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‎Le Centre hospitalier universitaire Yalgado Ouédraogo a présenté, ce 30 mars 2026, ses principaux investissements réalisés en 2025 en matière d'équipements médicaux et de réhabilitation des services. À travers une visite guidée suivie d'une conférence de presse, la direction générale a mis en lumière les acquis techniques et infrastructurels destinés à améliorer la qualité de la prise en charge des patients.

‎Le directeur général du Centre hospitalier universitaire Yalgado Ouédraogo (CHU-YO), Ousmane Néré, a d'abord conduit les journalistes à travers plusieurs services rénovés ou récemment équipés avant de rappeler l'ampleur de l'activité de l'hôpital au cours de l'année 2025 et de conduire “ Le devoir de redevabilité nous impose de rendre compte à la hiérarchie et à la population des grandes activités réalisées au cours de l'année écoulée”, a déclaré le directeur général qui a souligné que l'établissement demeure “l'hôpital leader” du Burkina Faso. Selon les données présentées, le CHU Yalgado Ouédraogo a enregistré 140 157 consultations, 12 728 interventions chirurgicales et 577 650 examens en 2025, dont 543 325 examens de laboratoire et plus de 34 000 examens en imagerie médicale.

Dans le détail, les performances en radiologie montrent 11 725 examens scanner réalisés sur l'année, avec des pics hebdomadaires atteignant 350 examens, ainsi que 1 276 IRM. Pour la direction, la réduction des coûts de ces examens a permis aux ménages d'économiser plus de 586 millions de FCFA.

Mais au-delà du bilan statistique, c'est surtout la modernisation du plateau technique qui a retenu l'attention des journalistes. La visite guidée a débuté au service d'hépato-gastroentérologie, où le spécialiste Abel Sawadogo a présenté un appareil de dernière génération également appelé FibroTouch. Cet équipement permet d'évaluer de manière non invasive l'élasticité du foie et la quantité de graisse qu'il contient, facilitant ainsi le diagnostic des pathologies hépatiques. “Cet appareil nous permet aujourd'hui de mieux apprécier l'état du foie sans recourir immédiatement à des procédures plus invasives”, a expliqué le médecin, précisant que l'examen est accessible et subventionné à 17 500 FCFA, un tarif destiné à favoriser l'accès du plus grand nombre.

“Au cours de l'année 2025, le CHUYO a procédé au recrutement de 89 agents, contribuant ainsi à la réduction de la non employabilité des jeunes”, a indiqué Ousmane Néré

La délégation s'est ensuite rendue au service de cardiologie, où le professeur Valentin Yameogo a présenté un nouvel échographe de haute performance. Là aussi, le coût de l'examen est subventionné à 17 500 FCFA. Pour le chef de service, cet équipement renforce considérablement les capacités de diagnostic. “Il permet une lecture plus fine des anomalies cardiaques et réduit les délais de prise en charge”, a-t-il expliqué.

A lire : Santé/CHU Yalgado Ouédraogo : Le bilan des innovations et des actions en 2024 dévoilé

Le parcours des journalistes s'est poursuivi au service de chirurgie générale et digestive, dirigé par le professeur Edgar Ouangré. Ici, les journalistes ont découvert une nouvelle salle opératoire entièrement rénovée et équipée. Cette infrastructure porte à cinq le nombre total de salles opératoires du service. Selon les responsables, cet investissement doit permettre de mieux absorber le volume des interventions programmées et de réduire les délais d'attente des patients. La chirurgie générale et digestive demeure en effet l'un des pôles les plus sollicités de l'établissement.

Au service de chirurgie maxillo-faciale, le professeur Tarcissus Konseim a présenté des locaux entièrement réhabilités, avec une capacité d'accueil renforcée et un meilleur confort pour les malades. “Ce type de confort n'est pas exceptionnel, mais si vous ne l'aviez pas et que vous l'obtenez, ça devient exceptionnel”, a-t-il commenté, en insistant sur la portée concrète de ces améliorations pour les patients hospitalisés.

L'appareil de dernière génération appelé FibrosTouch permet d'évaluer l'élasticité du foie et la quantité de gras sur le foie

Plus de 400 millions de FCFA en matériels médico-techniques en 2025

Dans son intervention devant les hommes de média, le directeur général du CHU-YO a également rappelé que le CHU a bénéficié en 2025 de matériels médico-techniques d'une valeur de plus de 400 millions de FCFA, acquis grâce à l'Initiative présidentielle pour la santé. L'extension des arrivées d'oxygène sur 118 lits dans les services d'urgence et d'hospitalisation fait également partie des avancées mises en avant. Cette mesure vise à réduire les délais de transfert et à améliorer la prise en charge des patients nécessitant une assistance respiratoire. Ousmane Néré a aussi répondu aux critiques souvent adressées à l'hôpital, notamment sur la saturation des services. “Quoique l'hôpital Yalgado soit critiqué, ce sont les travailleurs de Yalgado qui acceptent de traiter les patients à terre pendant qu'ils sont rejetés ailleurs quand il n'y a pas de place”, a-t-il affirmé au cours des échanges.

