In an insightful interview, Mr. Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations at the United Nations, discusses the evolving landscape of peacekeeping, its challenges, and its future in a world fraught with conflict. Here, Lacroix shares his perspective on the relevance of peacekeeping, the complexities of peace operations in Africa, and the role of diplomacy in…
“The UNESCO Global Geopark des- ignation was created in 2015. It rec- ognizes geological heritage of inter- national significance. Geoparks serve local communities by combining the conservation of their significant geo- logical heritage with public outreach and a sustainable approach to develop- ment. UNESCO continues to promote the geopark concept in regions where geoparks are…
The Quest for looted artifacts: Navigating Heritage and History in the Pursuit of Cultural Repatriation.
Illegal immigration has long been a critical issue in the United States, with recent decades seeing waves of mass migration that have put unprecedented pressure on U.S. borders and immigration systems. This article explores the reasons behind this migration, the evolving immigration patterns, and the policies that have attempted to address the issue over…
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…
Global Hunger Declines Slightly, But Inequality Deepens. Global hunger levels declined slightly in 2024, according to the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) 2025 report, released at the Second UN Food Systems Summit Stocktake (UNFSS+4) in Addis Ababa. But this modest progress masks a troubling reality: hunger is worsening in Africa…
From carefully worded online dating profiles to explicit bans on foreign partners, diplomats navigate romance in an environment where relationships are bound by protocol, politics, and the ticking clock of their next posting. A diplomat’s love life is rarely straightforward between rotating postings, strict security rules, and the never-ending suspicion that intimacy might double as…
A dual-currency model with gold-backed banknotes could help developing nations boost stability, reduce dollar reliance, and strengthen financial sovereignty Before President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s April 5, 1933, recall of gold-backed currency, the U.S. Treasury had been circulating gold Certificates since 1865. These notes were backed by equal gold coin and redeemable upon demand. When the…
From sacred landscapes to sites of remembrance, UNESCO’s 2025 additions reflect a global commitment to cultural resilience, ecological unity, and the power of local voices. In a world often marked by division, the enduring legacy of shared history took center stage once again in Paris, where the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee…
“Although everyone likes to joke about how things take forever at the U.N., actually the U.N. tax committee has delivered a whole set of things quite quickly,’’ says economist Alex Cobham of the Tax Justice Network. What do you get when you put complex international tax reforms into a multilateral negotiation format involving the United Nations’…
Levels of violence against children worldwide are at an all-time high and are on the rise, according to a latest UN report, which emphasizes that by working together, states and stakeholders can reverse this appalling trend. “The data shown in the report is alarming and likely underestimated,” said the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General…
New York City is more than the cultural and financial capital of the United States—it’s the epicenter of international diplomacy. As home to the United Nations Headquarters, the city plays host to thousands of dignitaries, ambassadors, and heads of state and government every year. Among the many logistics that come with diplomatic missions, one of…
2025 will mark the anniversary of the SDGs, Paris climate pact and the Iran nuclear deal. It was the year that UN members charted the multilateral pathway that we are still supposedly on – but clearly we have gone off the rails. What went wrong? Why? Can we bring back the spirit of 2015 in…
A Troubled Marriage Between the U.S. and the U.N. Manhattan’s Turtle Bay waterfront, roughly 42nd–48th Street on the East River, was once a dirty and industrial area crowded with slaughterhouses, stockyards, and coal yards. Locals even called the block “Blood Alley.” Everything changed in December 1946, when philanthropist John D. Rockefeller Jr. purchased six blocks…
The United Natons will host the “Summit of the Future” during the 79th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA). The Summit of the future is a vital event aimed at reconstructing global cooperation to address today’s most widespread struggles around the world under the guidance and leadership of the UN.
With 2025, a new generation emerges—the Generation Beta. Gen Beta defines the demographic cohort who are born from 2025 to 2039. Some of the Gen Beta will live to see the 22nd century. But what they’ll see is a puzzle. In an exponentially evolving world, it is challenging to predict what the future holds for…
