Germany's failed bid for a U.N. Security Council seat is more than a diplomatic disappointment. Despite being one of the U.N.'s largest financial contributors and mounting an intensive campaign, Berlin lost to Austria and Portugal for the 2027-28 Council term. www.aretenews.com/germany-secu...

A rare contested election for U.N. General Assembly president may be about more than the office itself. Bangladesh's Khalilur Rahman defeated Cyprus' Andreas Kakouris 99-91 as the U.N. enters the implementation phase of the sweeping UN80 reform agenda. www.aretenews.com/rare-contest...

The humanitarian consequences of the Strait of Hormuz crisis are spiraling outward. At a U.N. briefing in Geneva, UNICEF and WFP warned that shipping disruptions, port congestion and rising transport costs are increasing the cost of delivering aid worldwide. www.aretenews.com/hormuz-disru...

El Niño is likely returning. But today's WMO briefing was also a reminder that forecasting is an exercise in global governance. From Early Warnings for All to climate services, the U.N. is trying to move governments from disaster response to disaster anticipation. www.aretenews.com/wmo-warns-el...

Geneva’s new “Portal of Nations” aims to make multilateralism tangible through immersive exhibits, negotiation simulations and interactive storytelling inside the U.N. complex. It opens as organizations face political pressure, financial strain and skepticism.

The World Health Assembly ended in Geneva after countries approved new measures on antimicrobial resistance, health financing and healthcare workforce recruitment — while WHO itself faces deepening financial strain.

The U.N.’s latest NPT review conference ended without agreement — the third straight failed review of the world’s main nuclear nonproliferation treaty.

At a U.S. Senate hearing, lawmakers and experts warned that attacks on subsea cables and energy networks are exposing vulnerabilities in systems that carry 95% of global internet traffic and support more than $10 trillion in daily financial transactions. Read more: www.aretenews.com/undersea-inf...

A new phase in global science cooperation is taking shape with a shift in how it is governed. The European Commission agreed to transfer the secretariat of its multilateral dialogue on research cooperation to the International Science Council. Full story: www.aretenews.com/europe-globa...

The 11th NPT Review Conference opens at U.N. headquarters in New York today against a backdrop of lapsed arms control agreements and the integration of AI into command and control systems. Read more: www.aretenews.com/eleventh-npt...

A striking visual on the National Mall this week: 20,000 teddy bears, each representing a Ukrainian child taken to Russia since the start of the war. The display reflects a growing body of evidence from U.N. investigators. Read more: www.aretenews.com/twenty-thous...

Europe is ramping up defense spending, but E.U.-U.K. coordination isn't keeping up. www.aretenews.com/eu-uk-coordi...

U.S. senators are split over how to approach U.N. reform — pressure vs. engagement. The divide reflects a deeper question: does an “America First” approach strengthen U.S. leverage, or weaken its influence inside global institutions? www.aretenews.com/us-senators-...

IMF cuts global growth outlook as Iran war disrupts oil supply and drives volatility. Even the best-case scenario now means slower growth, with energy shock from Strait of Hormuz ripple effects shaping the global economy. www.aretenews.com/imf-report-g...

As security concerns deepen in Europe, new reporting examines how volunteer enlistment has surged since Latvia's reintroduction of conscription, even as debate continues over the costs and consequences of mandatory service. Read more: www.aretenews.com/latvia-debat...

Global science does not run on technology alone. After decades at CERN, physicist Archana Sharma argues that large-scale scientific collaboration depends just as much on trust, credibility and long-term coordination.

AI governance pressure is building. A new call by The Elders highlights a widening gap between AI capability and oversight.

Latvia’s shift to Latvian-only schools isn’t just an education policy. In border regions, Russian-speaking students are struggling to adapt. From Latvia, with on-the-ground reporting by Yuqing Liu of Northwestern University Medill School: www.aretenews.com/latvia-langu...

Venezuela's future is uncertain after the removal of Nicolás Maduro. Activists say the path to democracy may be longer and more complicated than expected. In a report by Isabel Papp, activists, lawyers and diaspora leaders describe a moment of relief and caution.

The U.N. Commission on the Status of Women opened its annual session as new data shows progress on women’s political representation slowing worldwide. Women hold 27.5% of parliamentary seats globally, a modest increase from last year and one of the slowest rates of improvement in nearly a decade.

