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The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) represents the first international treaty negotiated under the authority of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the first global public health treaty. It was adopted by the World Health Assembly on 21 May 2003 and entered into force on 27 February 2005. 183 Parties have signed this treaty, covering 90% of the world population. The Eleventh Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP11) to the WHO FCTC will be held in Geneva, Switzerland ...

The purpose of World Mental Health Day is to improve knowledge, raise awareness and mobilise efforts in support of mental health around the world. This year's theme – 'Mental health in humanitarian emergencies' – highlights the challenges of providing mental healthcare during large-scale emergencies.

Global health efforts constitute an important investment – both in the population's health and well-being, and in the economy and (health) security. Nevertheless, global health has seen a constant funding gap, negatively affecting health outcomes worldwide. This gap is not likely to close; if anything, it risks deepening as the United States (US), which has been a major global health actor and the main donor, recently took steps that signal a shift in the country's approach to global health efforts ...

In December 2000, the United Nations General Assembly designated 20 June as World Refugee Day, to mark the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees.

This briefing summarises the main issues at stake at the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA) which will take place in Geneva, Switzerland, from 19 to 27 May 2025. The WHA is the highest decision-making body of the World Health Organization (WHO), gathering annually, and composed of delegations from all 194 Member States (MS). The WHA discusses and votes on the decisions and resolutions prepared by either WHO’s Executive Board, its Director-General, or proposed by groups of MS.

It is estimated that more than 84 million people in the EU are struggling with mental health problems, which makes mental health a key public health issue, as well as a major economic and social concern, across the whole of the EU. While policies addressing mental health are the individual Member States' responsibility, the EU complements national policies and fosters cooperation between Member States (Article 168 TFEU). In May 2025, Parliament will debate in plenary the Commission's initiatives ...

In recent years, the European Union has faced a significant number of asylum applications, with over 513 000 applications received in the first half of 2024 alone. Women and girls make up a substantial proportion of asylum seekers, with one in three asylum-seekers being female. In international law, the 1951 Geneva Refugee Convention is the main instrument regulating asylum. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Istanbul Convention provide a framework ...

The Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group (WBG) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) convene finance ministers and central bank governors to participate in the highest-level decision-making bodies of the two institutions, as well as in various committees and groups that drive the agenda on issues related to the international monetary system and development policy. The 2024 Annual Meetings took place in Washington, D.C. from 21 to 26 October 2024. This paper summarises the main developments and ...

This paper provides an overview of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s lending to Ukraine, particularly focusing on the IMF response to the Russia’s invasion of Ukraine since February 2022, given the challenging macroeconomic circumstances. If further analyses the key elements of the IMF’ Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme for Ukraine, including the evolution of core assumptions, risks, fiscal sustainability and conditionality.

The purpose of World Mental Health Day is to improve knowledge, raise awareness and mobilise efforts in support of mental health around the world. This year's theme – 'Mental health at work' – underlines that supportive work environments foster mental health, providing purpose and stability. On the contrary, poor working environments – including excessive workloads, low job security and discrimination – can undermine mental health and lead to decreased performance and absence from work, and can also ...