United Nations headquarters in New York, 28 February 2022. (Keystone/(AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)

UN faces dark future if nations don’t act, warns analyst. A week after the UN secretary general proposed a new 2026 budget that would cut nearly a fifth of staff, experts warn that its financial crisis will still get a lot worse unless urgent and reasoned measures are taken. Ronny Patz, an academic specialising in UN finances, explains why.

🇺🇳UNGA BASH OR BUST? As president Donald Trump takes the stage at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on Tuesday, the organisation is in a very different place than six years ago, when he last ascended the green marble-backed podium and denounced globalism.

Crippled by US funding cuts and with the Security Council deadlocked, the organisation is now hobbling ahead of defining a system-wide reform plan, while seemingly in denial that its biggest contributor will not be pulling out its chequebook anytime soon.

Palestinian spotlight. But before the parade of speeches from heads of state, a one-day conference on a two-state solution for Palestine and Israel will be held this afternoon (NY time). The meeting comes on the heels of the recognition of the Palestinian state from the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada, with France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Malta expected to join.

The move is "political theatre" for Israel and its allies while only a first step for Palestine's supporters, as Tel Aviv presses ahead with its incursion in Gaza City.

Visa geopolitics. Dozens of Palestinian officials will have to follow the gathering from afar after seeing their visas denied by Washington. That includes the Palestinian Authority's president, Mahmoud Abbas, who will instead be allowed to address UNGA by video link.

The US refusal, the UN says, violates diplomatic protocol and has intensified calls to move the Palestine meeting – or even the entire General Assembly – to Geneva.

Brazil is also caught in a row with the US over visa delays and mobility restrictions, prompting several Brazilian ministers to cancel his trip and Brasilia to issue a formal complaint with the UN. Meanwhile, Equatorial Guinea’s vice president, Teodoro Obiang, accused of corruption in several jurisdictions, received a sanctions waiver to attend.

Climate litmus test. Following Trump's exit from the Paris deal again and domestic efforts to stamp out green energy projects domestically, the UN’s high-level climate action event on Wednesday Climate Week may also fall short of expectations.

Considered a testing ground for ambition at the annual climate summits, the EU has indicated it will only issue a “statement of intent” after it failed to agree on 2035 targets. Brazil, Cop30’s climate host, meanwhile, has been urging countries to actually implement their commitments as opposed to simply offering empty promises.

🚘NEW RULES FOR EVER-SMARTER CARS. Around 200 government officials, manufacturers and industry experts will buckle up in Geneva this week to craft new global technical regulations for automated, autonomous and connected vehicles, as the industry presses ahead to create ever-increasingly sophisticated technology on wheels.

Robocars for sale? Not yet. Many modern cars can already perform an impressive array of functions independently, such as parking, lane-keeping or slowing to a stop at traffic lights, thanks to so-called advanced driver assistance systems, which rely on sensors, cameras and AI algorithms to process real-time data and react to their surroundings.

Despite the hype 10 years ago predicting their imminent arrival, driverless – or autonomous – cars are still some way off from hitting the market, though robotaxis and driverless buses are already being piloted, from Austin, Texas, to Zurich airport – potentially Europe's first driverless shuttle for employers around the runway.

Where are regulations at? The Geneva-based UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), home to international agreements for vehicle safety, created a working party in 2018 to develop global guidelines for tech-savvy cars.

According to UNECE expert François Guichard, negotiations this week will help “harmonise” different automotive regimes under a single set of global rules, including issues around AI and data collection by vehicles during collisions and their use in investigations. A first draft is expected by June 2026. If approved by consensus, it would enter into force six months later.

– By Kasmira Jefford and Paula Dupraz-Dobias

The Maison de la Paix in Geneva, pictured on 26 September 2013. That day, the Geneva Graduate Institute officially moved into the new CHF 183-million building, which also hosts three Swiss-backed centres, the GCSP, DCAF and the GICHD. (Keystone/Martial Trezzini)

Geneva ‘peacebuilding powerhouse’ celebrates legacy under pressure. Three of Geneva’s leading institutions on security and peacebuilding – the GCSP, DCAF and GICHD – mark milestones this year amid rising global tensions, growing financial pressures and an accelerating arms race.

Geneva security think tank explores routes to peace in Ukraine. The Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP), marking its 30th anniversary this year, has emerged as a hub for efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Its broad network enables dialogue across political divides – but the chances of a breakthrough remain slim.