United Nations

Half time at COP28: Reflections from Dubai
Half time at COP28: Reflections from Dubai
The daily commute on Dubai’s metro during this year’s UN climate summit (COP28) offers a strange juxtaposition. There is the expected picture for a climate conference: e-car ads,…
Does the world have any energy left to cope with another war?
Does the world have any energy left to cope with another war?
It is not often that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) gets involved in a national referendum, but that is exactly what recently occurred when South American country Guyana…
Indonesia ratifies nuclear weapons ban treaty. Australia should too.
Indonesia ratifies nuclear weapons ban treaty. Australia should too.
Indonesia’s parliament last month agreed to ratify the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). This is an important political development, and it…
Learning to live in a world without progress
Learning to live in a world without progress
It’s hard not to like Steven Pinker. I’ve never met the celebrated cognitive psychologist and public intellectual, but he’s managed to cheer me up on occasion. Even though that’s…
Inside the tangled negotiations for a global plastic treaty
Inside the tangled negotiations for a global plastic treaty
The United Nations is one year away from adopting a landmark treaty limiting plastic production – but countries disagree on how ambitious it should be. A few days ago,…
Global Goal on Adaptation: Shaping a new framework at COP28
Global Goal on Adaptation: Shaping a new framework at COP28
The annual UN climate talks, known this year as COP28, are just around the corner. A key item on the agenda will be setting a framework in support of the Global Goal on Adaptation…
Making space arms control work
Making space arms control work
Military operations and warfare on land, at sea, in the air and even in cyberspace are highly dependent on space technologies. Since the 1960s, satellites have been a key part of…
Climate negotiations in a fossil fuel state: What to expect from COP28
Climate negotiations in a fossil fuel state: What to expect from COP28
The time until the next climate change negotiations get underway in December seems deceptively far away, but in fact countries are already gearing up for the 28th Conference…
Can UNESCO save the Great Barrier Reef?
Can UNESCO save the Great Barrier Reef?
It’s a long way from the ancient Abu Simbel temples in Egypt to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef – literally and figuratively. The former is a majestic collection of giant rock…
Global South activists seek a human rights framework for the climate crisis
Global South activists seek a human rights framework for the climate crisis
On a bright afternoon in Midtown Manhattan last month, activists, experts, and officials gathered to celebrate the launch of a new movement to support the climate leadership of…