World Humanitarian Day on 19 August is dedicated in particular to humanitarian workers around the world who stand up for humanity even in the most difficult circumstances. However, the last three years have been the deadliest on record. By 19 August 2026, 82 humanitarian workers had been killed, 39 kidnapped, 29 detained and 97 wounded, bringing the total number of those affected to 274. Most fatal incidents to date have occurred in Lebanon and the Palestinian territories, followed by South Sudan, Sudan, Ukraine, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iran, Afghanistan, Somalia and Myanmar. National staff has been disproportionately affected. Last year, the number of humanitarian workers killed stood at 350; in 2024, it rose to 384. Although civilians, including humanitarian workers, are protected under international humanitarian law, the rising figures speak for themselves. World Humanitarian Day is therefore also a call to respect and ensure respect for international humanitarian law, to prevent attacks, to protect humanitarian access and to ensure accountability for violations. Alongside the Global IHL Initiative of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), another important initiative is the Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel that currently counts 122 signatory states.
Sarah Ultes
August 19, 2026
Map of the Month
Support for "Global IHL Initiative" to to uphold humanity in war
Map of the Month 08/2026
The Geneva Conventions, signed on 12 August 1949, are considered to have been universally ratified, with 196 signatory states. While the obligations remain, the commitment to upholding them is weakening, with massive consequences for millions of people trapped in conflict worldwide. Currently, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) counts more than 130 active armed conflicts – more than twice as many as 15 years ago. It has observed an increase in violations of international humanitarian law, such as attacks on healthcare facilities. Therefore, the ICRC, together with Brazil,
France, China, Jordan, Kazakhstan and South
Africa, launched in 2024 a global initiative to galvanise political commitment to International Humanitarian Law and to ensure that the Conventions can continue to fulfil their protective function. The initiative addresses key challenges, including in the areas of new technologies, the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, especially hospitals. To date, over 150 states have taken part in global and regional consultations. A progress report containing initial recommendations was also published at the end of 2025. By mid-May 2026, 116 states had joined the initiative, including the six founding members and the 27 co-chairs of the thematic working groups. The initiative will culminate in a high-level conference on Humanity in War with heads of state and government, scheduled for 7 December in Amman (Jordan).
Sarah Ultes
August 12, 2026
Map of the Month
Vote of the UN General Assembly to reappoint Volker Türk as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Map of the Month 07/2026
Exercising his right to nominate and extend tenures, UN Secretary-General António Guterres—who is set to step down from office at the end of December—asked the UN General Assembly on July 17, 2026, „to renew the appointment of Mr. Türk as High Commissioner (for Human Rights) for a period of four years, beginning on 12 October 2026 and expiring on 11 October 2030“ on 17 July (A/80/797). On 24 July 2026, the UN General Assembly decided with a majority of 144 votes in favour, 10 against, 13 abstentions and 26 states absent to extend the mandate of the Volker Türk (Austria) as head of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). It is the first time for a High Commissioner since the creation of the post in 1993 to serve two full terms. Former Commissioners were either granted none or only shorter extensions of one (Mary Robinson) or two years (Navi Pillay). Opposition to the extension came from: Argentina, Burkina Faso, North Korea, Israel, Mali, Nicaragua, Niger, Russian Federation, Trinidad and Tobago and the USA. The USA had originally asked to postpone the vote for another week. Otherwise, it threatened „to (…) immediately reassess (its) engagement, participation, and funding.“ The US who has already left the UN Human Rights Council for the second time also criticised Türk for „lecturing free, sovereign democracies like the United States.“ The proposal was rejected by a simple majority of 63 states against, 27 in favour and 47 abstaining. The Russian Federation then proposed to extend the mandate only until the end of 2026 arguing that the new Secretary General should take the decision on this important post. This proposal was rejected by a majority of 71 states voting against, 19 in favour and 52 abstaining.