Humanitarian agencies and international organizations are warning that the widening war involving the United States, Israel and Iran raises serious concerns under international law. New from Arete News:

What can science do and not do in policymaking? In an interview, Sir Peter Gluckman, president of the International Science Council, argues that one of the biggest myths in science advice is that evidence determines political decisions.

Artificial intelligence governance moved from conference rooms to confrontation this week. The clash raises a deeper question: Who sets the limits on military AI — governments, companies, or multilateral institutions? www.aretenews.com/us-ai-showdo...

The U.N. Security Council convened in emergency session tonight after Iran formally invoked Article 51 of the U.N. Charter following coordinated U.S.–Israeli strikes. As diplomats gathered, President Trump declared Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei “is dead.”

U.S.–Israel strikes on Iran have thrown Vienna nuclear talks into doubt — just hours before the U.S. takes over the rotating presidency of the U.N. Security Council. Only a day earlier, Oman’s FM said a deal was “within our reach."

Human trafficking is rapidly converging with cybercrime. A new U.N. human rights report finds at least 300,000 people from 66 countries have been coerced into operating online scam schemes — often after traveling abroad for what they believed were legitimate jobs. www.aretenews.com/global-onlin...

IMF prepares to review a new multi-year Ukraine program but approval depends as much on domestic politics as economics. Kyiv completed required reforms, yet contested tax measures still face uncertain votes. The decision ties into wider Western financing commitments. By Dasha Dubinina in Washington:

U.N. plastics treaty talks have a new chair. Chilean diplomat Julio Cordano was elected to lead negotiations after months of procedural deadlock, restoring continuity — but not yet substance — to talks on a global plastics treaty. Whether this reset leads to real progress remains an open question.

Global plastics treaty talks regroup in Geneva this weekend — not to reopen text, but to reset leadership and process after last year’s breakdown. A one-day U.N. session will shape whether negotiations regain momentum in 2026, amid unresolved divides over production limits, chemicals, and financing.

U.N. officials were deeply alarmed at U.S. military action in Venezuela, warning of potentially serious implications for international law, human rights, and regional stability. www.aretenews.com/un-eu-venezu...

Famine is confirmed for the first time in #Gaza. Global food security body @theipcinfo.bsky.social determined famine, or IPC Phase 5, is taking place, based on "irrefutable testimony" from the region. U.N. officials said it is "entirely man-made" and can be halted. www.aretenews.com/famine-decla...

For Indigenous leaders, the outcome of the #GlobalPlasticsTreaty talks in Geneva was more than a diplomatic failure; it repeated a painful history of exclusion. They argued any such treaty must respect Indigenous communities. #PlasticPollution #HumanRights @unep.org www.aretenews.com/human-rights...

A pre-dawn marathon of negotiations in #Geneva over a landmark global treaty to rein in #plasticpollution collapsed, with profound and persistent divisions still in place. www.aretenews.com/global-plast...

In a major move for climate governance, the International Court of Justice delivered its long-awaited advisory opinion saying all of international law applies to national climate obligations. #ClimateJustice #ClimateAccountability #InternationalLaw #ICJ #LossAndDamage #ParisAgreement

Southeast Asian nations wrapped up their annual foreign ministers' meetings by marking a significant diplomatic stride on nuclear disarmament, even as the specter of new U.S. trade tariffs cast a shadow over their economic future.

Delivering the @royalhistsoc.org 2025 Prothero Lecture in London, acclaimed British historian and author @pwgatrell.bsky.social shared the importance of hearing and critically interpreting the voices of refugees found among @unhcr.org archival records. #displacement www.aretenews.com/rethinking-r...

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Although the draft now looms over young Latvians, many have started to embrace it as just another part of being Latvian.

Addressing the future of the United Nations, Secretary-General António Guterres warned these "are times of peril" as he called for major structural reform to keep the financially strapped organization functioning and relevant.

Latvian National Armed Forces welcome the scaling up of NATO's Latvian battlegroup, but stress that Latvia plans to expand its own defenses, too, especially as Russia inches towards Europe.

The U.S. State Department has announced a major reorganization plan that would eliminate its ability to document alleged war crimes in Ukraine and Russia.

U.S. and China agree to hit 90-day pause in trade war after Geneva talks www.aretenews.com/us-china-tra...

Trump orders U.S. to expedite permits for deep seabed mining

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