GENEVA — The latest round of U.N. talks on a global plastics treaty ended in stalemate on Friday, with no draft text and no clear roadmap forward. The collapse, after nearly two weeks of negotiations, left delegates frustrated — but also, for many, relieved. By rejecting a watered-down agreement, negotiators
COPENHAGEN — When policy reversals in Washington stalled offshore wind projects and stripped away clean energy subsidies this year, many renewable developers began looking for the exits. Denmark, however, is taking a different path. The Danish government, which owns a 50.1 percent controlling stake in Ørsted, the world’s largest offshore
Key Impact Points: The Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC3) concluded Friday in Awaza, Turkmenistan, with the adoption of the Awaza Declaration—a political commitment to accelerate sustainable development and resilience in the world’s 32 LLDCs. Held under the theme Driving Progress Through Partnerships, the four-day summit gathered heads
Key Impact Points: Geographic Disadvantages Limit Trade On average, LLDCs are 1,370 kilometres from the nearest port, making it harder to join global markets. Enhanced connectivity and digital infrastructure are essential to reduce trade barriers and tap into e-commerce opportunities. Heavy Reliance on Aid and Imports Over a third of
Geneva — August 2025: In a cavernous conference hall overlooking Lake Geneva, delegates from more than 170 nations filed into their seats this week, some clutching thick binders of draft text, others accompanied by advisers in tailored suits. Officially, they are here to finalize the world’s first legally binding treaty
Key Impact Points: New Bloc for a Common Cause At the Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC3) in Awaza, Turkmenistan, delegates agreed to form a new climate negotiating bloc under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The alliance will focus on advocating for the unique vulnerabilities
Key Impact Points: Political Will Meets Legislative Action At Monday’s Parliamentary Forum of the Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs), senior UN leaders stressed that without national legislative follow-through, a new decade-long development plan will fail to deliver. She noted LLDCs face deep structural disadvantages: 30% higher trade
The Diplomat Steering the World Toward a Global Plastics Treaty Next week, as delegates from every corner of the globe converge on Geneva for a historic round of negotiations, all eyes will be on one man: Ambassador Luis Vayas Valdivieso, the seasoned Ecuadorian diplomat presiding as Chair of the Intergovernmental
By Gerd Müller, Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) We live in a time of multiple, interconnected crises – crises which hit developing countries the hardest. Hunger and poverty remain widespread and have been worsened by the COVID pandemic. Moreover, they are exacerbated by conflicts and
Key Points: Growing Anti-ESG Pressure State treasurers and financial officers from Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming have escalated their campaign against ESG investing. In letters to CEOs of BlackRock, JPMorgan
