Good morning, this is Kasmira. How much do we know about the hundreds of thousands of chemicals – used in everything from pesticides to everyday household goods – and their effects on health and the planet? Not nearly enough, the UN's new special rapporteur on the issue tells my colleague Michelle Langrand, warning that a produce first, manage later approach will lead to irreversible harm.
A flagship annual report released yesterday by The World Trade Organization does a lot of soul-searching on the pros and cons of the multilateral trade system and nevertheless concludes that the world would be much worse off without it – at a cost of 5-10 per cent to global GDP by 2050. And, diplomats behind a Geneva network advocating gender equality speak out against the growing pushback threatening hard-won progress. |
UN-backed expert on chemicals and human rights Bethanie Carney Almroth at an event on the sidelines of the Human Rights Council, 14 September 2026. (Geneva Environment Network)
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Here's what else is happening
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🚢WTO says global trade system at critical juncture, urges reform.
The World Trade Organization yesterday called on members states to reform in the face of today's challenges, warning that allowing the system to erode could significantly hurt the global economy and hit smaller and poorer countries the hardest.
Reuters (EN)
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📣Inside Geneva: gender champions speak out.
In this podcast, diplomats behind the Geneva coalition, International Gender Champions, reflect on the pushback against gender equality witnessed globally over the last two years, and the real-world consequences it is having for women and girls.
Swissinfo (EN)
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💼International Geneva lost 2,800 jobs since Trump's return.
Switzerland's foreign ministry, which released the figures on Monday, described the job losses as "less significant than anticipated." The number of employees has fallen from 25,696 in 2024 to fewer than 23,000, it said.
ATS via Blick (EN)
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🇺🇸What will Luke Lindberg mean for WFP and humanitarians?
Following news that a Trump pick will now lead the UN's food agency, critics accuse the US of co-opting aid after dismantling its architecture.
The New Humanitarian (EN)
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🏚️UN rights chief says uncovered remains in Gaza raise concerns of war crimes.
Hundreds of bodies have been recovered, including women and children, from the rubble of buildings destroyed by Israeli attacks in Gaza since the beginning of the full-out war in October 2023.
Reuters (EN)
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