Trade: WTO reform plan - a death warrant for MTS and WTO? (PRIV)
(D. Ravi Kanth, Geneva)
Framed under the title "Reform Ministerial", the Norwegian facilitator overseeing the reform of the World Trade Organisation outlined "key activities" in his confidential draft ministerial text on three controversial issues - "Decision-making, Development and S&DT, and Level Playing Field issues"- to be adopted at the WTO's 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) in Yaounde, Cameroon, on 26-29 March 2026.

Trade: US forms critical minerals bloc to challenge China's grip (PRIV)
(D. Ravi Kanth, Geneva)
The United States unveiled separate critical mineral deals with the European Union, Japan, and Mexico on 4 February, as Washington appears to be building the groundwork for targeting China in an incipient "Cold War" over these minerals that includes lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements with significant implications for economic and technological security, said analysts.

UN: Human Rights Office appeals for $400 million amid rising global crises (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Penang)
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr. Volker Turk, on 5 February launched a US$400 million funding appeal for 2026, warning that as global crises intensify, the world "cannot afford a human rights system in crisis."