Par cette déclaration, il a voulu rappeler la pression permanente qui pèse sur le principal centre hospitalier universitaire du pays, souvent dernier recours pour les cas graves ou complexes. Dans le même registre, il a défendu le niveau d'expertise du personnel médical. “Les meilleurs spécialistes sont à Yalgado. Nous le disons et nous mettons au défi les autres hôpitaux, qu'ils viennent démontrer le contraire”.

Un nouveau bloc opératoire au service de chirurgie générale et digestive

L'année 2025 a également été marquée par l'élargissement de l'unité de dialyse avec quatre générateurs supplémentaires, permettant la prise en charge régulière de 331 patients, même si plus de 400 personnes restent en attente. En oncologie, 550 nouveaux cas ont été enregistrés et 952 séances de chimiothérapie réalisées. Le CHU a aussi accompagné 2 370 patients indigents et personnes déplacées internes à travers son service social.

• A lire : Burkina/Santé : Au CHU Yalgado, le Dr Adama Zango redonne forme aux visages détruits par des drames

Pour 2026, la direction annonce plusieurs priorités : poursuite de la réhabilitation des infrastructures, modernisation de l'odontostomatologie, de la pneumologie et de l'oncologie, informatisation progressive des services et développement du paiement électronique. L'aménagement de la cour de l'hôpital figure également parmi les projets annoncés, tout comme l'extension de la dispensation individuelle nominative des médicaments.

Farida Thiombiano
Lefaso.net

La première édition de la soirée des auteurs de Mercury Édition, organisée le 27 mars 2026, n'a pas seulement été un cadre de distinction et de reconnaissance. Elle a aussi offert aux auteurs présents l'occasion de revenir sur leur expérience avec la maison d'édition, à travers des témoignages recueillis à la fin de la cérémonie. Au micro de Lefaso.net, ils se disent satisfaits du professionnalisme de la maison d'édition et de l'encouragement qu'elle adresse à ses auteurs.

Wenlasida Constance Kaboré, auteure du recueil de nouvelles Les 7 Harmattans, récompensée par le Grand Prix FILO de la Nouvelle en 2025, a insisté sur la qualité de l'accompagnement éditorial reçu depuis son premier contact avec Mercury.

« C'est en 2024 que j'ai contacté monsieur Thierry Millogo, pour faire d'abord le projet de livre. Et ils ont trouvé vraiment que c'était intéressant, et par la suite, on a décidé de collaborer ensemble avec un contrat. Je trouve que la maison d'édition Mercury est sérieuse, parce que le livre a été lu plusieurs fois, et vraiment bien corrigé, et la qualité que j'avais exigée a été respectée. J'ai été très satisfaite. La soirée qu'ils ont organisée en notre honneur aussi, j'apprécie vraiment qu'une maison d'édition pense à convier ses auteurs, à les remercier, et à présenter les innovations. Je pense que c'est très bien pensé. Et ça nous motive à revenir encore vers cette maison d'édition. »

Wenlasida Constance Kaboré, auteure du recueil de nouvelles Les 7 Harmattans, récompensée par le Grand Prix FILO de la Nouvelle en 2025

Le journaliste et auteur Youssef Ouédraogo, qui compte deux ouvrages publiés chez Mercury, a pour sa part retracé une collaboration engagée depuis 2020, à partir d'un travail de réflexion entamé après son retour de Côte d'Ivoire.

« Je pense que j'ai commencé ma collaboration avec les éditions Mercury en 2020. Alors, j'étais revenu de la Côte d'Ivoire, après un Master sur la communication et les médias. Et j'avais donc fait une réflexion sur la contribution des médias dans la survenue de l'insurrection au Burkina Faso. Parce que le constat est parti du fait que lorsque l'insurrection s'est produite dans notre pays, toutes les entités se sont réclamées la paternité de l'insurrection. Et les médias n'avaient pas été cités comme étant un acteur important dans la survenue de l'insurrection. C'est comme ça que quand je suis arrivé de la Côte d'Ivoire, je suis rentré en contact avec Thierry Millogo et je lui ai fait part de mon envie de produire un ouvrage. Et il a demandé de corriger le texte parce qu'un document scientifique n'est pas forcément un document qu'on peut publier. Et donc l'ouvrage a été remis et l'ouvrage a suivi un processus. D'abord la lecture, ensuite les corrections. Et nous avons cheminé jusqu'à ce que le premier ouvrage sorte. Et le titre de cet ouvrage est "Rôle des médias dans l'insurrection publique 2014"

Il poursuit en évoquant son deuxième livre.

