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Geneva Telegram - February 2026

PABS Annex to WHO Pandemic Agreement: Resumed 4th Meeting of the Intergovernmental Working Group

Following the formal suspension of the fourth round of negotiations in December 2025, WHO Member States resumed deliberations on the PABS Annex under heightened time constraints.

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Geneva Telegram - January 2026

3. and 4. meeting of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the PABS Annex of the Pandemic Agreement

Despite a shared sense of responsibility in the context of geopolitical tensions, differences remained over the exchange of pathogen data in return for fair access to pandemic produ...

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When All Concerns Are Trumped

The Impact of US Policy on Global Health

US withdrawal jeopardises global health programmes and research – WHO faces billion-dollar shortfall and restructuring.

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Publication

80th anniversary of the United Nations

A brief overview of the work of some of the Geneva-based UN organisations and their achievements at the 80th anniversary of the United Nations on 22 September 2025

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Geneva Telegram

Key insights from UNHCR’s new global trends report 2025

The new UNHCR report provides insights into global trends in 2024. With 123.3 mio. people, there were 6% more forcibly displaced than in 2023. Sudan is particularly hard-hit.

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Global Health at the Crossroads of Reform and Rivalry

The 78th World Health Assembly of the WHO 2025

Despite ongoing geopolitical tensions, the 78th World Health Assembly was able to adopt key health policy projects with potential for future generations.

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Welcome

Freedom, justice and solidarity are the basic principles underlying the work of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS). The KAS is a political foundation, closely associated with the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU).
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Neue Folge des Podcasts Multipod

Multipod: WHO macht Fortschritte bei internationalen Gesundheitsvorschriften

Die Covid-Pandemie hat auch auf internationaler Ebene Folgen. Erfahren Sie, wie die Weltgesundheitsorganisation (WHO) und ihre Mitgliedstaaten sich besser für die Zukunft wappnen.

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Neue Folge des Podcasts Multipod

Multipod: Wie können Frauenrechte im Gesundheitssektor gestärkt werden?

Erfahren Sie mehr über die Herausforderungen von Frauen, Ihr Recht auf Gesundheit einzufordern.

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Statement

Norbert Lammert on the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

"Human rights are not laws of nature. [...], they must be protected & defended by people who take the claim to the inviolability of human dignity seriously".

Multipod: Review of Germany in the UPR

Multipod: Human rights protection starts at home. Germany in the UPR

On 9th November 2023, the United Nation's Human Rights Council discussed the human rights situation in Germany

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Genfreise

Geneva Security Debate zum Krieg in der Ukraine

Prof. Dr. Lammert, Botschafter Dr. Heusgen und Botschafter Greminger zu den Auswirkungen des Krieges in der Ukraine auf den Multilateralismus und die Weltordnung

Delegationsreise

Dialogprogramm des Arbeitskreises Globale Gesundheit der Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung in Genf

Erfahren Sie mehr über die Delegationsreise zu aktuellen Herausforderungen im Bereich Globale Gesundheit vom 7-9. Juni

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Map of the Month

The KAS Map of the Month

Publications

Support for the 39th special session of the UN Human Rights Council on Iran and the vote on the corresponding resolution

Map of the Month 01/2026

On 23 January 2026, the UN Human Rights Council held its 39th Special Session focusing on the deteriorating human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran after nationwide protests that broke out on 28 December 2025 had been met with a significant escalation of violence. The holding of the Special Session was officially requested on 19 January 2026 by Iceland, Germany, North Macedonia, the Republic of Moldova, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It received the support of 21 Member States of the Human Rights Council and 30 Observer States. During the Session, a resolution was adopted with 25 States voting in favour, 7 against (China, Cuba, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Pakistan and Viet Nam) and 14 States abstaining. It strongly deplored the violent crackdown of peaceful protests resulting in the deaths of thousands of persons, including children. It extended the mandate of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) on Iran for two years, and the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran for one year. It also called for an urgent investigation by the FFM into allegations of recent and ongoing serious human rights violations and abuses and crimes perpetrated in relation to the protests that began on 28 December 2025, including for potential future legal proceedings.

Kongruenzen im Abstimmungsverhalten mit Deutschland und China im UN-Menschenrechtsrat 2025

Map of the Month 01/2026

The map of the month illustrates the voting behaviour of the members of the UN Human Rights Council in line with Germany or China in 2025. During the three regular sessions, 92 resolutions were adopted. Germany supported 13 of the 25 resolutions (52%) that were only adopted after a vote. Another resolution, which aimed to end the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Eritrea, was rejected by a vote. It is excluded from the overview. Bulgaria voted most often in line with Germany, closely followed by Albania, Czechia, North Macedonia and Romania. Algeria, Bangladesh, China, the DR Congo, Indonesia, Kuwait and Sudan voted with Germany only once. Of all the Central and South American Council members, Chile, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and Mexico voted with Germany most often; of the African states, Malawi, Ghana, Gambia and Morocco did so. 

States supporting the holding of the 38th Special Session on the situation around El Fasher in Sudan

Map of the Month 11/2025

On 5 November, the United Kingdom, on behalf of 23 member states of the UN Human Rights Council and 31 observer states, requested a special session to discuss the human rights situation in and around El Fasher in connection with the ongoing conflict in Sudan. The map shows the countries that supported the special session either as members or as observers. During the 38th special session, held on 14 November, the Council adopted a resolution without a vote in which it strongly condemned the reports of atrocities, expressed alarm at the presence of famine conditions and requested the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) for the Sudan to conduct an urgent inquiry into the recent alleged violations of international law committed in and around El Fasher. In addition, the FFM was tasked to identify, where possible, all those for whom there are reasonable grounds to believe that they are responsible. The resolution also condemned all forms of external interference and reminded to respect the existing arms embargo to Darfur.

Support for global initiative for international humanitarian law (IHL), to upholding humanity in war

Map of the Month 10/2025

In September 2024, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) together with six founding states, namely Brazil, France, China, Jordan, Kazakhstan and South Africa launched a global initiative to galvanise political commitment to international humanitarian law (IHL) which shall culminate with a High-Level Meeting to Uphold Humanity in War in 2026. Following several rounds of global and regional consultations over the past year in which more than 130 states have participated, the ICRC on 16 October 2025 launched the initiative’s progress report in Geneva which summarises concrete proposals from the states on how to strengthen the respect for IHL, including by updated military training, stronger national accountability mechanisms or by identifying risk factors that heighten the likelihood of violations. As of end-October, 93 states have joined the initiative, including the six founding members and the 27 co-chairs for thematic work streams. As one of the co-chairs, Germany is helping to explore how national IHL committees can be bolstered to further support their governments to fulfil their IHL obligations. 

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Geneva Telegram - February 2026

PABS Annex to WHO Pandemic Agreement: Resumed 4th Meeting of the Intergovernmental Working Group

Following the formal suspension of the fourth round of negotiations in December 2025, WHO Member States resumed deliberations on the PABS Annex under heightened time constraints.

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