Sarah Ultes
July 31, 2026
Map of the Month
The 1951 Refugee Convention at 75: Insights from the UNHCR's Global Trends report
Map of the Month 07/2026
On 28 July 1951, the ‘Convention relating to the Status of Refugees’ was signed in Geneva. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Refugee Convention. Originally drafted in the wake of the Second World War and in response to the mass displacement of around 55 million people, it remains the most important instrument of international law for the protection of refugees until today. In 1967, the "Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees" removed the geographical and temporal restrictions of the Convention, thereby making it applicable worldwide. To date, 149 states have acceded to the Convention, the 1967 Protocol, or both. Its enduring relevance is particularly evident in light of the record numbers of displaced people worldwide. The Maps of the Month offer a brief insight into current trends and figures from the latest report by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) who serves as the guardian of the Convention and its Protocol. How have individual asylum applications developed worldwide during the past year? What were the numbers of refugees in host countries in relation to the national population in 2025? Which states supported the UNHCR’s resettlement programme, and which provided financial support to the UN Refugee Agency?
Sarah Ultes
July 28, 2026
Map of the Month
Vote on the new Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS
Map of the Month 07/2026
On 23 June 2026, the United Nations High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS adopted a new Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS by 149 votes in favour, 8 against and 14 abstentions. The declaration reaffirms the goal of eliminating AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. It further sets ambitious targets for testing, treatment and prevention, for closing funding gaps, and for protecting human rights and gender equality. Moreover, it encourages local production of medicines and technology transfer.
Linde Buder
July 16, 2026
Map of the Month
Outstanding WTO Members Contributions to the WTO 2025 Budget
Map of the Month June 2026
In May 2026, the WTO released a declassified report on outstanding contributions from Members as of 31 December 2025 for the 2025 yearly budget (204,9 million CHF). At the time, 59 Members (39% of the WTO membership) had outstanding balances totalling 41.3 million CHF (20.2% of the WTO's annual budget). This is both the highest number of Members and amount over the past 10 years. The amount of outstanding contributions ranges from 1 CHF for Oman to 22 million CHF for the United States.
Nicoline Lavanchy
June 29, 2026
Map of the Month
Key votes during the 79th World Health Assembly
Map of the Month 06/2026
Under the theme “Reshaping global health: a shared responsibility,” the 79th World Health Assembly (WHA) of the World Health Organization
(WHO) convened in Geneva from 18 to 23 May 2026. In recent years, the World Health Assembly has experienced a steady increase in politically sensitive agenda items, accompanied by a growing willingness to abandon the consensus principle in favour of formal votes. This year, the number of recorded votes again reached the record high of ten set the previous year.
The Basel Convention's Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) will meet in Geneva from 23–26 June and e-waste is on their agenda. This convention is the primary multilateral agreement on transboundary movements of hazardous waste, including e-waste. It requires exporting countries to notify and obtain prior written consent from importing and transit states before any shipment. Since January 2025, this prior informed consent procedure applies to all transboundary movements of e-waste — including non-hazardous equipment. Any movement that bypasses it constitutes illegal traffic. Non-binding technical guidelines further help countries, particularly developing nations, apply the Convention's rules in practice.
A key OEWG agenda item is the update of technical guidelines on transboundary movements of e-waste and used electrical equipment, which determines whether a shipment falls under the Convention's controls. Updated guidelines are to be ready for the next Conference of the Parties (COP) in 2027.
Global e-waste generation has nearly doubled over the past decade, rising from 34 billion kg in 2010 to 62 billion kg in 2022, driven by the rapid electronification of everyday life. E-waste contains valuable recoverable materials (e.g. gold or rare earth elements), but also hazardous substances requiring careful handling.
Around 5.1 billion kg of e-waste crosses borders each year, largely due to economic incentives and regulatory gaps: processing costs are lower in countries with weaker environmental standards, and demand for recoverable materials drives imports into ill-equipped regions to handle waste safely. 65% of these flows (around 3.3 billion kg) move through uncontrolled and undocumented channels, with severe consequences for human health and the environment in recipient countries.
Nicoline Lavanchy
May 28, 2026
Map of the Month
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About this series
The "Map of the Month", a new series of the Multilateral Dialogue Geneva of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, uses maps to illustrate global trends and the role of Germany and Europe in the world on a monthly basis.