Le journaliste Youssef Ouédraogo est auteur de trois ouvrages dont deux publiés chez Mercury édition

« Le deuxième ouvrage c'est Retour au pays des ancêtres qui est une œuvre autobiographique. Et je crois que je suis rentré toujours en contact avec lui. Et j'ai estimé que nous qui sommes nés hors de Burkina Faso, nous avons pratiquement la même histoire. Et mon histoire peut être une histoire partagée par d'autres. Et il a lu l'histoire que j'ai racontée dans cet ouvrage et il a estimé que la maison d'édition Mercury pouvait donc en faire un ouvrage. Et c'est comme ça que le livre a suivi le même processus, c'est-à-dire la lecture, la correction. Et finalement le livre a été édité. Donc j'ai à ce jour deux ouvrages avec les éditions Mercury. Et je crois que cette soirée qui est consacrée aux auteurs est la bienvenue. Et nous espérons que c'est une soirée qui va se poursuivre tout en donnant de l'espace aux auteurs, tout en faisant la promotion afin que le livre puisse être véritablement, on va dire, un outil de sensibilisation, un outil d'éducation pour les masses. Alors je crois qu'il y a de cela quelques années, et ça a été dit au cours de cette cérémonie, on n'avait vraiment pas de maison d'édition au Burkina Faso. L'arrivée de Mercury, ou du moins la professionnalisation de Mercury, vient donner une sorte de soulagement aux écrivains burkinabè. »

• A lire : Soirée des auteurs de Mercury : Les créateurs littéraires célébrés, Lefaso.net distingué par une attestation de reconnaissance

Pour Fatim Touré Konkobo, coach professionnelle certifiée en coopérative et live coaching, la publication d'un livre a révélé la complexité du métier éditorial.

« Ma collaboration avec cette maison d'édition s'est bien passée. C'est après avoir écrit que j'ai compris tout le parcours de l'édition, et il me fallait un professionnel du métier, en tout cas une maison d'édition. Je tenais à ce que ce soit une maison d'édition burkinabè, donc je connaissais déjà Thierry Millogo, et les autres livres, et la librairie ici. C'est vrai que je connaissais plus la librairie que la maison d'édition, et c'est comme ça, en me demandant, en me renseignant, et parce que le livre de mon père, Adama Touré, a été réédité par Mercury, que bon, logiquement, je suis venue vers lui pour faire l'édition de mon premier livre. Je dirais que l'édition est un parcours du combattant, et que c'est important d'avoir des professionnels. Je suis contente que Mercury aussi évolue, innove, s'agrandisse, modernise sa manière d'accompagner. Donc oui, je recommanderais pour un premier éditeur de passer par Mercury pour pouvoir déjà avoir les clés, les bases, et la sécurité d'un accompagnement professionnel. Je trouve que c'est bien, déjà, de nous réunir, de nous voir. On voit les livres des uns et des autres quand on vient déposer les nôtres. On se voit dans certains événements, mais on ne se connaît pas forcément. Et cette reconnaissance-là, déjà, de sa maison d'édition, ça fait quelque chose d'autre en plus. Et donc j'ai aimé l'esprit de la cérémonie. Je crois que c'est la première édition et j'espère qu'il y en aura beaucoup d'autres. »

Fatim Touré Konkobo a édité un livre à Mercury

Dr Sié François d'Assise Coulibaly revient sur une rencontre progressive avec Mercury, d'abord par les livres, puis par la relation avec l'éditeur.

« Disons que j'ai connu d'abord les éditions Mercury à travers mes lectures, les lectures de différentes œuvres publiées par les éditions Mercury. Ensuite, j'ai eu la chance de connaître monsieur Millogo Thierry, responsable de Mercury, lors d'une dédicace à la Maison de la culture de Bobo-Dioulasso. C'est là que j'ai pu fixer, j'ai pu connaître la personne et savoir que c'est lui le responsable des éditions Mercury. Depuis lors, on s'est perdu de vue jusqu'à ce qu'on se rencontre encore à Ouagadougou, où j'avais déjà fini de publier un écrit, d'abord sous forme d'article, d'article scientifique et ensuite enrichi. Je cherchais effectivement une occasion pour pouvoir publier. Lorsque nos pas se sont croisés au niveau de l'assemblée législative de transition, je lui ai parlé immédiatement du projet, de la production que j'avais faite. Il a trouvé le sujet très intéressant. Il s'est aussi montré très intéressé par la proposition de pouvoir publier, éditer au niveau de Mercury. C'est ainsi que j'ai envoyé le texte pour qu'il soit vu à leur niveau par le comité de lecture avant d'être validé. Après lecture, on a trouvé que c'était un texte très intéressant et qu'il pouvait être réédité aux éditions Mercury. Et voilà comment nous sommes parvenus à éditer ce premier ouvrage qui s'intitule Le Dytaniè, l'hymne national du Burkina Faso, une idéologie forte pour un Burkina Faso qui triomphe. »

