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Mexiko feiert einen Traumstart in seine Heim-WM. Dieser sorgt auch in der Grenzstadt Tijuana für Euphorieausbrüche. Blick hat das Spiel gegen Südafrika (2:0) vor Ort verfolgt.

Wer schon einmal Ferien in Italien gemacht hat, kennt das Bild: Gegen Abend füllen sich die Gassen. Familien, Paare und Freundesgruppen flanieren über die Piazza oder entlang der Promenade. Niemand scheint es eilig zu haben.

Neun der zehn beliebtesten Marken der Schweizerinnen und Schweizer stammen aus dem eigenen Land. Doch ausgerechnet ein schwedischer Hersteller hat sich aufs Podest geschlichen – und es ist nicht der gelbe Möbelriese.

Africa has no problem with ideas, but the struggle is in how to  implement them, leaders said at an inaugural forum convened to promote action on development. Addressing the inaugural Africa Development Impact Forum (ADIF), Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Executive Secretary Clever Gatete emphasised that Africa must move quickly from great ideas to sound […]

International institutions promote policy coherence as crucial to the effective and fair implementation of global sustainability agendas, though the evidence for its benefits is slim. We present here the first systematic cross-country dataset on the consequences of national government efforts to promote policy coherence for vulnerable groups in society. We confirm that coherence is perceived to be beneficial for most groups. However, we find vulnerable groups are largely perceived to bear the brunt of incoherence, while traditionally powerful groups benefit from it in some cases. Based on these findings, we argue that coherence can play an important role in reducing inequality and ensuring countries “Leave No One Behind” in implementing climate and development goals.

International institutions promote policy coherence as crucial to the effective and fair implementation of global sustainability agendas, though the evidence for its benefits is slim. We present here the first systematic cross-country dataset on the consequences of national government efforts to promote policy coherence for vulnerable groups in society. We confirm that coherence is perceived to be beneficial for most groups. However, we find vulnerable groups are largely perceived to bear the brunt of incoherence, while traditionally powerful groups benefit from it in some cases. Based on these findings, we argue that coherence can play an important role in reducing inequality and ensuring countries “Leave No One Behind” in implementing climate and development goals.

International institutions promote policy coherence as crucial to the effective and fair implementation of global sustainability agendas, though the evidence for its benefits is slim. We present here the first systematic cross-country dataset on the consequences of national government efforts to promote policy coherence for vulnerable groups in society. We confirm that coherence is perceived to be beneficial for most groups. However, we find vulnerable groups are largely perceived to bear the brunt of incoherence, while traditionally powerful groups benefit from it in some cases. Based on these findings, we argue that coherence can play an important role in reducing inequality and ensuring countries “Leave No One Behind” in implementing climate and development goals.

Am 14. Juni stimmt die Schweiz über die SVP-Initiative ab, das hat der Bundesrat festgelegt. Ebenfalls darf sich das Volk dazu äussern, ob die Hürden für den Wechsel von der Armee zum Zivildienst erhöht werden. Die Ausgangslage ist offen.

Pech für eine Touristengruppe in Jamaika. Am Hafen von Ocho Rios kommen sie unter Jubelrufen der anderen Passagiere angerannt – zu spät. Das Schiff legt bereits ohne sie ab.

Wer seinen Internetanbieter wechselt, kann oft seine Mailadresse nicht behalten – ein Ärgernis. Ein Mitte-Nationalrat will das nun ändern. Doch welche Möglichkeiten hat man bereits heute bei den unterschiedlichen Anbietern? Blick hat nachgefragt.

Carl Batliner (46) kämpft um sein «gelobtes Land»: 13 Minihäuser auf seinem Grundstück drohen abgerissen zu werden – weil die Baubewilligung fehlt. Doch der Erfinder denkt nicht ans Aufgeben.

Kalt und nass ist der Juni. Aber die ungemütliche Zeit ist bald vorbei. Der Sommer kommt – und wie.

