In The News

Bloomberg Businessweek: Climate Change Could Make Borrowing More Expensive

Emily Chasan January 23, 2018
The value of bond holdings for locales or companies struck by disaster can plunge: “bond rating agencies such as Moody’s Investors Service and S&P Global Ratings are looking at whether they should be including more disaster forecasting in calculating the grades they give to government debt and to companies in industries ranging from insurance to construction,” writes Emily Chasen for...

NPR: US Freezes More Than Half of Aid to UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees

Bill Chappell January 17, 2018
Aid is an essential tool for foreign policy, diplomacy and security. “The State Department is withholding $65 million it planned to send to the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, calling for reforms and for other nations to step up their support — especially those that criticize the Trump administration's positions regarding Palestinians and Israel,” reports Bill Chappell for NPR. The US...

The Japan Times: Toward a New Global Compact on Migration

Antonio Guterres January 11, 2018
More than 65 million people have been forcibly displaced from their games due to conflict or disasters. Many more people migrate in search of opportunities, and the total number of migrants approaches 250 million. “Managing migration is one of the most profound challenges for international cooperation in our time,” explains Antonio Guterres in an essay in the Japan Times. Migration confers many...

Reuters: North, South Korea Agree to Dialogue

Christine Kim and Hyonhee Shin January 9, 2018
The start of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang is February was the catalyst for a meeting of North and South Korean diplomats. The North is making plans to send a delegation including athletes, officials, performers and reporters to the international games, and athletes from the two nations may join for the opening ceremony. “South Korea asked its neighbor to halt hostile acts that stoke...

The Guardian: US Will “Take Names of Those Who Vote to Reject Jerusalem Recognition”

Peter Beaumont December 20, 2017
The United Nations is an organization where small and less powerful nations can speak out against the powerful. A letter by Nikki Haley, US ambassador to the United States, could be regarded as patronizing at best and bullying at worst. She warned UN members that she would be “taking names” of countries rejecting Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel. Jerusalem, controlled...

Deutsche Welle: Putin, Erdogan, Rouhani Hold Talks on Syria as Opposition Gathers in Riyadh

November 23, 2017
In advance of UN-backed peace talks for Syria, Russian President Vladimir Putin is meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Sochi. The group claims the success against the Islamic State and foreign-backed opposition while giving little credit to Kurdish troops backed by the United States. “Turkey has been one of the main backers of the Syrian...

FP: As US Retreats From World Organizations, China Steps in

Colum Lynch and Elias Groll October 9, 2017
China has strategically pursued leadership roles in global organizations. Colum Lynch and Elias Groll describe the efforts behind a Chinese representative to head the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. “The push reflects Beijing’s desire to project a more visible ‘soft power’ profile around the world and fill a political void left by an American administration that has grown...