Dr Sié François d'Assise a écrit un ouvrage sur le “Dytaniè”

Il précise le contenu de son ouvrage. « Comme son titre l'indique, il s'agit d'une analyse beaucoup plus historique du Dytaniè. Un chant que beaucoup de Burkinabè aiment bien, mais dont beaucoup ne connaissent pas le contenu. Nous avons trouvé qu'il était bien de faire une analyse approfondie du Dytaniè, de montrer ce qu'il contient et de pouvoir montrer en quoi il peut être un outil aujourd'hui pour la révolution progressiste populaire dans laquelle nous sommes et surtout pour le développement du Burkina Faso de façon générale et de manière durable. »

Propos recueillis par Farida Thiombiano
Lefaso.net

Le ministère de la Justice a pris la tête d'une importante opération de salubrité publique au quartier Petit Paris de Ouagadougou, le samedi 28 mars 2026. Cette action s'inscrit dans le cadre de la première phase de la 3e édition des Journées nationales d'engagement patriotique et de participation citoyenne (JEPPC 2026). L'information a été rendue publique par ledit ministère, ce lundi 30 mars.

Selon le département de la Justice, l'initiative a mobilisé une véritable coalition patriotique regroupant des agents du ministère, des équipes de la commune de Ouagadougou, des acteurs de la société civile, des riverains et des citoyens engagés. Grâce à cette mobilisation collective et à l'appui logistique de Faso Mebo, une rue et un espace public jusqu'alors envahis par des ordures ménagères ont été totalement métamorphosés, illustrant de manière édifiante la force de la responsabilité collective.

Lefaso.net
Source : Ministère de la Justice et des droits humains

Adoptée le 27 mars 2026 par l'Assemblée législative de transition (ALT), la charte de la révolution a fait l'objet d'un examen approfondi en amont par la Commission des affaires générales, institutionnelles et des droits humains (CAGIDH). Dans son rapport, la commission revient sur les principales clarifications apportées par le gouvernement lors de son audition.

Contrairement à la Charte de la Transition adoptée en 2024, qui précisait l'éligibilité du président du Faso, du Premier ministre et du président de l'ALT aux élections de fin de transition, la nouvelle Charte de la Révolution ne reprend pas ces dispositions.

Elle introduit toutefois plusieurs innovations importantes, notamment la transformation de l'ALT en Assemblée législative du peuple (ALP) ; la nouvelle appellation du gouvernement ; la consécration juridique de la Révolution progressiste populaire (RPP) ; la suppression de la composante partis politiques au sein de l'organe législatif, avec une réaffectation des sièges ; la prise en compte de la nouvelle organisation territoriale dans la représentation des régions.

Lors de l'audition, les membres de la CAGIDH ont soulevé une préoccupation majeure. Comment désigner les représentants des nouvelles régions alors que les autorités administratives régionales ne sont pas encore en place ?

À cette interrogation, le gouvernement a apporté des assurances. « Des dispositions sont prises pour la désignation des autorités administratives régionales devant conduire ces désignations ».

Le ministre de la Justice, Edasso Rodrigue Bayala, a précisé que la charte de la révolution se substitue à la charte de la transition, tout en conservant l'essentiel de ses dispositions.

Autre point soulevé par la commission est la pertinence de l'article 27, qui prévoit l'abrogation de l'acte fondamental du 5 octobre 2022, déjà remplacé par la Charte de la Transition.

En réponse, le gouvernement a expliqué que « Dès lors que la charte de la révolution se substitue à la charte de la Transition ainsi qu'à son modificatif, il y a lieu de conserver toutes les dispositions pour éviter un vide juridique ».

• LIRE AUSSI : Burkina Faso : La charte de la Révolution adoptée, l'Assemblée législative de transition (ALT) devient l'Assemblée législative du peuple

S.I.K
Lefaso.net

Les Colombes de la révolution et les Petits chanteurs aux poings levés, figures emblématiques de la Révolution démocratique et populaire (RDP) du capitaine Thomas Sankara, signent leur retour sur scène sous la Révolution progressiste populaire (RPP) portée par le capitaine Ibrahim Traoré. Les deux groupes ont presté à l'occasion de la cérémonie de dédicace de l'album « Voix du passé-voie du futur », vendredi 27 mars 2026 à Ouagadougou, en présence de membres du gouvernement, dont les ministres en charge de la Culture et de la Famille.

