The 10th session of the World Water Forum (WWF) concluded in Bali, Indonesia, on May 24, 2024. This forum, which held its inaugural session in 1997, has evolved into the premier international gathering focused on water issues, drawing together diverse stakeholders such as governments, civil society, entrepreneurs, academics, and international organizations. While formally independent of … Read more

The Argentine president has just entangled himself in another international mess. Looking beyond the specific back-and-forth and the responses from the Spanish government, it’s essential to delve deeper into this episode. Not merely focusing on the central figure involved, but rather examining the underlying factors, what’s driving it, and what truly matters[1]. During his still … Read more

On May 3, a statement from the Argentine government reacted to certain comments made by the Spanish Minister of Transport, who allegedly suggested that the president of the South American country had ingested some type of substance. Beyond other considerations about this episode, I highlight a statement contained in the official message issued by the … Read more

The Human Development Report, unveiled in March 2024 by the United Nations Development Programe (UNDP), affirms that, while humanity enjoys unparalleled wealth and technology – unimaginable to our ancestors – which could fuel bold and essential pathways towards peace and sustainable, inclusive human development, we find ourselves constantly teetering on the brink, inhabiting a socio-ecological … Read more

The Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples of the United Nations, Francisco Calí Tzay, conducted a visit to Colombia from March 5 to March 15, 2024. At the end of the visit, he shared his initial impressions of what he saw, in anticipation of the full report he will release next September. The … Read more

According to a report released by the International Labor Organization in March 2024 regarding global forced labor statistics, it is asserted that the staggering annual profits generated by forced labor worldwide (US$236 billion) reflect the wages or income effectively pilfered from workers’ pockets by perpetrators of forced labor through coercive practices. Additionally, it is contended … Read more

On February 26, 2024, the sixth edition of the United Nations Environment Assembly began in Nairobi, bringing together the 193 member states of the UN every two years to collectively address critical environmental issues facing the planet. Apart from the UN General Assembly meetings, this is the only moment when all member states participate. The … Read more

On February 1, 2024, the Dominican Republic (DR) formally began the Voluntary Pilot Plan for Reduced Workweek, aiming to reduce the workweek from 44 to 36 hours, making the DR the first country in Latin America to advance with the reduction of the workweek and to test the four-day workweek for its workers, as announced … Read more

The United Nations Security Council is visiting Colombia from February 7 to 11, 2024, with the aim of monitoring the implementation of the Final Peace Agreement signed in 2016. In anticipation of this third visit of the Security Council to the country, the Representative of the UN Secretary-General in the country, Carlos Ruiz Massieu, expressed: … Read more

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) presented on February 5th, a package of constitutional reforms that includes at least twenty modifications covering diverse topics such as certain changes in the judicial system, the electoral system, fixing salaries, pensions, access to healthcare, student scholarships, prohibition of hydraulic fracturing technology, among other issues. With just four months … Read more

At a recent event of Guatemalan agricultural entrepreneurs, with the presence of five ministers of the new government (MAGA, Economy, Environment, Labor, and Communication), essential issues for the business agenda were discussed. Each of these officials was pleased to present the ministerial perspectives. The Minister of Labor and Social Welfare, Miriam Roquel, stressed the importance … Read more

On February 5th, Today, GSMA, INNIT, Lenovo Group, LG AI Research, Mastercard, Microsoft, Salesforce and Telefonica signed a ground-breaking agreement to integrate the values and principles of UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Ethics of AI when designing and deploying AI systems. UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence was the world’s first and remains its only … Read more

At the onset of the year, raging flames engulf significant portions of the jungles, forests, and prairies across the American continent. In Ecuador, data from the Secretariat of Risk Management reveals that, from January 1 to 31, 2024, a total of 102 forest fires have ravaged 14 provinces, 41 cantons, and 78 parishes, resulting in … Read more

Despite multiple national and international questions and warnings, on January 10, 2024, the president of Peruvian Congress signed the amendment of the Forestry and Wildlife Law number 29763. Previously, in mid-December 2023, Congress had approved three bills on the subject, even against the opinion of entities of the Executive Branch that had made several observations … Read more

The speech delivered by Argentine President Javier Milei at the January 2024 Davos Forum generated numerous comments, mostly highly critical. In the midst of a journey back to the 19th century, his depiction of a flourishing world shaped by heroic entrepreneurs and libertarian leaders, alongside with a multitude of fake data and unsustainable analyses lacking … Read more

On January 26, the ICJ, headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands, issued its first pronouncement related to the lawsuit filed by the State of South Africa (backed by approximately 50 other countries) against Israel in late December. The lawsuit alleges that in the Gaza Strip, where more than 26,000 people have already perished, nearly half of … Read more

Representatives of 11 member countries of the Regional Conference on Migration (RCM) met on December 6 and 7 in Panama, reaffirming their commitment to addressing migration issues with a human-centered approach. They aimed to consider the needs and specificities of each population group, continue promoting actions for safe, orderly, and regular migration, and bolster efforts … Read more

Ramiro Rosario, a counselor in the Municipal Chamber of Porto Alegre, State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, aimed to propose a rule exempting taxpayers from paying compensation for the theft of hydrometers. Perhaps out of technological curiosity, time-saving considerations, annoyance, or a combination of these reasons, he asked the ChatGPT tool to prepare a … Read more

Seventy-five years after the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Ricardo Changala reflects on the current reality. He highlights recent events such as the crisis in Palestine, the release of a former Peruvian president convicted of human rights violations, and the presidency in Argentina held by someone who opposes human rights. Changala emphasizes … Read more

Typically, at the Conference of the Parties (COP), now in its 28th edition, global leaders from countries that signed the original United Nations climate agreement (UN) in 1992 convene to discuss limiting and preparing for future climate change. However, several controversies have emerged even before its commencement. At the onset of COP28, the announcement of … Read more