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Multilateraler Dialog Genf, Genfer Depesche WHA U.S. Mission / Eric Bridiers / flickr / CC BY-ND 2.0
Geneva Telegram - March 2026

PABS Annex to WHO Pandemic Agreement: Fifth Meeting of the Intergovernmental Working Group in Februar...

With a view to the 79th World Health Assembly in May, differing views on the further development of the PABS Annex continued to emerge during the fifth round of negotiations.

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Multilateraler Dialog Genf, Genfer Depesche WHA U.S. Mission / Eric Bridiers / flickr / CC BY-ND 2.0
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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Multilateraler Dialog Genf, Genfer Depesche WHA U.S. Mission / Eric Bridiers / flickr / CC BY-ND 2.0
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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Flags of the WHO and UN waving in the wind outside Copenhagen headquarters. Depositphotos, Imago
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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Screenshot 2025-11-04 at 15.32
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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Menschen auf der Flucht aus dem Sudan 2024 UNHCR, 2024, Nicolò Filippo Rosso
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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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

E-Commerce draft decisions ahead of the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference

Map of the Month 03/2026

The 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14) will be held 26–29 March in Yaoundé, Cameroon.​ In 2024, members agreed to extend the ‘practice of not imposing’ customs duties on electronic transmissions until MC14 or 31 March 2026 (whichever comes first), when it will expire.​ The so-called E-Commerce Moratorium has existed since 1998, but renewals have become increasingly contested.​ Given the importance of digital trade, most members want greater predictability in the digital economy.​ Based on draft Ministerial Declarations and submissions to the WTO General Council: 19 members support making the moratorium permanent; 139 support at least extending it until the next Ministerial Conference.

Cedric Amon
March 24, 2026
Map of the Month

Contributions received for the United Nations Regular Budget in 2025 and 2026

Map of the Month 03/2026

The United Nations is primarily funded by its 193 member states through mandatory assessed contributions to the regular budget and the peacekeeping operations budget. This year’s regular budget of the UN amounts to 3,45 billion US-Dollar which is 7% less compared to the previous year. Only 55 States have respected the 30 days period specified in Financial Regulation 3.5 (by 8 February 2026) and paid their regular budget assessments in full and in time. This is 28% of the total UN membership and only 27% of the total assessments due.  As of 20 March, 93 States have paid their regular budget assessments in full. This represents 47% of the UN membership and 39% of the total regular budget. Due to the size of the US-economy, the United States are charged with the highest dues (22%), shortly followed by China with 20%. Japan ranks 3rd with 6,9%, followed by Germany with ca. 5,7%, UK and France with around 4%. By the end of January, UN Secretary General Guterres had already warned that the UN may risk financial collapse by July if the dues are not paid in time. Back in 2025, the UN regular budget amounted to 3,72 billion US-Dollar but only 49 Member States (25%) had paid their regular budget assessments in full and in time. As of 30 December 2025, only 151 Member States (78%) had paid their regular budget assessments in full although often very late leaving the UN no time to meaningfully implement it. Together with arrears, a record 1,5 billion US-Dollar were still outstanding at the end of the year - a record high. 

Sarah Ultes
March 20, 2026
Map of the Month

Joint Statement of „Friends of Human Rights Multilateralism“, 58th and 61st Human Rights Council

Map of the Month 03/2026

During the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Council, Albania on behalf of a core group (consisting of the Netherlands, Albania, Chile, Kenya and Kyrgyzstan) delivered a joint statement on behalf of a cross-regional group of  91 States in which they reaffirmed their „commitment to multilateral human rights cooperation“. It built on a joint statement on the same topic and led by the same group (without Kenya) which was delivered at the 58th UN Human Rights Council in March 2025. Back then it was endorsed by 71 States. This year’s statement received the total support of 91 States with several countries from the African and Asia-Pacific Group joining (see in light purple). When comparing support, 66 States decided to endorse both statements (see in dark purple). Only five decided not to continue their support in 2026 (in dark grey). The wording of the latest statement is very close to the first one. States commit themselves i.a. to „safeguard a multilateral system that upholds international law, human rights and the rule of law“, to „cooperate in good faith with the OHCHR, the Human Rights Council and its mechanisms, as well as other rights-based mechanisms, and safeguard their independence or to „prioritise securing adequate, predictable and sustainable funding for the UN human rights pillar.“ 

Sarah Ultes
March 3, 2026
Map of the Month

Voluntary contributions to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in 2025

Map of the Month 02/2026

In early February, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk presented his office's annual UN Human Rights Appeal for 2026 and warned that, in light of mounting crises, the world cannot afford a human rights system in crisis. The clear appeal was also made against the backdrop of the “financial shockwave” that the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), like many other UN organizations faced in 2025. There was a funding gap of over $65 million due to both a lack of contributions from the regular UN budget and voluntary contributions from member states. Voluntary contributions amounted to $262 million, accounting for around 60% of the OHCHR's income in 2025. The EU Commission and EU member states alone contributed 60% of all voluntary contributions. Germany was the second largest donor with USD 29 million. Traditionally the United States used to be the biggest donor to the OHCHR. In 2024 it contributed 36 mio. USD. Last year, however, the voluntary contributions by the US went to zero. As a result, several human rights monitoring missions, dialogues and country visits of the Treaty Bodies or Special Rapporteurs could not take place last year. Even the investigative bodies mandated by the UN Human Rights Council were unable to fulfill their mandates fully. The office itself lost around 300 staff (out of a total of 2,000, ca. 15%) and was forced to close or radically reduce its presence in 17 countries.

Sarah Ultes
February 20, 2026
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Geneva Telegram - March 2026

PABS Annex to WHO Pandemic Agreement: Fifth Meeting of the Intergovernmental Working Group in February 2026

With a view to the 79th World Health Assembly in May, differing views on the further development of the PABS Annex continued to emerge during the fifth round of negotiations.

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