Composé de treize jeunes filles, le groupe des Colombes de la Révolution a effectué sa première sortie au Centre national des arts du spectacle et de l'audiovisuel (Cenasa), devant un public enthousiaste. À sa suite, les Petits chanteurs aux poings levés ont enflammé la salle, ravivant les souvenirs d'une époque marquante de l'histoire du Burkina Faso.

Les Colombes de la Révolution en prestation.

À l'issue des prestations, le ministre de la Culture, Gilbert Ouédraogo, a souligné la portée symbolique de ce retour. « Ce n'est pas simplement un retour sur scène, mais la preuve que la Révolution progressiste populaire n'est pas une rupture avec la Révolution d'août 1983, mais une continuité. Redonner vie à ces colombes, c'est convoquer l'esprit lumineux de Sankara pour éclairer les sentiers de nos luttes actuelles », a-t-il confié.

Le ministre de la Culture, Gilbert Ouédraogo, a annoncé que les Colombes de la révolution et les Petits chanteurs aux poings levés se sont donné rendez-vous à la Semaine nationale de la culture.

« Voix du passé – voie du futur », une œuvre de transmission

Piloté par le Cenasa, l'album « Voix du passé - voie du futur » rassemble douze grandes voix du patrimoine musical burkinabè issues de différentes régions du pays. Les artistes y interprètent des titres en langues nationales et en français, mettant en avant des valeurs telles que le patriotisme, l'intégrité, la cohésion sociale, la solidarité et l'engagement citoyen.

Le directeur général du Cenasa, Abraham Wêzéna Abassagué, a invité les Burkinabè à s'approprier l'album.

Selon le directeur général du Cenasa, Abraham Wêzéna Abassagué, l'album comprend treize œuvres, dont douze titres individuels et une œuvre collective. « Ce n'est pas simplement un album, c'est une œuvre de transmission, de conscience et d'engagement », a-t-il affirmé, invitant les Burkinabè à se procurer l'album disponible sur clé USB au prix de 5 000 francs CFA.

Un appel à l'appropriation par la jeunesse

Le ministre de la Culture a abondé dans le même sens, appelant les populations à s'approprier cette œuvre. Pour lui, l'album n'est pas « un simple écho nostalgique », mais une boussole pour le présent et l'avenir.
Marraine de la cérémonie, la ministre en charge de la Famille, Pélagie Kaboré, a salué la sortie de l'album, estimant qu'il retrace « l'histoire d'un peuple debout et résilient ». Elle a exprimé le vœu qu'il inspire la jeunesse burkinabè.

Les Petits chanteurs aux poings levés.

L'album réunit plusieurs artistes de renom, parmi lesquels Abdoulaye Cissé, Ki Boussi Zerbo, Amity Meria, Zéphirin Hein, Amadou Dicko, Zemba Souley, Idak Bassavé, Lobo Dicko, Bakary Dembélé, Zaksoba, Marie Gayeri et Camille Bazié.

Serge Ika Ki
Lefaso.net

By Naïma Abdellaoui
GENEVA, Mar 30 2026 (IPS)

The United Nations was not founded to be comfortable; it was founded to be necessary. Created in the aftermath of catastrophe, its purpose was clear: to maintain international peace and security, to uphold international law, to defend human rights and to promote human dignity and development.

Dag Hammarskjöld, who understood that the Secretary-General was not merely a secretary to governments, but a servant of the Charter and, ultimately, of the peoples of the world.

The office of the Secretary-General was never intended to be merely administrative. It was intended to be moral, political and, when necessary, courageous.

As member states consider the appointment of the next Secretary-General, they face a decision that will shape not only the future of the United Nations, but also its credibility. The world today does not suffer from a surplus of institutions; it suffers from a shortage of trust in them.

The next Secretary-General must therefore be more than a careful manager of bureaucracy. The world needs a leader with vision, independence and integrity — a leader willing to uphold the Charter even when doing so is inconvenient to powerful member states.

Too often, the selection process produces a candidate who is acceptable to everyone precisely because they are unlikely to seriously challenge anyone. This may be politically expedient, but it is strategically short-sighted. An overly cautious Secretary-General may preserve short-term diplomatic comfort while presiding over long-term institutional decline.

The United Nations does not need a figure who simply reflects the balance of power within the Security Council; it needs a figure who reflects the principles of the Charter.

