To stem this pollution crisis, countries agreed in 2022 to establish a new body that would provide policymakers with robust, independent information on chemicals, waste and pollution prevention.
Negotiators are finetuning the details of this new science-policy panel, with the latest round of discussions set for 15-18 June in Uruguay.
OSLO, Norway, Jun 12 2025 (IPS)* –The world is experiencing a surge in violence not seen since the post-World War II era. 2024 marked a grim new record: the highest number of state-based armed conflicts in over seven decades.
The scene of a destruction caused by the war in Ukraine. Credit: UNOCHA/Dmytro Filipskyy
“This is not just a spike – it’s a structural shift. The world today is far more violent, and far more fragmented, than it was a decade ago,” warned Siri Aas Rustad, Research Director at the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) and lead author of the report.
(UN News)* — With 13.5 million people displaced by over 13 years of brutal civil conflict, Syria used to represent the largest displacement crisis in the world. This is no longer the case.
In December last year, the overthrow of the Assad regime by opposition forces reignited hope that most Syrians could see home again soon.
As of May, 500,000 refugees and 1.2 million internally displaced people (IDPs) returned to their areas of origin. But that’s not the only reason Syria is no longer the largest displacement crisis in the world.
(UN News)* — The ocean is under siege – and greed is to blame. UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Tuesday urged world leaders and grassroots groups to confront the powerful interests driving marine destruction, from illegal fishing and plastic pollution to the accelerating impacts of climate change.
“Some mornings, I can’t even stand, my feet are so swollen. My whole body aches from working all day at the juicer. The doctor said my uric acid is high, but I waited months to get tested. Who has the time or money when missing work means no food?”– Sana, a street vendor selling sugarcane juice in chronic pain, navigating long hours and poor hydration, in Delhi’s extreme temperatures.
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Street vendor exposed to extreme heat, New Delhi, 2024. Credit: Greenpeace India
BENGALURU, India / COLOMBO Sri Lanka, Jun 2 2025 (IPS)** –From the blistering heat of Delhi’s streets to Colombo’s humid corners, workers in the informal economy are silently enduring the toll of labour on their bodies and livelihoods.
Unprecedented Ocean warming engulfed the South-West Pacific in 2024, harming ecosystems and economies, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which highlighted how sea level rise is threatening islands in a region where more than half the population live close to the coast.
SACRAMENTO, US & NEW DELHI, India:, Jun 9 2025 (IPS)* –A newly released report by Earth Insight in collaboration with 16 environmental organizations has sounded a global alarm on the unchecked expansion of offshore oil and gas projects into some of the most biologically rich and ecologically sensitive marine environments on the planet.
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A report documents the impact of unchecked oil and gas projects in biologically rich and ecologically sensitive environments. Credit: Spencer Thomas
8 June 2025 (United Nations)* —The ocean covers over 70% of the planet. It is our life source, supporting humanity’s sustenance and that of every other organism on earth.
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The ocean produces at least 50% of the planet’s oxygen, it is home to most of earth’s biodiversity, and is the main source of protein for more than a billion people around the world.
Not to mention, the ocean is key to our economy with an estimated 40 million people being employed by ocean-based industries by 2030.
If you’ve been following the global conversation around plastic pollution, you’ve probably heard of microplastics. These small particles have turned up everywhere from the depths of the ocean to the top of Mount Everest and even throughout the human body.
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Credit: dpa Picture-Alliance via AFP/Bernd Wustneck
But what exactly are microplastics, why are they concerning and what can the world do about them? Read on to find out.
Fisheries provide a vital source of food, employment, recreation, trade and economic well-being for people throughout the world. In a world of growing population and persistent hunger, fish has emerged as an important commodity for the achievement of food security.
However, efforts by the international community to ensure the sustainability of fisheries are being seriously compromised by illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities.
HUMAN WRONGS WATCH 