The presidents of Peru, Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Paraguay and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau signed a letter and sent it to the International...
Syria's main crossing points with Jordan and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights have both been reopened for the first time in several years.
A Syrian businessman...
Libya's UN-backed government has announced a state of emergency in the Libya's capital, Tripoli, and its outskirts after several days of fierce fighting between...
The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) is the first international treaty negotiated under the auspices of WHO. It was adopted by...
Four countries could soon “graduate” from the ranks of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable nations, a United Nations expert committee announced recently.
Bhutan, Kiribati,...
In January 2018, European Ministers of Culture met in Davos, Switzerland, to adopt a Declaration promoting the concept of a high-quality Baukultur in Europe....
The Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) marked its first anniversary since its entry into force on 22 February 2017 with WTO members making significant strides...
The United Nations health agency WHO launched the first global monitoring system for dementia.
This initiative is expected to affect 152 million people worldwide by...
The Muscat Declaration on Tourism and Culture: Fostering Sustainable Development was signed by representatives of UNESCO, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), delegations, private sector,...
The Doha Development Agenda Global Trust Fund (DDAGTF) was established in 2002, in order to receive extra budgetary contributions from WTO Members to finance...
The United Kingdom government announced at the WTO’s Ministerial Conference on 11 December a commitment of £16 million (around US$ 21.3 million) to 51...
France has contributing EUR 50,000 (approximately CHF 58,000) to the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) in 2017 to help developing countries comply with...
The International Trade Centre (ITC), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the WTO unveiled an innovative tool to help businesses,...
The World Trade Organization (WTO) and the International Trade Centre (ITC) launched an on-line platform for market intelligence for cotton products, which will enable...
Selected WTO members and acceding governments launched the g7+ WTO Accessions Group, a new platform designed to help post-conflict and fragile economies through WTO...
Senior Saudi Arabian prince Miteb bin Abdullah, has been freed after agreeing to pay over $1 billion to settle corruption allegations against him.
Miteb, 65,...
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta was sworn in for a second term.
Kenyatta won a repeat presidential election on Oct. 26 that was boycotted by Odinga,...
Emperor Akihito will step down on April 30, 2019 - the first abdication by a Japanese monarch in about two centuries.
A 10-member Imperial Household...
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has launched the digital currency to circumvent U.S.-led financial sanctions.
He launched the cryptocurrency “petro” backed by oil reserves to shore...
The Philippines has ordered French drugmaker Sanofi to stop the sale, distribution and marketing of its Dengvaxia dengue vaccine in the country.
The World Health...
US President Donald Trump has recognized the Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. He directed the US state department to start making arrangements to move...
The United Nations designated the years 2021 to 2030 as the ‘Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development’ to boost international coordination and cooperation...
The United Kingdom Government has contributing GBP 100,000 (approximately CHF 132,000) to help least-developed countries (LDCs) participate in the eleventh WTO Ministerial Conference (MC11),...
The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, or the Nuclear Weapon Ban Treaty, is the first legally binding international agreement to comprehensively prohibit...
Saudi Arabia’s historic decision to allow women to drive won plaudits internationally and inside the conservative kingdom.
King Salman’s decree, which takes effect next June,...
The Union Cabinet of India has given its approval for International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) to change its status...
Insulting the Chinese national anthem would now be a criminal offence. The national anthem is rooted in Chinese revolution. Recognizing China's anthem is to recognize the...
Qatar has restored the full diplomatic relations with Iran send its ambassador back to Iran.
Iran welcomed Qatar’s decision, has sent food to Qatar and...
Qatar has introduced a new "Domestic Employment Law" that will provide legal protection for domestic workers, giving them more rights and control over their...
Incumbent Peter O'Neill has been re-elected as prime minister of Papua New Guinea.
O'Neill was sworn to a second five-year term after his People's National...
Resolution 2371 (2017), adopted unanimously by the United Nations Security Council on August 5, 2017, strengthens UN sanctions on North Korea in response to...
Chile's Constitutional Court has legalised abortion, ending the country's absolute ban on the procedure.
Court ruling accepted the making abortion legal in cases of rape, threat...
United Nations human rights body has welcomed the repeal of laws in Lebanon, Tunisia and Jordan that allow rapists to avoid criminal prosecution by marrying...
A ground-breaking global convention on mercury has comes into effect, protecting millions of children and infants from possible neurological and health damage.
The Minamata Convention...
Ethiopia’s government has lifted a state of emergency imposed in October after hundreds of people were killed in anti-government protests.
Lawmakers in the East African...
The Italian parliament has approved a naval mission aimed at boosting the Libyan coastguard in its fight against human traffickers.
It would provide technical support...
General elections were held in Kenya on 8 August 2017 to elect the President, members of Parliament and devolved governments.
Incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta was...
Qatar has filed a formal complaint with the World Trade Organisation's Dispute Settlement Body against countries that have imposed a blockade on it.
Complaint is...
Presidential elections were held in Rwanda on 4 August 2017. The incumbent President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, was re-elected to a third seven-year term...
The United Nations Security Council imposed new sanctions on North Korea over its two recent intercontinental ballistic missile tests in July.
The U.S.-drafted resolution bans...
Qatar’s Ministry of Interior (MoI), Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) and Qatar Airways announced that Qatar will allow visa-free entry for citizens of 80 countries,...
Myanmar government has rejected the rumours that the Government was establishing paramilitary forces in Rakhine State.
Because extremists are stepping up terrorist activities in the...