The next Secretary-General must be bold enough to articulate a clear vision for what the United Nations is for in the twenty-first century. That vision must be rooted in the organization’s founding objectives: preventing conflict, strengthening respect for international law, protecting human rights and promoting conditions under which peace is possible. These goals require not only administrative competence, but political courage and moral clarity.

Equally important, the next Secretary-General must be strong enough to maintain independence from the influence of any single member state or group of states. The United Nations does not exist to legitimize the actions of the powerful; it exists to ensure that power operates within rules.

The Secretary-General cannot fulfill this role if the office is perceived as operating at the beck and call of a few influential capitals. Independence is not a luxury in this role; it is the source of its authority.

With independence must come integrity. The United Nations possesses little in the way of traditional power: it does not command armies, it does not control vast financial resources and it cannot compel states to act. Its greatest asset is legitimacy — the belief that it stands for something larger than the interests of individual nations.

That legitimacy depends heavily on the personal credibility of the Secretary-General. Ethical leadership, transparency, accountability and consistency must once again become the defining characteristics of the office.

In this regard, the world would do well to remember Dag Hammarskjöld, who understood that the Secretary-General was not merely a secretary to governments, but a servant of the Charter and, ultimately, of the peoples of the world. He demonstrated that quiet diplomacy and moral courage are not opposites; they are partners.

He showed that the authority of the Secretary-General does not come from military or economic power, but from independence, integrity and a willingness to act when action is required.

Much attention is often given to the identity of the next Secretary-General — nationality, region, and increasingly gender. These questions are politically understandable, but they are not the most important questions. The defining question is not where the Secretary-General comes from, but what the Secretary-General stands for.

The United Nations is often described as an organization of states. But states exist to serve people, not the other way around. If that principle is true at the national level, it must also be true at the international level. The United Nations, therefore, does not ultimately belong to governments. It belongs to the peoples in whose name its Charter was written. Member states do not own the United Nations; they are trustees of it. And trustees are not meant to serve themselves, but those on whose behalf they hold responsibility.

This understanding should guide the selection of the next Secretary-General. The position requires someone who understands that the office is not merely administrative, but custodial — custodial of the Charter, of international law and of the trust that the world’s peoples place, however imperfectly, in the United Nations.

The selection process itself, however, raises a final and somewhat uncomfortable question. The Secretary-General is often described as the world’s top diplomat, and yet the world’s people have no direct voice in choosing this person.

The decision rests, as everyone knows, with a small number of states possessing veto power. This may be politically realistic, but it is increasingly difficult to explain to a global public that is more educated, more connected and more aware than at any time in history.

Perhaps, then, one day the world might experiment with something new — global consultations, or even worldwide elections — allowing the peoples of the world to express their preference for who should occupy this uniquely global office.

It is a slightly amusing idea, perhaps even an unrealistic one for now, but it contains a serious point: if the United Nations truly begins with “We the Peoples,” then their voice should be heard more clearly in choosing its leader.

Until that day comes, the responsibility rests with member states. They must choose not the safest candidate, not the most convenient candidate and not the candidate least likely to upset powerful governments. They must choose the candidate most likely to uphold the Charter, speak with independence, act with courage and restore integrity to the office.

The world does not need a careful manager.
The world needs a courageous Secretary-General.

Naïma Abdellaoui, UNOG – UNison Staff Representative, International Civil Servant since 2004.

IPS UN Bureau

 

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The NUG (National Unity Government) and the fledgling Spring Revolution Alliance (IO, 13/01/26), formed in 2025 by the Burmese resistance, [...]

Former New York marathon winner Albert Korir of Kenya is banned for five years after admitting to doping.

With no path beyond sixth grade, some Afghan girls deliberately fail exams to remain in the classroom for one more year. Credit: Learning Together.

By External Source
KABUL, Mar 30 2026 (IPS)

It is almost unheard of for a student to deliberately fail final school exams for no apparent reason. Therefore, when 13-year old Sara (not her real name) from Mazar-i-Sharif in Afghanistan took her school report home to her parents, they were shocked to learn that the top-performing student had failed her final exams and would not advance to the next level. But there was no longer a next level for Sara, even if she had passed.

The Afghan calendar changes in March 2026. The year 1405 begins, and with it a new school year across the country.

For the fifth year running, girls have only been allowed to attend school up to sixth grade. After sixth grade, boys continue their studies, but girls aged 12–13 are no longer allowed to pursue further education or attend university.

As the new school year approaches, girls who have passed the sixth grade know they will not be allowed to return to the classroom. All that remains are memories of years spent at the desks and the friendships they made during their school years. For many, the end of school also marks the shipwreck of their dreams for the future.

However, some have found a pathway that is both bitter and hopeful. They leave their answer sheets blank to deliberately fail their final year exams, just to stay one more year albeit in the same class. It is the only chance to stay in a place where they can study and dream about the future.

