Nations work to update draft of WHO's proposed pandemic treaty
The treaty takes aim at the huge inequalities in health care and access to products that the COVID-19 pandemic brought into sharp focus.
Global Issues
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Researchers find 1.77B children worldwide lack basic safety net
The number of children without basic social protections is increasing worldwide, UNICEF and ILO say in a new study.
WHO's COVID origins investigation in China has become 'very difficult'
The U.N. health agency says it updated its plans based on China's response but there's been "no quiet shelving of any plans" for investigating.
Malta elevates sea level rise on the world's peace and security agenda
The tiny island nation made the case that more attention must be focused on the threat of rising sea levels and gaps in international law about loss of land.
At Munich summit, a focus on democracy versus autocracy
Human rights has become "a major flashpoint in the growing systemic competition" between competing ideologies and governance systems.
Pollution and climate change feeding drug-resistant 'superbugs'
Strains of bacteria immune to all known antibiotics may become a major cause of death by mid-century.
Keywords for the next pandemic: accountability, equity, solidarity
Chief among the questions over a proposed pandemic treaty is an 'accountability gap' that undermines the proposed treaty's potential.
Pandemic treaty 'zero draft' gives WHO 20% share of responsibility
The rationale for the WHO's proposed pandemic treaty is to erase "gross inequities" between rich and poor that's a scourge of the pandemic.
Watchdog finds scant progress in the global fight against corruption
A new report finds a clear connection between more violence and corruption as the world becomes a less peaceful place.
We're still living in a pandemic, U.N. health agency chief and panel agree
WHO leaders agree the pandemic may be approaching "an inflection point" of higher immunity resulting in fewer deaths.
U.N. health agency urges nations to update preparations for nuke risks
Almost half of WHO's `94 member nations said they "still lacked essential elements of preparedness for radiation emergencies."
WHO's chief wants the pandemic declared over. Not all experts agree.
Despite the temptation to end the pandemic, some leading health experts say it would be better to keep up the pressure.
Doomsday Clock set at 90 seconds to ‘midnight’ - closest ever in its history
The symbolic clock was reset closer to the symbolic hour of apocalpyse amid Russia's war in Ukraine, which raised the risk of a nuclear confrontation.
WHO points to $2.5B in 2023 humanitarian emergency needs
The money is needed for 54 emergencies worldwide that require an "unprecedented" response from donors to provide aid.
In a world of human rights abuses, some 'extraordinary potential' too
Human Rights Watch points to a "litany of human rights crises" but also a silver lining – some "cracks" emerged in authoritarian regimes.
WEF: Biggest risk to economy is cost-of-living crisis and social unrest
WEF's report finds the biggest short-term risk to the world economy is a globalized cost-of-living crisis and widespread social unrest.