Health Policy Watch • 25th September 2023

Indoor Air Pollution: A Slow Killer In Need Of Awareness, Data, And Investment

After the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing in indoor spaces raised awareness of the risks of infection in closed spaces and super-spreader events, scientists concerned about human exposure to other indoor contaminants and strategies to reduce risks are hopeful that the time has come for more action.

Geneva Solutions • 24th September 2023

When disaster strikes, how should aid groups respond?

The recent devastating disasters in Morocco and Libya were a reminder to aid agencies that emergency response plans can never be taken for granted.As local groups spring into action to respond to events, aid experts explain how larger organisations and affected communities are adapting to new, and sometimes unexpected, crises.

SWI swissinfo.ch • 22nd September 2023

Is the time ripe for peace in Ukraine?

Limited gains on the battlefront, efforts to replenish arms stocks and bids by countries from the Global South to mediate between Russia and Ukraine may all be signs that conditions are nearing ripeness for possible peace negotiations, says Thania Paffenholz, executive director of Inclusive Peace.

Geneva Solutions • 17th September 2023

Venezuela-UN aid deal in limbo as humanitarian crisis drags on

An agreement signed last November between the Venezuelan government and its opposition to deliver aid using frozen assets with the assistance of the United Nations is on pause, as the country’s crisis endures.

Geneva Solutions • 5th September 2023

Calling a spade a spade amid the 'green' scramble for minerals

Calls to decolonise climate policy and humanise the green energy transition were heard at the opening of the World Resources Forum on Monday as speakers at the gathering discussed how climate talks often ignored the environmental and social impact of minerals and metals extraction and what needs to change.

Geneva Solutions • 31st August 2023

Cuban rights defenders pin hopes on Human Rights Council to revive awareness

Two years after sporadic protests in Cuba led to a new wave of repression and migration, rights groups are hoping that an upcoming round of discussions in Geneva will pressure the government into aligning with universal rights.

SWI swissinfo.ch • 18th August 2023

Baghdad UN bombing: 20 years on, aid workers face even more dangers

Twenty years since a deadly truck bomb exploded outside the offices of a United Nations mission in Baghdad, aid workers have lost a sense of security. The threats they face have grown in number and scope.

Health Policy Watch • 15th August 2023

Achieving Gender Parity In Global Health Governance 'Is Not Enough'

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recently announced he would not run to be the next United Nations (UN) Secretary General, adding that a woman should take that role. But what is the state of women’s representation in global health governance, and what does gender parity entail?

SWI swissinfo.ch • 24th July 2023

Explainer: The World Meteorological Organization at the heart of the climate crisis

Set between the United Nations (UN) headquarters and the seat of the World Trade Organization, the office building that is home to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), will not be found on the most popular of Geneva tourist itineraries. But behind the abbreviation that has become increasingly commonplace in newswires is an organisation playing a central role in informing about the state of the climate and proposing practical solutions.

Geneva Solutions • 17th July 2023

UN trade body weighs in on calls for global debt reform

For many developing countries, Covid-19, the cost of living crisis and climate change have created a perfect storm as governments struggle increasingly to service their external public debt. An expert at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), which warned in a report last week of new record levels of public debt, breaks down the financial hurdles affecting populations.

Geneva Solutions • 10th July 2023

When upholding human rights fails, can the UN respond to SOS?

Over the past three weeks, the Human Rights Council has exposed and condemned a series of countries’ human rights records, offering recommendations on how to address violations. Countries under scrutiny may seek the UN’s assistance, like Peru has done. But is it a delay tactic or can it produce real results?

Geneva Solutions • 7th July 2023

Reality check on dealing with organised crime for aid groups?

Aid workers have long treaded lightly when describing how and if they engage with communities affected by violent criminal activity. But as the types of armed conflict evolve, experts find that a void exists on how international humanitarian law may apply in what has become an increasingly fluid landscape.

Geneva Solutions • 5th July 2023

Afghan fund stuck in catharsis amid dire humanitarian crisis

Nearly a year after it was established, the operation of a Geneva-registered fund appears frozen in time waiting for political conditions to shift so that billions of dollars may be returned to Afghanistan’s central bank.

Geneva Solutions • 18th June 2023

Geopolitical undertones as Human Rights Council session begins

After its longest-ever session earlier this year, the Human Rights Council, opening Monday, is expected to be just as busy. But behind the pressing resolutions, reports and discussions scheduled for the next three-and-a-half weeks, diverging perspectives and shifting global interests prevail.

Geneva Solutions • 15th June 2023

Reading between the lines as WHO, UN attempt crackdown on staff sexual misconduct

After years of inadequate response to sexual abuse scandals, UN institutions are responding by installing new managers and setting up investigative commissions and websites to keep track of reports.. But will shifting personnel, dedicated budgets and new databases be enough?

Geneva Solutions • 6th June 2023

Qatar presidency at UN labour meet sparks concerns from workers groups

Even before Qatar’s labour minister Ali bin Samikh Al Marri was confirmed on Monday by consensus to preside over the International Labour Organization’s annual meeting in Geneva, the vote was a fait accompli, having already received the support of the Asian block of member states, whose turn it was to chair the event. But it was not without criticism from workers groups.

Geneva Solutions • 5th June 2023

Swiss Red Cross cleaning house amid leadership crisis

Since the end of 2022, Switzerland’s biggest aid organisation at the heart of an emblematic global movement has been making the headlines for the wrong reasons. National stakeholders are hoping that an internal crisis at the Swiss Red Cross will soon be overcome.

Geneva Solutions • 4th June 2023

The uncertain prospects of the UN’s future summit

A summit intended to set a future modus operandi for the United Nations amid new global challenges has high aspirations as well as important hurdles to overcome.

Geneva Solutions • 25th May 2023

Human rights: behind the AI hype, an existential threat lurks

One by one, the original designers of artificial intelligence (AI) have come out in recent weeks to warn about the technologies that may autonomously create everything from complex texts to fake images of real people or of fake people appearing real. Disinformation and the snowballing damaging effects of the use of that technology on society were on most of their lips. Among them, Geoffrey Hinton, the chief scientist at OpenAI, a research lab responsible for paving the way for developments incl

Geneva Solutions • 23rd May 2023

Pandemic treaty talks: is there room for Indigenous knowledge?

As the WHO attempts to keep the attention of the international community firmly on the pandemic ball in an bid to prevent future health crises, communities most affected by Covid-19 are feeling left out of health policy-making discussions. Indigenous groups are calling for inclusion in the dialogue.