Journalist Marcelo Benedetto unterbricht seinen WM-Bericht, um mit Shakira ein Foto zu machen. Die Star-Sängerin trat bei der Eröffnungsfeier der Fussball-Weltmeisterschaft 2026 auf.

By CIVICUS
Jun 12 2026 (IPS)

 
CIVICUS discusses Botswana’s decriminalisation of same-sex relations with Faith Gunda, a Botswana-based law student and human rights defender, a member of the CIVICUS Protest Lab and co-founder of Sisterhood Chain International, a solidarity initiative that supports grassroots groups and amplifies young women’s voices.

Faith Gunda

In March, Botswana formally removed colonial-era provisions that criminalised same-sex relations from its penal code, marking the culmination of over a decade of sustained civil society activism. This reform aligned the law with landmark constitutional rulings from 2019 and 2021, making Botswana a progressive leader on a continent where 31 countries still criminalise same-sex relations. However, significant challenges remain. Social attitudes lag behind legal progress, and conservative religious groups are mobilising against LGBTQI+ rights as a critical marriage equality case comes to the High Court in July.

What does repeal mean for LGBTQI+ people?

The formal repeal is symbolic, but symbols matter because they tell people whether they belong. For years, criminal provisions sent a message to LGBTQI+ people in Botswana: you are criminals. Even after the courts ruled these provisions unconstitutional in 2019, they remained on the books, a constant reminder that the state saw their identities as a threat. Their removal aligns written law with constitutional values of dignity, equality, liberty and privacy. But more importantly, it says that LGBTQI+ people are not criminals.

This changes everything for young people. When the law no longer criminalises your identity, it has positive impacts on mental health, belonging and civic participation. It lets LGBTQI+ people report violence, seek healthcare and live openly without fear. People can breathe a little easier. They can imagine futures they couldn’t before.

This progress didn’t come from above. It came from years of relentless advocacy by LGBTQI+ activists, LGBTQI+ organisations such as Lesbians, Gays and Bisexuals of Botswana and everyday people willing to risk everything to challenge entrenched stigma. The formal repeal is not the end of a struggle. It’s a foundation for the next phase. The work continues.

Why did it take so long to remove provisions courts declared unconstitutional?

Legal victories and political change don’t move at the same pace. The courts were clear in 2019 that the law was unconstitutional. But court rulings cannot implement themselves. Colonial-era laws remain embedded in statute books because removing them takes political will and politicians fear backlash. For six years, LGBTQI+ people lived with a law the courts had already called unjust.

What finally made change happen was sustained pressure. Civil society organisations, human rights defenders and lawyers refused to let this go. The Court of Appeal upheld the judgment in 2021, and activists kept speaking up, organising and demanding implementation. In March, the law finally changed. So, this is the lesson: court rulings matter, but it’s sustained civic action that turns them into real protection.

What barriers remain, and what comes next?

Decriminalisation isn’t the same as equality, but it’s the foundation for it. Real equality means marriage rights, family recognition and anti-discrimination protections. The marriage equality case due to be heard in court in July will test whether constitutional protections reach beyond private intimacy into full citizenship and whether same-sex couples can access the dignity and legal recognition marriage provides.

But legal barriers are only a part of the story. Social barriers persist too, including stigma in families, healthcare systems, schools and workplaces. Legal reform creates protection, but it cannot instantly change rooted attitudes. Young people in Botswana increasingly believe everyone should be able to live authentically without fear. They are organising, speaking openly, refusing the silence previous generations endured. This generational shift is becoming the most powerful driver of change.

The journey is not linear, but the direction is undeniable. Meaningful reform takes continuous civic engagement. This means activists documenting and defending civic space, grassroots organisations amplifying youth leadership and people refusing to accept anything less than full humanity.

Is Botswana an example for Africa?

Botswana’s progress shouldn’t be romanticised. The country still faces social conservatism and discrimination, and its gains will be vulnerable unless they are continuously defended. But it offers a model to follow.

Botswana stands out on the continent because it succeeded through civic advocacy, constitutionalism and judicial independence. This matters all the more now, when several African governments are passing harsher anti-LGBTQI+ laws and dismissing these rights as ‘un-African’, even though the laws banning same-sex relations were colonial imports.

