Global Issues News Headlines for “United Nations on Development Issues”

Autonomous Weapons: The Wave of the Future in Military Conflicts Worldwide

2026-07-16T08:18:26-07:00

UNITED NATIONS, July 16 (IPS) - As the international community continues to weigh the good, the bad and the deadly in artificial intelligence (AI), which is spreading far and wide with apparently no guardrails, the United Nations is taking a closer look at the impact, both positive and negative, of AI.

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The Next UN Secretary-General Must Break Not Only the Glass Ceiling, but Also the Culture of Patronage

2026-07-13T04:45:44-07:00

NEW YORK, July 13 (IPS) - As the United Nations (UN) Security Council prepares for its first round of closed-door straw polls this month to select the tenth Secretary-General, the organization stands at a critical crossroads. Multilateralism is fracturing under geopolitical gridlock, and the UN is battling a severe budgetary deficit driven by funding cuts.

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AI Helping Modernize Trade Across Asia and the Pacific, Though Adoption Gaps Remain

2026-07-10T05:10:30-07:00

BANGKOK, Thailand, July 10 (IPS) - Artificial intelligence is reshaping trade processes across Asia and the Pacific. However, despite growing interest, most economies have yet to deploy the technology at scale, according to a new study by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

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Feeding Africa: Women Farmers Key to Ending Hunger

2026-07-09T05:41:50-07:00

UNITED NATIONS, July 9 (IPS) - As FAO coordinates the implementation of the International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026, gender team leader Tacko Ndiaye discusses why investing in Africa’s women farmers is essential for food security, economic growth and creating more resilient agrifood systems

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We Owe Future Generations a Path Out of the Global Debt Crisis

2026-07-08T05:10:03-07:00

WASHINGTON DC / NEW YORK, July 8 (IPS) - Almost half of the world’s population now lives in countries that spend more money paying interest on their debts than on education or health. New data shows the cost of borrowing for African countries in particular rose 91% since 2020. Rising debt payments have reduced governments’ capacity to invest in children and build their human capital.

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Towards a Human rights-Centred, Transformative Agenda Beyond 2030

2026-07-07T04:40:26-07:00

MUNICH / BRUSSELS , July 7 (IPS) - The 2030 agenda cum SDGs are due to be completed in 2030, with negotiations towards a follow-up agenda to begin formally at the UN General Assembly in autumn 2027. Many direct or indirect discussions have, however, already begun, e.g. pluri-laterally at BRICS and G20 meetings and the EU; as well as at the UN in connection with the Summit of the Future, the Doha World Summit for Social Development, the Beyond GDP report; or in fora such as the Hamburg Sustainability Conference. Think tanks and academics, too, are brainstorming on how best to re-ignite a genuine commitment to the SDGs and at the same time reflect on the future.

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Africa’s Fourth Industrial Decade: From Political Mandate to Industrial Transformation

2026-07-06T06:00:58-07:00

VIENNA / ADDIS ABABA, July 6 (IPS) - Amid shifting geopolitical, economic, and technological landscapes, it reflects growing international recognition that Africa’s sustainable industrial transformation is vital – not only for the continent’s future, but also for global prosperity.

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Invisible peacebuilders: How ‘diplomacy works’ to prevent conflict

2026-07-04T05:00:00-07:00

Described as “sometimes modest, sometimes historic,” UN special political missions have quietly been preventing the escalation of conflicts during the organization’s 80-year history, becoming a key instrument for maintaining peace.

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UN Senior Members Urge Universal Abolition of Death Penalty

2026-07-03T07:28:29-07:00

UNITED NATIONS, July 3 (IPS) - While the movement for the universal abolition of the death penalty advances, this progress “cannot be taken for granted,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres as he greeted the 9th World Congress Against the Death Penalty.

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Beyond the United Nations — Reclaiming Integrity and Purpose in Global Governance

2026-07-03T06:23:02-07:00

NEW YORK, July 3 (IPS) - At the Annual General Meeting of the United Nations Asia Network for Diversity and Inclusion (www.UN-ANDI.org) on 21 May 2026, I was invited to share my reflections on both the pre and post separation phases of my UN journey. This provided me with a valuable opportunity to critically examine my decision to leave the UN service after many years at the ICSC.

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