Global Commons | Council on Foreign Relations

Coronavirus

Which Countries Are Requiring Face Masks?

As the pandemic continues, more than half of the world’s countries are mandating the wearing of face masks in public. Is it helping to slow the spread of COVID-19?

In Brief by Claire Felter and Nathalie Bussemaker August 4, 2020
Education

How Countries Are Reopening Schools During the Pandemic

Educators worldwide are facing the agonizing decision of whether to resume in-person instruction while there’s still no cure for the new coronavirus. Countries including Denmark, India, and Kenya are taking different approaches.

Backgrounder by Claire Felter and Lindsay Maizland July 27, 2020
U.S. Congress

U.S. Congress Returns to Session, Schools Grapple With Reopening, and More

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.

Podcast with James M. Lindsay and Robert McMahon July 16, 2020 The World Next Week

Political History and Theory

Living in History

Whether you think we are making history or repeating it, it’s safe to say we are living in a historic time. In this episode, Why It Matters asks three historians to weigh in on how to use the past to examine the present and make better choices for the future.

Podcast with Gabrielle Sierra, Richard N. Haass, Margaret MacMillan and Annette Gordon-Reed July 1, 2020 Why It Matters
Public Health Threats and Pandemics

Could the Coronavirus Pandemic Revive International Cooperation?

New thinking, enlightened leadership, and a favorable distribution of power are necessary for a more cooperative world to emerge in the aftermath of the pandemic.

Blog Post by Stewart M. Patrick June 29, 2020 The Internationalist
Economics

Global Growth Tracker: World Economies by GDP

This tracker charts the economic growth performance through time of ninety-one countries around the globe.

by Benn Steil and Benjamin Della Rocca June 25, 2020 Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies
Human Rights

Same-Sex Marriage: Global Comparisons

A growing number of countries are legalizing same-sex marriage amid a steady advance in rights for LGBTQ+ people, but opposition remains strong in many countries.

Backgrounder by Claire Felter and Danielle Renwick June 23, 2020
Demonstrations and Protests

The World Is Watching Us

The killing of George Floyd, the anti-racism protest movement that followed, and the Donald J. Trump administration’s response have shaken the United States and captivated the world. Why It Matters speaks with two foreign correspondents to understand how the protests are being understood abroad.

Podcast with Gabrielle Sierra, Chika Oduah and Keith B. Richburg June 17, 2020 Why It Matters
United States

The World Next Week: What to Read, Watch, and Listen to This Summer

Each year CFR.org editor Bob McMahon and I record a special episode of The World Next Week on our summer reading recommendations. Being sticklers for tradition, we did so again this year. We thought,…

Blog Post by James M. Lindsay June 12, 2020 The Water's Edge
Emerging Markets

What Role Should the IMF Play in Responding to COVID-19?

Right now the bulk of the IMF's lending capacity likely won't be used in the face of the economic, financial, and public health shock from COVID-19. Mobilizing the IMF's lending capacity likely will require a new facility. The Short-term Liquidity Line created this spring isn't actually well suited for the moment.

Blog Post by Brad W. Setser June 10, 2020 Follow the Money
Human Rights

How America’s Credibility Gap Hurts the Defense of Rights Abroad

The U.S. government’s response to anti-racism protests risks causing lasting damage to American credibility and influence in protecting minorities and oppressed groups worldwide.

by David J. Scheffer June 5, 2020
Cybersecurity

Global Health Security Turns to Confront Cyber Threats

On May 19, the World Health Assembly adopted a new resolution calling upon all member states to confront cyber threats to global health. Such a resolution is unprecedented in the history of the World Health Organization, and developing effective policies against cyber threats will be a daunting challenge for the global health community.

Blog Post by David P. Fidler June 4, 2020 Digital and Cyberspace Policy Program
Human Trafficking

The Human Cost of Labor Trafficking

It is estimated that twenty to forty million people around the world are victims of human trafficking. Of these, the majority are trafficked for labor, and many of them are exploited in the United States.

Podcast with Gabrielle Sierra, Susy Andole, Mark P. Lagon and Anita Teekah June 3, 2020 Why It Matters
Coronavirus

Graphing the Pandemic Economy

In a fast-evolving crisis like a pandemic, GDP and other conventional economic metrics are simply too slow to be useful for policymakers who need to make decisions about when to lock down and reopen parts of the economy. Fortunately, real-time mobility data has opened a window into the world that COVID-19 has wrought.

by A. Michael Spence and Chen Long June 2, 2020 Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies
Space

The Artemis Accords and the Next Generation of Outer Space Governance

The United States is pursuing bilateral agreements to shape international space law.

Blog Post by David P. Fidler June 2, 2020 The Internationalist