New compact boosts marine protected areas
Five nations announced a new alliance to promote more conservation of marine ecosystems in the fight against climate change.
Global Issues
Global issues are complex challenges that require international cooperation, from mitigating climate change to addressing global poverty and geopolitical conflicts. Of the U.N.'s 169 targets for sustainable development, only 35% are on track or making moderate progress toward their 2030 deadline.
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WHO chief urges treaty and 'lot of work'
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus closed out the World Health Assembly with a warning against complacency and an appeal for a global pandemic treaty.
Landmark climate ruling in Dutch court
Climate activists used the 2015 Paris Agreement to win a Dutch court ruling ordering Royal Dutch Shell to cut carbon emissions nearly in half this decade.
IEA sees narrow path to 2050 net zero
Paris-based IEA advised that limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius requires an immediate and massive transformation of all energy systems.
Expert panel says pandemic was preventable
An independent expert panel faulted the World Health Organization and world leaders with a slow-moving response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Facebook-backed digital currency reboots
Facebook's global digital currency project is abandoning Switzerland as its hoped-for regulatory home and planning to launch a U.S.-based payment system.
WHO grants emergency use of China's Sinopharm
WHO added a Chinese shot to its list of COVID-19 vaccines approved for emergency use, providing COVAX another option to broaden vaccine access.
Methane cuts urged as cheaper climate path
A new U.N. report recommended methane emissions cuts as the most efficient way of preventing another 0.3 degrees Celsius of global warming.
U.S. and WTO chief push IP vaccine waiver
The United States and WTO chief backed waivers to vaccine patent protections aimed at speeding efforts to end the coronavirus pandemic.
E-commerce rises to 19% of all retail purchases
Global online sales among seven major economies jumped to almost one-fifth of all retail sales last year during the pandemic, UNCTAD reported.
WHO lists Moderna vaccine for emergency use
WHO listed Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine for emergency use, the fifth such designation since the pandemic began and another step towards global access.
Global COVID-19 infections top 150 million
Two of every five cases were in the United States, India and Brazil alone — with more than 3.1 million deaths and 87 million recoveries worldwide.
Challengers for U.N. chief lack official standing
The U.N. is considering one candidate for secretary-general in 2022 — incumbent António Guterres — despite the emergence of self-nominated challengers.
Biden summit buoys climate treaty hopes
A two-day global climate summit hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden ended with leaders and companies pledging to decarbonize the world economy.
FIFA and UEFA rebuff breakaway league
World football's governing body FIFA and Europe's UEFA faced down their biggest challenge in decades from the proposed European Super League.
U.N. inspectors find promise and hype with blockchain technology
Ten U.N. agencies use blockchain and most others plan to despite environmental issues, data privacy, and cyber risks.