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The report argues that the period from 2026 to 2028 is a critical window to shape global digital governance before norms become entrenched. It focuses on the operationalisation of the Global Digital Compact (GDC) and the WSIS+20 outcome document, urging a shift toward 'digital justice' to address structural inequalities, 'compute deserts' in Africa and the Pacific, and the environmental costs of AI. The author outlines specific advocacy pathways within the UN General Assembly, OHCHR, ITU, and UNESCO, while highlighting the unique role of faith-based organisations as trusted intermediaries in restricted civic spaces. It also assesses regional dynamics across Africa, Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific, the Caribbean, and the MENA region, noting the tension between security-driven policies and human rights.

The policy brief examines the critical juncture facing the World Trade Organization (WTO) ahead of the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) in Yaoundé, Cameroon. While the 2022 Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies (Fish 1) established a historic first step by prohibiting subsidies for illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, it does not address the structural causes of overcapacity. The author argues that the upcoming MC14 must restore momentum for 'Fish 2'—additional disciplines targeting broader overfishing—to avoid the risk of the entire 2022 agreement terminating under its sunset clause by September 2029.

The document analyzes the tension between the multilateral Work Programme on Electronic Commerce (WPEC) and the plurilateral Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) on E-Commerce. It highlights the conflict over the moratorium on customs duties for electronic transmissions, where developing countries fear revenue loss and policy constraints, while other members push for a permanent ban on such duties. The author outlines the stakes for MC14, including the potential incorporation of the JSI Agreement into the WTO framework and the future of the WPEC.

WACC argues that communication rights are essential for achieving digital, gender, and climate justice. The organization advocates for a shift away from Global North dominance in digital platforms and calls for media regulation, democratic data governance, and a fair global knowledge regime to ensure human dignity and equality.

The ISP-CWP will hold its first Plenary session from February 2-6, 2026, in Geneva to finalize foundational governance elements. Key agenda items include the Rules of Procedure, a Conflict of Interest Policy, and the Work Program and Deliverables Process. The document warns that consensus-based decision-making may lead to 'lowest-common-denominator' outcomes and that restrictions on observer participation, the conflation of Indigenous Peoples with local communities, and the exclusion of gender-responsive science could undermine the Panel's legitimacy and effectiveness.

The World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) and its partners evaluate the draft outcomes of the WSIS+20 process. While acknowledging progress in reaffirming multistakeholder engagement and human rights obligations, the text highlights critical gaps regarding AI governance, private sector due diligence, and the need to replace the current profit-driven digital paradigm with one focused on public interest and justice.

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) reports that the INC-5.2 negotiations in Geneva concluded without an agreement on a global plastics treaty. The failure is attributed to disagreements over the treaty's scope, specifically whether to focus only on recycling and waste management or to address the full life cycle of plastics, including production and consumption.

The document argues that plastic pollution constitutes a public health crisis, with adverse effects occurring across the entire life cycle of plastics. It proposes three options for the treaty's structure: an integrated approach, a standalone article on health, or a combination of both. The briefing details how specific articles of the treaty could be used to eliminate harmful chemicals, improve product design, and support vulnerable populations, such as informal waste workers and fence-line communities.

The document argues for the inclusion of human health protection as a primary objective of the future international treaty on plastic pollution. It proposes an integrated approach covering the full life cycle of plastics and suggests the use of a dedicated article on human health to facilitate international cooperation and complement other treaty provisions.

The document highlights the critical nature of the INC-5.2 negotiations in Geneva, emphasizing the need for a treaty that includes plastic production caps, addresses toxic chemicals, and establishes robust financial mechanisms. It warns against the influence of fossil fuel lobbyists, the risks of consensus-based decision-making that could lead to gridlock, and the danger of postponing key decisions to future Conferences of the Parties (COPs).

The World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) highlights a critical financing gap in achieving global digital justice and inclusion. Following the WSIS+20 High Level Event, the document notes that rising debt in developing countries and cuts in international development finance hinder sustainable digital development. WACC proposes four strategies to address this: taxing digital corporations, linking digital governance with development finance frameworks, increasing national public investment, and mobilizing diverse funding sources from philanthropic and private sectors.

The European plastic industry is facing a structural decline characterized by falling production and facility closures due to overcapacity and weak demand. While the industry blames EU regulations for a loss of competitiveness, the document argues that reducing production is the most sensible economic approach. It urges the EU to use its leadership role in the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations to advocate for primary plastic production limits and a managed phasedown to sustainable levels, while avoiding new petrochemical buildouts.

