing its inefficacy and calling for its removal.
The Representative from the Russian Federation was a particularly strong critic of R2P, calling it “an instrument used repeatedly by the collective West to interfere in the internal affairs of states to replace humanitarian intervention.” Russia particularly noted the first use of R2P in 2011 during Libya’s civil war, condemning the West’s “warped interpretation” of the provisions in R2P.
This criticism is not uncommon: experts have <a href="https://insight.dickinsonlaw.psu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1471&context=fac_works">argued</a> for years that the UN overstepped its mandate outlined in R2P by authorizing military intervention.
In line with R2P, the Security Council 1973 <a href="https://docs.un.org/en/S/RES/1973%20(2011)">authorized</a> the protection of civilians “by necessary measures.” This broad statement gave NATO powers the freedom to enter the conflict territory with troops. Russia was among five abstentions for Resolution 1973, alongside China, a fellow permanent member, Brazil, Germany and India.
Calling the UN and NATO’s actions in Libya an “act of aggression against a sovereign state,” Russia went on to criticize the International Criminal Court (ICC), what it called “an instrument of the collective West.” Accusing the ICC of destroying a “once-prosperous Arab country,” Russia condemned R2P, humanitarian intervention and the ICC as neocolonial tools to maintain Western dominance globally.
The Representative from the United States of America also criticized R2P, but for very different reasons. Calling it a dangerous concept that “opens the door to selective, politicized action under the guise of humanitarian concern,” the US called the doctrine “destabilizing” to “the very international order it claims to uphold.”
Noting that intervention in conflict often is not in a state’s individual interest, the US claimed the vague concepts of collective responsibility in the document were not effective in addressing all atrocities. Using examples of China’s treatment of the Uyghur population, the military regime in Myanmar and the current conflict in Sudan, the US said, “Some Member States must do much more to address the risks that lead to atrocities and to put an end to senseless conflicts.”
This comes at a time when UN human rights experts have <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/02/new-us-administration-must-recommit-human-rights-home-and-abroad-un-experts">criticized</a> “the United States’ escalating attacks on the international architecture of human rights, the rule of law, multilateralism, the principles of sovereign equality and self-determination, and vital international agreements on peace and security, climate change, global justice, and international cooperation.” Many states fear America’s growing isolationist practices, while others like Russia worry that they, like other Western states, are too involved in the sovereignty of other states.
The representative reiterated, “The United States will always act in accordance with our national interest and will not subordinate our sovereignty to shifting international norms, and we encourage others to do the same.” Naming R2P as a political commitment rather than a legally binding one, he suggested that each individual state protect its own populations from genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity as the doctrine lays out.
Such influential member states, both of which are permanent members of the Security Council, undoubtedly have significant sway in the UN. However, several smaller states maintained support for R2P while outlining ways it could be improved.
The Representative from Ghana called R2P’s issue a “crisis of confidence” in implementation, arguing that its failures must be addressed by a reiteration of political commitment and a refusal to look away when the truth is inconvenient. Ghana emphasized a responsibility to remember the doctrine’s failures, including Libya, while moving forward to improve it as a more effective tool. He said, “when we preserve the truth of past atrocities, honor the memory of victims and confront denial, we are strengthening the foundations on which R2P stands.”
The future of R2P is unclear. Whether states will join the calls of larger states like the US and Russia, calling for the doctrine’s end, or whether they will, as Ghana said, reaffirm shared humanity with the principle, the decision will undoubtedly affect the normative culture of multilateral action in the face of humanitarian crises.
IPS UN Bureau Report
 
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