With the support of UNICEF, the Ministry of Health of Iraq launched the Every Newborn Action Plan (ENAP), which was developed jointly with UN Children's...
The United Nations refugee agency UNHCR expressed a grave concern over the deteriorating conditions for refugees and asylum seekers at Australia's offshore immigration processing...
The United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution aimed at preventing terrorists from acquiring weapons, particularly small arms and light weapons.
Unanimously adopting resolution...
Militia attacks and army reprisals have uprooted 1.4 million people in a previously stable region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
According to the...
The WTO General Council approved landmark reforms to the Trade Policy Review Mechanism (TPRM) in July 2017 to improve the process of reviewing members’ trade...
The government of Ireland has contributed EUR 350,000 (CHF 367,000) in 2017 to WTO trade-related programmes to help developing countries and in particular least-developed...
The update of Argentina’s WTO Goods Schedule, which was formally initiated on 26 July, marks the 500th notification under special procedures to modify these...
Pakistan's Supreme Court five-Judge Bench has disqualified Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from office. This ruling comes after months of hearings in a case instigated by the...
Iran and Iraq have signed an agreement to boost military cooperation and to battle against “terrorism and extremism”.
The memorandum of understanding on defense and cooperation...
The World Bank has launched a public-private loan programme to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries.
Initial funding of $325 million for the project includes...
Recently, Mauritius has signed the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (MLI).
Mauritius has also reaffirmed...
USA imposed new sanctions against entities and individuals with ties to Iran. USA has designated 18 entities and individuals under this latest round of sanctions for their...
The Swiss Federal Council has introduced automatic exchange of financial account information (AEOI) with 41 more states and territories.
The list of the countries is...
Aleksandar Vucic was sworn in as Serbia’s president. Serbia is a parliamentary republic, with the government divided into legislative, executive and judiciary branches.
The President is...
China has imposed strict controls on the scale of sea reclamation. China’s State Oceanic Administration (SOA) set eight indexes on sea development, including the rate...
Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has alerted the humanitarian community about the violence and continued displacement of civilians in the...
According to Education Ministry of Saudi Arabia, Saudi public schools will begin offering physical education for girls in the coming academic year. Minister of...
United States and Qatar have signed an agreement to combat "terrorism financing". Qatar has become the first country to sign a such type agreement with...
The government of Japan is contributing JPY 27.5 million (just over CHF 230,000) to help developing countries and least-developed countries enhance their trade negotiating...
According to latest Japan government data, the number of births fell below 1 million last year in Japan. It is the fastest pace of decreasing population...
Khaltmaa Battulga has won Mongolia's presidential election. Battulga of the Democratic Party (DP) is a 54-year-old former martial arts star.
Battulga won with 50.6 percent...
Japan and European Union have signed an Economic Partnership Agreement that would affect about 30 percent of the world’s gross domestic product. The negotiations...
United Nations conference adopted the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. It is the first multilateral legally-binding instrument for nuclear disarmament to have...
The STDF is a global partnership established by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Organization for Animal Health...
Beijing Declaration on Education was adopted in the 5th Meeting of BRICS Ministers of Education in Beijing, China in July 2017.
BRICS Ministers of Education during...
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law across the southern third of the country in May 2017 after deadly clashes between security forces and...
The United Nations Security Council adopted its first-ever resolution on mine action.
UNSC noted that the serious and lasting threat posed by landmines, explosive remnants of...
Border disputes between Slovenia and Croatia have existed since the two countries' independence following the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991. The most notable border...
The Information Technology Agreement (ITA) was concluded by 29 participants at the Singapore Ministerial Conference in December 1996. Since then, the number of participants...
Google has been fined 2.42 billion euros by the European Commission.
According to EU ruling, Google had abused its power by promoting its own shopping...
Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed for the establishment of a bilateral “crisis management mechanism” to avoid any breakdown in mutual communications and contacts in...
Egypt’s parliament approved the transfer of two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia under a border agreement. In return, Saudi Arabia will provide billions of...
The European Union has extended sanctions against Russia for a year over its annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014.
Crimea declared independence from Ukraine...
The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) says the situation has made South Sudan, Africa's largest refugee crisis and the world's third largest after Syria...
Denmark has deposited the instrument of ratification of the Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 , thereby becoming the 17th country...
Indonesia has deposited the instrument of ratification of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, as amended (MLC, 2006) with the International Labour Office.
Indonesia, an important...
Thailand, member State of the ILO since 1919, ratified one of the eight fundamental ILO Conventions, namely the Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) 1958, (No.111)...
The Government of Belgium deposited with the International Labour Office the instruments of ratification of :
1. The Invalidity, Old-Age and Survivors’ Benefits Convention, 1967...
Iceland has ratified the instrument of the Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention, 1930, thereby becoming the fifteenth country to ratify this...
Sweden has ratified the Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 , thereby reinforcing the global movement for combating forced labour in...
The Afghan intelligence service, the National Directorate of Security (NDS), said that early findings showed the Haqqani network with the assistance of Pakistan's ISI...
Bhutan and Maldives have eliminated measles, a highly infectious disease that is a major childhood killer globally.
The two countries have become the first in...
The World Bank approved financing of about $500 million for Afghanistan to boost the economy and support Afghan refugees.
The six grants, including donor money,...
Nepal has signed an agreement with a Chinese company Gezhouba Group Corporation (CGGC) to build the long-mooted 1,200-megawatt Budhi-Gandaki hydroelectric project. Estimates of the...
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has approved the membership of Argentina, Madagascar and Tonga.
The AIIB’s board of Governors adopted resolutions approving the three...