Botswana’s path challenges that narrative. It shows that African constitutional democracies can interpret dignity, equality and liberty inclusively, without abandoning local legal traditions. For human rights defenders across the region, Botswana is proof that civic engagement, sustained advocacy and strategic litigation can produce meaningful change even in difficult political climates.

CIVICUS interviews a wide range of civil society activists, experts and leaders to gather diverse perspectives on civil society action and current issues for publication on its CIVICUS Lens platform. The views expressed in interviews are the interviewees’ and do not necessarily reflect those of CIVICUS. Publication does not imply endorsement of interviewees or the organisations they represent.

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SEE ALSO
Botswana: criminalisation of same-sex relations off the books CIVICUS Lens 21.May.2026
Gender rights: rollback and resistance CIVICUS | State of Civil Society Report 2026
Namibia: LGBTQI+ rights victory amid regression CIVICUS Lens 05.Jul.2024

 

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Endlich kann man über den Wolken wieder richtiges Essen geniessen. Die Fluggesellschaft Eurowings nimmt auf längeren Flügen den beliebten Döner zurück auf die Bordkarte. Knoblauchliebhaber werden jedoch enttäuscht: Die Sauce wird geruchsneutral gehalten.

An aerial view of a beach with a ferris wheel, Ain Dubai, Bluewaters, Dubai, UAE. Credit: Unsplash/Nelemson Guevarra

By Maximilian Malawista
UNITED NATIONS, Jun 12 2026 (IPS)

The global ocean economy continues its expansion, with ocean-related trade reaching USD 2.5 trillion as of 2025. Ocean services now make up the majority of the ocean trade, accounting for 58.9 percent of the composition, up from 47.8 percent in 2020.

Ocean services alone are now valued at USD 1.44 trillion dollars, an increase of USD 1.2 trillion since 2020; a rate greater than the entire global ocean trade in 2020. While 2020 was a year filled with disruptions, economies contracting, and consumer smoothing, this number is an increase of USD 476 billion dollars since 2015, a 49.5 percent growth from 2015, where the ocean services trade generated USD 961 billion.

“The ocean economy is expanding rapidly across sectors such as aquaculture, tourism, and shipping. While this growth is vital for food security, employment, and economic development, it’s increasingly constrained by the declining health of the ocean,” said Rafael González Quiroz, co-director of the United Nations ‘Third World Ocean Assessment’ and director of Spain’s Oceanographic center of Gijón (IEO-CSIC), during a press briefing held on World Ocean Day (June 8).

The UN World Ocean Assessment is a global integrated assessment of the world’s ocean following environmental, economic and social aspects, with interdisciplinary inputs from more than 650 experts to provide scientific basis for the consideration of ocean issues by governments and policy makers, among other stakeholders involved in the regulation and protection of the ocean.

Quiroz’s assessment reflect the broader expansion and changes within the ocean economy, where services have an increasingly dominant role in the global ocean economy. The strongest example of such is the recovery of marine and coastal tourism, which has turned sharply since the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.

Credit: IPS/Maximilian Malawista

Today, marine and coastal tourism now accounts for 32 percent of global ocean trade, up from 16 percent in 2020. 32 percent representing USD 785 billion, over half of all ocean services trade. Maritime freight transport remains the second highest, at roughly USD 487 billion or 20 percent of total ocean trade. Quiroz emphasized that a “sustainable ocean economy can only exist if it’s built upon a healthy and resilient ocean”.

One of the key challenges highlighted during the briefing was marine pollution, especially plastics. Within global plastics trade, only 10 percent of all plastics are recycled. 52 million tonnes of such plastic waste every year enters the ocean, which the United Nations states is affecting at least 4,000 marine species.

In response, the international community has spent the past six years working on negotiating a “global plastics treaty”, an agreement which would put a ceiling on plastic production, and limit the USD 1.1 trillion dollar industry, ensuring waste management standards, recycling requirements, and creating market space for sustainable alternatives.

