Global Affairs

Trusted news agencies tracing tendencies of democratisation and autocratisation globally

Equality before the law and individual liberties07. November

US refuses to take part in UN review of its human rights record

Freedom of expression30. October

Wife of detained British political commentator calls for his release

Individual liberties21. October

Religious freedom continues to decline worldwide, according to report

Civil Society Participation15. October

The "Gen Z Revolution": a modern reinterpretation of democratic values

They are fed up with corrupt politicians and empty promises. Young protesters from Generation Z are putting pressure on their governments in Africa, Asia and South America. In doing so, they are putting their own spin on democratic values.

DNA

15. September

Israel slams UN General Assembly endorsement of two-state solution

Israel has rejected a UN General Assembly motion calling for a two-state solution as "detached from reality." The US was also critical. Hours earlier, Netanyahu had said: "There will be no Palestinian state" as he launched a key settlement project on the West Bank.

DNA

15. August

Navalny's widow tells Putin before summit to release war opponents

As Trump and Putin began their first summit since the start of the Ukraine war, Yulia Navalnaya, widow of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, called for the release of Russian political prisoners. While expressing hope for the summit, she was also sceptical of its success.

DNA

15. August

UNESCO urges access to education for Afghan women

The UN's educational and cultural body has issued a call to the world to pressure the Taliban to allow women to receive formal education in Afghanistan. UNESCO believes as many as 2.2 million young women have been denied the right to an education.

DNA

13. August

US criticises Europe in report for alleged restrictions on free speech

Donald Trump and the new US administration have a different view of the global human rights situation than President Joe Biden did in previous years. In an annual report on the matter, the focus has shifted. Long-standing partners of the US are now also facing harsh criticism.

AFP English

24. July

EU seals trade deal as EU Council raised human rights issues in China

The EU and China have reached a new trade deal concerning Chinese exports of rare earth minerals, which have been a key sticking points in ties between the two. Another sticking point was raised by EU Council President Antonion Costa: human rights concerns in China.

DNA

24. July

UN court: States breaking climate obligations are legally accountable

Countries failing to act on climate commitments could be in breach of international law, according to the highest UN Court. The opinion is not legally binding but is regarded as a possible influence on climate processes worldwide.

DNA

China - International alliances16. July

Ex-UK Prime Minister calls for democracies alliance against China

Britain's former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has stayed out of international politics for around a year. Now he is speaking out again - and calls for a new alliance of democracies. He has identified China as its main opponent.

30. June

Widely varied response to Pride Parades in Istanbul, Budapest, Frisco

Police cracked down hard in Istanbul, observed threateningly from the sidelines in Budapest and handed out rainbow flags in San Francisco, demonstrating a widely varied approach by the authorities.

DNA

30. June

Spain hosts key UN talks on global development finance as US retreats

The European Union is aiming to replace at least some of the international development aid effort that previously came from USAID but has now been cut by the Trump administration. The UN development financing conference aims to deliver concrete solutions.

DNA

18. June

UN Human Rights Council convenes as crises mount, budgets tighten

Multiplying global crises, financial struggles and boycotts set the stage for the 59th session of the UN Human Rights Council, which began on Monday in Geneva. It will review around 100 reports on crises around the globe.

DNA

11. June

UN urges UK to negotiate new Chagos deal allowing islanders to return

A little island in the Indian Ocean with great geopolitical significance: to who does sovereignty of the Chagos Islands belong? The British government closed a deal to hand over the Islands back to Mauritius, but UN experts critise the deal over its treatment of the Chagossian people.

DNA

03. June

Democracy, human rights face biggest threat for decades, study finds

What kind of country do you live in - a democratically ‘open’ one, a ‘restricted’ one or even a ‘closed’ one? A new study has analysed data on this and makes statements on 197 countries. Some of the categorisations are surprising.

DNA