“My sister says I’m lucky to still be in school, but I don’t feel happy. This is just a delaying battle. When this year ends, will I have to stay home and become a seamstress?”

Sara is one of those who have chosen to fail her final exams. She deliberately answered the exam questions incorrectly so that she would fail and be allowed to stay in school for another year.

Restricting girls’ education was one of the Taliban’s first orders in August 2021. In late 2022, the Taliban announced that universities would also be closed to girls and women “for the time being.” It was unclear how long the suspension would last.

Nearly four years later, “for the time being” is still in effect, and young women are still not allowed to study. They live in uncertainty and do not know what the future holds.

Sara lives in a middle-income family with her parents and five siblings. She is the fourth child.

Sara’s father works intermittently in construction, employed for a few months a year and unemployed the rest of the time. Sara’s mother is a seamstress, sewing clothes for the women in the area and contributing to the family income.

Sara’s parents have done everything they can to ensure that their children go to school. Her mother, who has never been to school herself, says:

“Sara’s father and I are both illiterate, and our greatest wish is for our children to receive an education. I work day and night as a seamstress so that my children have a better future and do not end up in the same hopeless situation as their father and me. My daughters in particular need to study, succeed, and be independent. But my eldest daughter has sadly been out of school for two years. She now works with me as a seamstress. I hope that my other two daughters and three sons will be able to complete school.”

Sara started school six years ago with enthusiasm and hope. She wipes her eyes with the edge of her scarf as she recounts her school journey with her older sister, Marwa.

“Every morning we woke up early. I carefully braided my hair, packed my books in my bag and walked to school with Marwa. It was less than half an hour to school. Classes started at eight. We used to spend four hours at school and walked back home together when school ended at noon”.

“Marwa and I talked on the way to school about how we would become doctors. But after sixth grade, my sister couldn’t go back to school. For the last two years, she has been helping our mother as a seamstress, and I don’t want that life. I want to be a doctor. That’s why I decided that I couldn’t stop schooling.”

Sara decided to rewrite her destiny, even if it was just for one year.

“To be honest, I had always tried to be the best in my class”, she continues. “So the decision to deliberately fail was incredibly difficult. But it was the only way I could stay in school. When I got my certificate after the exams and saw that I had failed some subjects, I felt both joy and sadness. I had failed, but I didn’t feel defeated. I get to study for one more year. I can still wear my black dress and white scarf and go to school”, she says.

Sara’s family was shocked when they learned she had failed her final exams. Her father stared at the report card repeatedly, as if searching for a mistake. Her mother could not believe it, as her daughter had always ranked at or near the top of her class.

“There was a silence at home that was heavier than any reprimand. I knew I had to tell them what I had done,” Sara recounts.

She pauses, then continues: “I told my parents that my failure was not an accident and that I had intentionally left some questions unanswered  or answered them incorrectly. My father was completely shocked. He could not believe I had done it on purpose. He was very and asked me why I wanted to fail.”

His anger subsided when Sara explained her reason: she wanted to go to university like her brother.

Wiping tears with her scarf once more, Sara says she feels sorry for her parents, who worked hard in order for them to live comfortably, go to school, and have a future.

“I don’t know if my decision was right or wrong. My family eventually accepted that I would go back to school, but I feel like I disappointed them anyway.”

When school starts this year, Sara will return to the sixth grade. She will carry the same books and return to a classroom where her former classmates are no longer there.

“My sister says I’m lucky to still be in school, but I don’t feel happy. This is just a delaying battle. When this year ends, will I have to stay home and become a seamstress?”

This question concerns not only Sara, but millions of Afghan girls who have been denied the right to go to school and who ask every day: when will we learn again?

Denying girls an education is not merely an educational policy. It excludes half of the country’s population from public life and deprives them of the opportunity to build their own future and that of their nation.

The consequences are far-reaching, both socially and economically. Before long, women will no longer be working in the fields of medicine, education and social services. The impact is severe, as the absence of female professionals directly affects the health and well-being of millions.

 

Excerpt:

The author is an Afghanistan-based female journalist, trained with Finnish support before the Taliban take-over. Her identity is withheld for security reasons

The disruption in oil supplies has caused shortages and concerns in several African countries.

The UNFPA released a report detailing how women were suffering widespread mistreatment during childbirth across Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Credit: UNFPA

By Ed Holt
BRATISLAVA, Mar 30 2026 (IPS)

Government and medical professionals must implement systematic changes to deal with a “crisis” of obstetric violence (OV) across Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA), experts and rights campaigners have said.

The call comes as the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) released a report on March 12 detailing how women were suffering widescale mistreatment during childbirth across the region.

