The world stands at a crossroads. A new report, Gender Snapshot 2025, released by UN Women and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), offers a stark but hopeful picture: with the right investments, gender equality is not only within reach but could transform global societies and economies. The report highlights striking…
As Artificial Intelligence (AI) rapidly reshapes knowledge systems, governance structures, and global development pathways, a fundamental question arises: Who owns the algorithms shaping our collective future? To date, AI development has been largely concentrated in the hands of a few powerful corporations and countries—predominantly in the Global North. Yet a growing chorus of voices, particularly…
Advocating for human rights in the halls and corridors of United Nations headquarters is not easy, but it’s what some of us do every day. Most global crises and conflicts involving human rights abuses end up on the agenda of one or more UN body or agency. It could be the Security Council, General Assembly,…
On October 24, 1791, a man named Douwe Posthuma passed out drunk in a tavern in Amsterdam. His behavior, obviously, wasn’t welcomed back home, and the brawl between father and son ended up in the records of street conflicts. A relatively unremarkable family feud seemed to have been forgotten in history until it emerged more…
Many emerging economies must borrow to grow. But borrowing smartly — not just borrowing more — can protect governments from crises and build stronger financial futures. Most developing countries face the same dilemma: Without exportable natural resources such as oil or minerals, they cannot fund long-term economic development on their own. Roads, schools, hospitals and…
The next U.N. chief will need to develop greater and closer ties with the private sector and build new, more effective partnerships to help manage the resource dilemma. A growing number of violent conflicts. A never-ending liquidity crisis. A bloated organization rife with antisemitism and facing loud calls for it to be completely overhauled….
John Gast, American Progress, 1872 Columbia, the female figure of America, leads Americans into the West and into the future by carrying the values of republicanism. MANIFEST DESTINY Manifest Destiny is defined as “the concept of American exceptionalism, that is, the belief that America occupies a special place among the countries of the world.” The…
Data Privacy and Human Rights: Balancing Security and Civil Liberties in the Age of Terrorism The Day the Phone Rang In a quiet neighborhood in Nairobi, Amina’s phone rang one morning with a message she didn’t understand. It wasn’t spam—it was a notification from a digital ID system designed to protect citizens from terrorism….
African street mechanics and junk scavengers push the global north towards climate solutions Freetown—Like a pop star eager to match the success of his last big hit, Emmanuel Alie Mansaray stalks the streets of this steaming, teeming African capital searching. He’s searching for inspiration: the spark that will allow him again to capture lightning…
Internationally acclaimed pianist and 4 time Grammy nominated Conductor
From climate targets to social gains, renewable energy is seen as key to unlocking SDGs. Global progress on the U.N.’s 2030 goals has stalled. According to the Sustainable Development Goals Report 2024, just 17% of the targets are on track. Closing a $4 trillion financing gap is now seen as vital—not only to keep…
“The longer we don’t reform the Security Council the more the council’s credibility suffers’’
When U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres introduced the 40 members of the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI, I had a sense of déjà vu. As the U.N. touted members “from all five of the U.N.’s regions” and “from various different backgrounds,” I was reminded of my own experience with the U.N.’s vision of diversity. On…
Currently holding the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council for April, Malta’s UN Ambassador Vanessa Frazier, known for her diplomatic skills and adherence to judo philosophy, offers valuable perspectives on the role elected members can play in shaping the 15-member Council.
Humanitarians are fighting hunger in a world of waste Imagine a world where hunger is a distant memory, where every person has access to nutritious food, and where there is no poverty. Is a hunger-free world possible or is it unrealistic? Today more than 783 million people grapple with hunger even as we witness a…
In light of the 21st century’s pressing concerns, the United Nations General Assembly hosted its first ever Sustainability Week, a week-long series of high-level meetings on debt, tourism, transport, infrastructure, and energy from 15 to 19 April 2024. The sustainability imperative underscores the urgent need to recalibrate our global society to exist harmoniously within the…