The report examines the November 29, 2024, draft text for 'Fish 2' negotiations at the WTO. It details a proposed hybrid approach combining a broad prohibition of subsidies that contribute to overcapacity and overfishing with a management-based exemption and special and differential treatment (SDT) for developing nations. Key provisions include a two-tiered system for demonstrating stock sustainability, specific rules for distant-water fishing, and a five-year review clause to potentially mandate quantitative subsidy reductions. The document highlights that while convergence is high, significant gaps remain regarding the duration of transition periods and the definition of artisanal fishing.

Friends of the Earth International asserts that transnational corporations (TNCs) drive the climate and ecological crises while utilizing an international legal architecture to avoid accountability. The organization advocates for the UN Binding Treaty on Transnational Corporations and Human Rights as a necessary mechanism to prioritize human rights and planetary health over corporate profit. The text specifically denounces the influence of corporate lobbying groups, such as the International Organisation of Employers and the International Chamber of Commerce, which it claims seek to weaken the treaty by promoting voluntary codes of conduct and self-regulation. It emphasizes that climate justice is a human rights struggle led by affected communities, particularly in the Global South, and links the treaty's success to the broader goal of dismantling corporate power ahead of COP30.

The 2022 WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies (Fish 1) prohibits subsidies for illegal fishing, overfished stocks, and unregulated high seas fishing, though it requires 17 more ratifications to enter into force. Current negotiations (Fish 2) aim to address the root causes of overfishing and fleet overcapacity through a 'hybrid' approach. While most members have converged on a draft text that prohibits subsidies contributing to overfishing unless healthy management measures are proven, full consensus remains elusive due to the demands of two large developing country members for more substantial changes.

The World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) warns that the US administration's purge of DEI-related terminology is extending globally, as international organizations and charities modify their language to secure funding or avoid political pressure. While noting the erasure of terms like 'accessible' and 'vulnerable populations' from government materials, the document suggests this is an opportunity for communicators to move beyond tokenistic jargon toward more descriptive, empowering language that demonstrates the real impact of solidarity.

The document provides an overview of the WTO's efforts to regulate fisheries subsidies. It details the 2022 Agreement (Phase 1), which prohibits subsidies for illegal fishing, overexploited stocks, and unregulated high-seas fishing, and examines the ongoing negotiations for 'Phase 2' rules. These proposed additional rules aim to address the root causes of overcapacity and overfishing through a hybrid approach of general prohibitions and specific exemptions for developing nations and sustainable management practices. Despite significant convergence among members as of March 2025, a total consensus remains elusive due to the demands of two major developing countries for more substantial changes.

The document argues that loss and damage (L&D) finance is a matter of climate justice and that the Global South must maintain a unified negotiating position to secure grants-based funding. It reviews the operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund and the Santiago Network, while warning against the use of loans that increase external debt. The brief highlights the strategic role of Brazil's G20 presidency and COP30 in advancing a holistic development and environment agenda, and calls for the New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance to include separate sub-goals for adaptation and L&D to prevent double counting.

The document analyzes the challenges facing humanitarian disarmament in a contemporary environment characterized by rising global antagonism, a redistribution of power toward the Global South, and the decline of democratic space for civil society. It argues that the success of past treaties, such as the Mine Ban Convention, is threatened by competing global priorities like climate change and the erosion of trust between major powers. The authors highlight the difficulty of building cross-regional coalitions and the risks faced by civil society organizations (CSOs) due to government restrictions and stigmatization. To remain effective, the brief suggests that disarmament efforts must become more inclusive, diversify funding sources, and shift communication strategies toward the self-interest of states rather than relying solely on moral arguments.

Minister Kerrie D. Symmonds of Barbados argues that the 18-year-old Aid for Trade initiative is based on outdated assumptions and must be modernized to address the climate crisis and systemic vulnerabilities of small island developing states. He calls for a shift from traditional aid to an 'investment ambition' incorporating blended finance and private sector contributions, specifically citing the Bridgetown Initiative. Symmonds emphasizes that GDP-based eligibility for concessional financing is inadequate because a single climatic event can cause massive GDP losses, necessitating a reclassification of eligibility that accounts for vulnerability.