swissinfo.ch • 28th November 2023

Offset scandals put Switzerland in the spotlight at COP28

With the COP28 climate talks about to begin in Dubai, countries will be under pressure more than ever to step up carbon-cutting commitments. The conference opens as carbon offsets are under scrutiny, pushing Switzerland to review its climate strategy.

Geneva Solutions • 25th November 2023

Cop28’s tipping points and search for solutions - Geneva Solutions

A flurry of scientific reports ahead of the start of the COP28 make it clear that countries are far from doing enough to keep global warming from moving into unchartered climate territory. Will known solutions to respond to the challenge be taken seriously this time round?

Geneva Solutions • 16th November 2023

Cop28: UN agencies respond to Dubai workers heat stress controversy

Amid the latest reports of heat stress among migrant workers at the Cop28 venue in the United Arab Emirates, UN organisations react to the controversy ahead of global climate talks.

Geneva Solutions • 16th November 2023

UN agency chiefs align efforts in appeal to avert chaos in Gaza

United Nations aid and humanitarian agency chiefs presented a common front this week in Geneva amid a rapidly deteriorating situation in the Middle East. According to some, the consistent reminder of the principles of humanitarian law and aid delivery may be paying off, at least, diplomatically.

Geneva Solutions • 29th October 2023

Climate rights expert slams corporations and states on human rights duties

A month ahead of Cop28, the UN rights expert on climate change amplifies calls by scientists and global leaders, saying states and corporations need to protect people from the environmental crisis.

Geneva Solutions • 20th October 2023

UN releases damning Peru report amid strained relations

Continued concern by the UN’s rights office over Lima’s accountability following deadly protests comes amid rising tensions between government institutions and the UN.

Geneva Solutions • 19th October 2023

Aid groups reflect on next move in besieged Gaza

Amid the worsening humanitarian situation within Gaza, aid groups await directives once diplomatic horse trading allows for the opening of humanitarian relief corridors.

Geneva Solutions • 13th October 2023

Overshadowed Afghanistan struggles for attention in quake aftermath

Far from this week’s media spotlight on the latest spike in violence in the Middle East, poor and isolated communities flattened by a series of quakes in Afghanistan are hoping not to be forgotten again.

Geneva Solutions • 11th October 2023

Unrwa staffers in Gaza ‘terrified and stretched’

As Israel intensifies its military campaign in Gaza, staff at the United Nations’ largest aid agency in the Palestinian enclave are enduring both bombs and budgetary constraints, just as humanitarian needs escalate.

Geneva Solutions • 10th October 2023

Israel-Gaza: UN agencies huddle to respond to unfolding humanitarian crisis

As fighting intensified on Tuesday, days after a surprise attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas on Israel, the United Nations headquarters in Geneva provided a look into the humanitarian needs and recalled international humanitarian law obligations as violations mount.

Geneva Solutions • 5th October 2023

Risking to differ on climate finance narratives at Geneva conference

As Geneva hosts its fourth edition of the Building Bridges conference bringing together private finance with international organisations and climate negotiators, not everyone is speaking in a common language.

SWI swissinfo.ch • 5th October 2023

UN migration agency pivots back to the US

Five years after the International Organization for Migration (IOM) broke its single country governance streak by electing the Portuguese António Vitorino to its helm, a US national is back in its driver's seat. How will Amy Pope lead the UN agency as migration rises on many donor countries’ political agendas?

Geneva Solutions • 2nd October 2023

Can sustainable development and climate action rely on the private sector?

With mounting climate change impacts increasingly at odds with tight international resources, there has been a growing expectation that private finance will pitch in. But is that too much to ask?

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.