Public Health Threats and Pandemics
The World Health Summit 2020 takes place virtually, Chileans vote in a constitutional referendum amid protests, and Tanzania holds a general election.
About the Expert
Expert Bio
Robert McMahon has covered foreign affairs since 1990 for the Associated Press, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and CFR.org. As Managing Editor, Mr. McMahon oversees publishing of daily news-related content on the website, supervising an editorial team that produces Backgrounders, interviews, long-form interactives, CFR Events, and other multimedia content. He coordinates with CFR Fellows to produce web-only publications. Mr. McMahon also contributes analysis and background reporting to the website and with Director of Studies James Lindsay co-hosts the weekly podcast series, "The World Next Week." Under his guidance, the CFR.org website has garnered multiple media citations, including Emmy, Overseas Press Club, Society of Professional Journalists, Webby, and Online News Association awards.
Prior to joining CFR.org, Mr. McMahon held senior editorial positions at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, including news director in Prague, Czech Republic, where he was founding editor of RFE/RL’s website, and UN correspondent. He has written extensively on democracy promotion, public diplomacy, human rights, UN peacekeeping, and issues related to nation-building. He is a contributing writer to the Foreign Service Journal. Mr. McMahon has an MA in international relations from Tufts University's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.
Twitter: @robertmcmahon
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The U.S. Senate votes on a COVID-19 relief bill; Bolivians head to the polls for a twice-postponed general election; and New Zealand, considered to have one of the most successful pandemic responses, also holds a general election.
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Taiwan celebrates National Day, North Korea marks the seventy-fifth anniversary of the founding of the Workers’ Party with a military parade, and the United Kingdom and European Union face another crucial Brexit deadline.
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On this special episode of The World Next Week, James M. Lindsay and Robert McMahon are joined by Ivo H. Daalder, president of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, and Dina Smeltz, senior fellow for public opinion and foreign policy, to discuss the Chicago Council’s annual survey of American attitudes toward foreign policy. This year’s survey, which can be found on the Chicago Council’s website, is entitled “Divided We Stand.”
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European leaders hold a summit on tensions between Greece and Turkey in the Mediterranean, Italians prepare to head to the polls for a national referendum and regional elections, and the sports world stages major events under unusual circumstances.
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United Nations General Assembly
The seventy-fifth UN General Assembly kicks off virtually, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is set to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, and the European Union and China hold a scaled-down summit in Leipzig, Germany. -
Americans enter the final two-month stretch of the presidential campaign, the United States moves to strengthen economic ties to Taiwan, and Japan begins its search for a new prime minister.
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Louisianans and Texans cope with Hurricane Laura as they mark fifteen years since Hurricane Katrina, the World Trade Organization’s director-general, Roberto Azevedo, departs amid uncertainty over the body’s future, and athlete boycotts spur a new reckoning over U.S. police brutality.
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The U.S. Republican Nominating Convention kicks off, a coup in Mali shakes West Africa, and postelection protests persist in Belarus.
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U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wraps up his trip to Central Europe with a visit to Poland, the Democratic National Convention is set to take place virtually, and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon is due to give its verdict on the killing of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri.
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Presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden is expected to announce his running mate, Japan marks the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings, and China commemorates the formation of the People’s Liberation Army.
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Saudi Arabia hosts a scaled-down hajj, Turkey’s historic Hagia Sophia begins its reconversion into a mosque, and tensions mount over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
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The U.S. Congress returns to session; schools and universities struggle with reopening amid a surge in COVID-19 cases; and, China, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States prepare for spacecraft launches to Mars.
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The world marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre; the Atlantic Coast, Dakota Access, and Keystone XL pipelines suffer setbacks; and COVID-19 triggers historic levels of food insecurity.
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Poland holds its rescheduled presidential election, the world marks one year since U.S. President Donald J. Trump and North Korea’s Kim Jong-un met at the Korean Demilitarized Zone, and the seventy-fifth anniversary of the signing of the United Nations Charter is commemorated.
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In this special episode of The World Next Week, James M. Lindsay and Robert McMahon are joined by Gabrielle Sierra, CFR podcast producer and host of Why It Matters, to discuss their favorite quarantine reads, beloved documentaries and television series, podcasts, and more entertainment they’re looking forward to enjoying this summer. Read more about Jim, Bob, and Gabrielle’s picks on Jim’s blog, The Water’s Edge.
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The funeral for George Floyd, whose death in police custody triggered massive U.S. protests against racism, is held in Houston; the novel coronavirus continues its global spread six months after emerging in Wuhan, China; and the fourth round of Brexit talks is held.
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The anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre is marked amid a surge in Hong Kong tensions, the European Union debates a massive coronavirus rescue plan, and the Atlantic hurricane season begins.
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World Health Organization (WHO)
The World Health Organization Executive Board convenes virtually, Afghanistan tries to forge a peace deal amid a surge in violence, and China holds its annual session of the National People’s Congress. -
The deadline approaches for Argentina to restructure $65 billion in debt, the U.S. House of Representatives is set to join the Senate in getting back to work, and the spring graduation season is marked by virtual ceremonies and limited job opportunities.
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Public Health Threats and Pandemics
Criticism mounts over China’s coronavirus response; East African countries face a second, much larger infestation of desert locusts; and Europe commemorates the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Allies’ victory. -
U.S. officials confront supply chain breakdowns amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Trump administration begins the presidential transition process six months before Election Day, and World Press Freedom Day is commemorated.
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Public Health Threats and Pandemics
Governors face pressure to reopen America, the UN Security Council discusses conditions in Syria, and the Islamic holy month of Ramadan begins. -
World Health Organization (WHO)
U.S. President Donald J. Trump announces a funding freeze and review of the World Health Organization amid the coronavirus pandemic, Earth Day is celebrated across the globe, and Cuba marks the fortieth anniversary of the Mariel boatlift.