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The Race Is On: Who Will Be the Next UN Secretary General?

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  With the deadline for candidates’ nominations now passed, four names are officially in the frame. Prof. Felix Dodds and Chris Spence size up the candidates. Originally published on Inter-Press Service here. APEX, North Carolina / SAN FRANCISCO, California, Apr 8 2026 (IPS)  - Let the race begin! April 1st was the deadline for candidates to be nominated for Secretary-General. Was it a coincidence that the deadline was April Fool’s Day? Judging by the quality of the official candidates, we suspect so. Before looking at the four official finalists, however, it’s worth examining the state of global politics, since this will certainly have an impact on the likely outcome. We are currently living in one of the most unstable times since the Second World War. Multilateralism is under threat and the UN is facing significant political and financial turbulence. To its credit, the UN is attempting to address these challenges through the UN80 process, which is trying to repurpos...
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Limiting global warming to 2C would not ‘rule out’ extreme impacts

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Article written by Ayesha Tandon for Carbon Brief, republished with the author’s permission.  Ayesha Tandon ,  is Science Correspondent for Climate Brief.  Ayesha holds an MSci in Natural Sciences, specializing in Climate Science, from the University of Exeter. She previously worked at the UK Met Office as a Climate Science Communicator. This was  first published in Carbon Brief here.  A resident walks through inundated streets in Nong Khai city, Thailand.  Credit: Adryel Talamantes / Alamy Stock Photo Limiting warming to 2C above pre-industrial temperatures may not be enough to prevent "extreme global climate outcomes," according to research published in Nature   The authors simulate climate extremes – such as drought in breadbasket regions and flooding in populated areas – under a 2C warming scenario using a range of different global climate models. They find that the “worst-case” model projections in a 2C warmer world are often more severe than t...
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Consultation on the draft Note on Critical, Emerging and Enduring Issues - by April 24th

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The Committee on World Food Security (CFS), the foremost intergovernmental and international evidence-based and multi-stakeholder platform related to food security and nutrition, mandated its High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE-FSN) to “identify emerging issues, and help members prioritize future actions and attentions on key focal areas” (CFS reform Document, 2009). The HLPE-FSN is now developing its 4th “ Note on critical, emerging and enduring issues ” (CEEI), to inform the preparation of the CFS MYPoW 2027-2030. As part of the note development process, the HLPE-FSN invites members and participants of CFS as well as the broader public to provide  inputs, suggestions, and comments through an e-consultation on the first draft  of the note (V0 draft). This    draft note  identifies  ten key issues affecting food security and nutrition  (presented in no particular order): Advancing the post-2030 Development Agenda through fo...
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Artemis II: Space Toilet sorted out for now

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  The Artemis II space toilet , known as the Universal Waste Management System (UWMS), is a compact, titanium-based vacuum commode on the Orion capsule, designed for 10-day deep-space mission s.  It uses airflow to direct waste, separates urine (vented overboard) from feces (stored), and provides privacy behind a door.  It recently overcame a fan malfunction early in the mission.  It is understood that the toilet originally built by  Howard Wolowitz, for the space station, is now on the Artemis II moonshot.  Wolowitz  received his Master of Engineering degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which led him to become an aerospace engineer. The Key Features and Functionality of the Space Toilet, otherwise known as Woloowitz. As the problem occurred, it is reported that a number of the team said "not another Wolowitz!!" Not helped that Wolowiz had to design a smaller, more efficient version of the toilet used on the International S...
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UN 80 resolution on Mandate Creation, Implementation and Review for an Efficient and Effective United Nations

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Mandate Creation, Implementation and Review for an Efficient and Effective United Nations The General Assembly, Reaffirming the Charter of the United Nations and its purposes and principles, Recalling resolutions 79/318 and 80/242 and decision 79/571, Emphasizing that the Mandate Implementation Review is one of the essential workstreams to achieve the UN80 Initiative’s goal of creating a more efficient and effective United Nations system, Recognizing the importance of other reform, revitalization and rationalization processes underway across the United Nations system, 1.    Agrees that the following principles shall be applied across the United Nations system throughout the mandate lifecycle, that is, in respect of the creation, implementation and review of United Nations system mandates: (a)    The function of mandates across the United Nations system is to fulfil the purposes and principles of the Ch...
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