United Nations : Spike in world hunger under the shadow of COVID-19 (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Geneva)
World hunger has increased under the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, with between 720 and 811 million people in the world facing hunger in 2020, according to the United Nations.

Trade : CSOs urge ministers to safeguard interests of small-scale fishers (PRIV)
(D. Ravi Kanth, Geneva)
Many international civil society organizations (CSOs) on 13 July urged trade ministers to ensure that the ongoing negotiations on fisheries subsidies at the World Trade Organization deliver on the development aspirations of small-scale fishing communities while targeting the big subsidizers who are responsible for the depletion of global fish stocks.

Trade : US co-sponsors India's proposal on managing WTO trust funds (PRIV)
(D. Ravi Kanth, Geneva)
The United States on 12 July co-sponsored a proposal from India to bring greater transparency in the use of voluntary contributions/trust funds by the World Trade Organization's director-general Ms Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said people familiar with the development.

WHO : Working Group to hold discussions on pandemic treaty possibility (PRIV)
(Nithin Ramakrishnan and K M Gopakumar, Geneva/New Delhi)
The WHO Member States Working Group on Strengthening WHO Preparedness and Response to Health Emergencies (Working Group) is tasked to examine the possibilities of developing a new international instrument on pandemic preparedness and response. The first meeting of the Working Group will take place on 15-16 July at the WHO Headquarters in Geneva.