Global Issues
News headlines for “Democracy”, page 2
CIVICUS 2025 Report Reveals Widespread Attacks on Civic Freedoms Worldwide
- Inter Press Service
UNITED NATIONS, December 11 (IPS) - Over the course of 2025, global civic space conditions have deteriorated sharply, with most countries experiencing some degree of obstructed civil liberties. As authoritarian governments strengthen their hold and have even escalated the use of military force to suppress public dissent, civilians report facing increasing limitations of freedoms of association, peaceful assembly, petition and religion, as well as notable crackdowns on press freedoms.
Funding for Human Rights Organizations – including at the Grassroots Level – have Been Slashed Worldwide
- Inter Press Service
GENEVA, December 11 (IPS) - Human rights are underfunded, undermined and under attack. And yet. Powerful. Undeterred. Mobilizing.This year no doubt has been a difficult one. And one full of dangerous contradictions. Funding for human rights has been slashed, while anti-rights movements are increasingly well-funded.
A New UN Secretary-General Needs the Blessings of the US – or Get Vetoed
- Inter Press Service
UNITED NATIONS, December 11 (IPS) - When there was widespread speculation that a UN Under-Secretary-General (USG), a product of two prestigious universities– Oxford and Cambridge– was planning to run for the post of Secretary-General back in the 1980s, I pointedly asked him to confirm or deny the rumor during an interview in the UN delegate’s lounge.
Human Right Day 2025
- Inter Press Service
In a world of turbulence and doubt, one promise remains. In 1948, nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The Daunting Tasks Ahead for the New UN Secretary-General
- Inter Press Service
KATHMANDU, Nepal, December 10 (IPS) - The election of the next Secretary-General of the United Nations comes at a highly inopportune moment in 2026, when the UN is being bypassed, and multilateralism—with the UN at its core—is under increasing challenge from some of the world’s most powerful states and leaders.
UN Pact for the Future Requires Global Solidarity and Localized Solutions
- Inter Press Service
UNITED NATIONS, December 9 (IPS) - More than one year since its adoption, the UN Pact for the Future is held up as a critical framework for countries to address today’s issues through global cooperation. Its agenda for global governance and sustainable development is ambitious, and it is for this reason the Pact poses implementation challenges when it comes to the direct impact on local communities. It will require the joint efforts of governments, civil society and international organizations to achieve the goals laid out in the Pact.
Thousands Gather in Nairobi as Science Meets Diplomacy for Planet Protection
- Inter Press Service
NAIROBI, December 9 (IPS) - “There will never be a better time than now to invest in a stable climate, thriving ecosystems, and resilient lands, or in sustainable development that delivers for all,” said Amina J. Mohammed, the deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, during the opening plenary of the seventh meeting of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-7) taking place from December 8 to 12, 2025.
Climate Crisis Disrupts Sundarbans Community Festival, Prosperity
- Inter Press Service
SATKHIRA, Bangladesh, December 9 (IPS) - A dried karam tree branch stands on the bank of a pond in a field in Datinakhali village adjacent to the Sundarbans. Despite many efforts, the tree could not be saved.
Farmers Earn While Reviving Native Forests Through a Blockchain-Powered App
- Inter Press Service
SIAYA, Kenya , December 8 (IPS) - For years, Morris Onyango had been trying to reforest his degraded land on the shores of River Nzoia, in Siaya county, 430 kilometers from Kenya’s Capital, Nairobi. But every time he planted trees on his farm, his efforts bore little fruit, as floodwaters would not only wash away his tree seedlings but also fertile topsoil on his land.
The New Fragility: Peacebuilding Meets Digital Democracy
- Inter Press Service
Established democracies are exhibiting governance stresses that were once associated primarily with fragile and conflict-affected states. Polarisation is weakening institutional trust, fragmenting civic norms, and reducing societies’ ability to solve problems collectively. This is the new fragility. At the same time, governments and civil society organisations are adopting digital tools to support public participation. These deliberative technologies hold real promise, but in polarised environments they also carry risks. Their success depends on the same principles that have guided peacebuilding efforts for decades.
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