U.N. chief defends climate science, calls for accelerated early warnings
Amid a global assault on facts, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres spoke up for climate science and meteorology.
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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U.N. launches 'Sevilla Forum' to tackle $102 trillion global debt
António Guterres highlights 'impossible choice' for debtor nations; new platform for technical reform, not negotiation.
U.N. trade conference confronts global FDI slump, budget crisis
Operationally, UNCTAD, like other organizations, must navigate economic headwinds and severe budget limitations.
U.S. sinks IMO-led plan for world's first global carbon fee on shipping
A vote on a global plan to cut maritime emissions was postponed for a year, in a win for the Trump administration.
At FAO, Pope denounces global apathy as food lifeline disintegrates
WFP warned that global funding cuts could push 13.7 million food aid recipients from crisis to emergency levels of hunger.
WMO: CO₂ surge in 2024 breaks records, weakens climate defenses
Greenhouse gas emissions have continued to rise, locking in long-term climate risks as the natural carbon sinks faltered.
U.N. peacekeeping faces 25% troop cut over $618M U.S. funding gap
The move is linked to the Trump administration’s "America First" policy and a U.S. cap on peacekeeping payments.
IMF and World Bank confront $1.3T climate goal amid global debt crisis
The IMF chief advises financial leaders to 'buckle up: uncertainty is the new normal and it is here to stay.'
UNHCR faces liquidity crisis as U.S. policy, $6.1 billion gap strain budget
The U.N. refugee agency expects $3.9 billion in 2025 funding, contrasting sharply with its $10 billion 2024 approved budget.
U.N. warns of highest nuclear threat in decades, cites strained treaties
To counter these threats, the U.N. formed an independent scientific panel to report on the effects of a nuclear war.
U.N.'s AI governance push poses geopolitical test for tech industry
The U.N. General Assembly's formal launch of new AI governance bodies is poised to reshape the technology sector.
U.N. climate summit confronts 'double burden' of action and debt
The meeting served as a global platform for nations to present their updated national climate plans for the next decade.
U.N. AI debate reveals U.S.-China divide over regulatory approach
Top experts increasingly agree voluntary commitments from AI companies are not enough to deal with threats.
Tariffs, Gaza, 'America First': Brazil and U.S. presidents set tone at U.N.
Lula criticized 'unilateral attacks' on Brazil's institutions. Trump said the United Nations is not living up to its potential.
World leaders gather at U.N. to confront cascading crises and wars
While the U.N. grapples with crises and wars in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan, it is fighting for its own financial survival.
A lifeline for the ocean: U.N. High Seas Treaty secures ratification
A global treaty that took almost two decades to create will become law early next year, enabling conservation areas.