Achieving this may require changes to global trade incentives. UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) finds that “the key barrier is an uneven national and trade policy field.”

According to UNCTAD, tariffs on plastics have fallen from 34 percent to 7.2 percent over the past 3 decades, giving plastic producers a larger incentive to keep making more plastic. While plastic tariffs have decreased, alternatives to plastics like bamboo, natural fibers, paper, and seaweed have had tariffs double to the rate of 14.4 percent. As a result of such tariffs, conventional plastics remain the cheaper option for manufacturers.

However, recent volatility in the energy markets stemming from the current Strait of Hormuz crisis has increased the cost of plastic production. Reports from UNCTAD show that because plastics are approximately 98 percent derived from fossil fuels, the cost of plastic prices has risen 70-80 percent in the European markets. This market shock could open the door for sustainable alternatives, giving real reason for companies to develop products free of polyethylene resin and other plastics, further developing the sustainable alternatives industry.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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Er wurde durch «Schwiegertochter gesucht» zur Kultfigur, nun trauert Ingo um seinen Vater. Das Schockierende: Die Nachricht erhielt er nicht von Ärzten oder Angehörigen.

Klopp-Abrechnung nach WM-Auftakt: Das Eröffnungsspiel zwischen Mexiko und Südafrika war kein spielerischer Leckerbissen. Nach dem Abfpiff übt MagentaTV-Experte Jürgen Klopp deutliche Kritik an der Leistung beider Mannschaften: «War taktisch einfach schlecht.»

Droughts are slow-onset disasters with severe environmental, economic, and social consequences, disproportionately affecting regions with limited resources and institutional capacity, which is further exacerbated by climate change and land use change. Key challenges to effective drought resilience include socioeconomic disparities, fragmented policies, financial constraints, and governance weaknesses. To address these gaps, this study develops indicators for assessing drought preparedness and resilience across different economic contexts. A review of 16 national drought and water policies produced a framework comprising 12 global targets, 45 sub-targets, and 129 indicators aligned with existing international frameworks. Indicators are organized into four thematic focus areas: (i) Fundamental Needs & Agricultural Resilience, (ii) Proactive Monitoring & Crisis Response, (iii) Ecosystem & Resource Sustainability, and (iv) Institutional Strengthening & Financial Resilience. The framework is designed to standardize best practices, improve cooperation, and guide resilience-building across diverse contexts while distilling shared dimensions of preparedness and resilience. The analysis emphasizes the role of SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) indicators in proactive drought management, where governance, leadership, and evidence-based policymaking are as critical as financial and technological resources. It recommends flexible measurement tools and institutionalized assessment mechanisms to track progress and refine strategies, enabling a shift from reactive crisis response to long-term resilience, strengthening accountability and enhancing global drought preparedness.

Droughts are slow-onset disasters with severe environmental, economic, and social consequences, disproportionately affecting regions with limited resources and institutional capacity, which is further exacerbated by climate change and land use change. Key challenges to effective drought resilience include socioeconomic disparities, fragmented policies, financial constraints, and governance weaknesses. To address these gaps, this study develops indicators for assessing drought preparedness and resilience across different economic contexts. A review of 16 national drought and water policies produced a framework comprising 12 global targets, 45 sub-targets, and 129 indicators aligned with existing international frameworks. Indicators are organized into four thematic focus areas: (i) Fundamental Needs & Agricultural Resilience, (ii) Proactive Monitoring & Crisis Response, (iii) Ecosystem & Resource Sustainability, and (iv) Institutional Strengthening & Financial Resilience. The framework is designed to standardize best practices, improve cooperation, and guide resilience-building across diverse contexts while distilling shared dimensions of preparedness and resilience. The analysis emphasizes the role of SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) indicators in proactive drought management, where governance, leadership, and evidence-based policymaking are as critical as financial and technological resources. It recommends flexible measurement tools and institutionalized assessment mechanisms to track progress and refine strategies, enabling a shift from reactive crisis response to long-term resilience, strengthening accountability and enhancing global drought preparedness.