“This report is a wake-up call. All stakeholders must make sure that women’s rights are respected and protected in all facilities in the health system and beyond,” Tamar Khomasuridze, UNFPA Sexual and Reproductive Health Adviser for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, told Inter Press Service (IPS).

The report, Respectful Maternity Care: Women’s Experiences and Outlooks in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, highlighted what the UNFPA said was a “pervasive yet often hidden OV crisis that violates women’s fundamental human rights and dignity”.

The survey, which was based on online responses from over 2,600 women who gave birth recently and conducted across 16 countries and territories in the region, found that 67 percent of respondents reported at least one form of mistreatment, including non-consensual medical procedures, verbal and physical abuse, and significant breaches of privacy.

Nearly half (48.1 percent) of women underwent obstetric procedures – such as episiotomies, Caesarean sections, or the administration of oxytocin – without their informed consent.

Meanwhile, about 24 percent of surveyed women reported experiencing verbal abuse, including yelling and humiliation, and 1 in 10 endured physical or sexual abuse during labour or gynaecological examinations. For example, 12 percent of the surveyed women reported being physically restrained during labour, such as being tied to the bed or subjected to aggressive physical contact under the pretext of facilitating delivery. Just over 10 percent experienced different forms of sexual abuse, ranging from inappropriate touching to more severe forms of assault (disrespectful manipulation of the genitals).

The survey also revealed a massive lack of awareness of OV among women in the region – almost 54 percent of surveyed women said women were unfamiliar with the term “obstetric violence”. And of those that knew they were victims of OV, very few reported such incidents – only two percent of those mistreated officially reported their experience, often due to a lack of trust in accountability mechanisms or fear of retaliation.

Previous research into the extent of OV in the region is limited and experts say it is difficult to gauge whether the situation in the region has changed in recent years.

But campaigners say the report underlines that it remains a serious problem.

“Obstetric violence has always existed, but for a long time it remained invisible, normalised, and embedded within what was perceived as ‘standard medical practice’. The major shift over the past decade is not necessarily in the prevalence of the phenomenon but rather in its increased visibility at the public, legal, and institutional levels, including its inclusion on the global agenda of human rights and public health,” Alina Andronache, a gender public policy expert at the Partnership for Development Center (CPD) in Moldova, who helped author the UNFPA report, told IPS.

“The report outlines a mixed picture: recognition and visibility of the phenomenon are increasing, yet the prevalence of experiences of abuse, coercion, and lack of consent remains alarmingly high,” she added.

Rights activists say that the phenomenon is closely linked to the wider issue of prevalent attitudes to women in the region.

“The report clearly shows that obstetric violence is not merely an issue of inadequate medical practices but is deeply embedded in broader social and cultural structures—particularly gender discrimination, power imbalances between the patient and medical staff, rigid institutional hierarchies, and norms that socialise women to accept authority without questioning it, including in highly intimate and vulnerable contexts such as childbirth,” said Andronache.

She highlighted the report’s finding that 58.4 percent of respondents believe that a mother must accept any intervention for the benefit of the child, even if it may harm her, while 19.6 percent consider that doctors may take a decision without a woman’s consent to protect the child.

“These perceptions reflect a profound internalisation of the idea that women’s bodily autonomy can be suspended during childbirth in favour of a medical authority perceived as unquestionable. This internalisation has two major consequences: it legitimises abusive or coercive practices, which are no longer perceived as violations of rights but as ‘necessary’ or ‘medically justified’ interventions, and it  directly contributes to underreporting and to the difficulty of recognising obstetric violence as such. If women are socialised to believe that they do not have the right to refuse, to ask questions, or to negotiate interventions, then their experiences are not necessarily identified as abuse but rather as a ‘normal’ part of childbirth,” she explained.

The report includes a call to action that outlines critical steps to address systemic problems with OV in the EECA states. These include legislation to protect women against OV; human rights-centred training for all healthcare personnel to shift clinical attitudes and ensure dignity is maintained at the point of service, as well as implementing monitoring and other measures to ensure accountability; and strengthening education and wider awareness of OV.

The UNFPA says its call to action has been endorsed by all countries in the survey and other stakeholders and will become part of action plans on OV at the national level.

But it is unclear how easy it will be to effect meaningful change, especially in a region where some countries have very conservative social cultures and wider problems with women’s rights.

The report showed that among respondents from Central Asian countries, such as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, around two thirds of women were unaware of OV. The report says this is due, in part, to traditional norms surrounding women’s roles and childbirth, which may make women less open to discussions about obstetric abuse.

Khomasuridze admitted that there were “of course sensitivities in different countries” in the region but was confident that with the help of various stakeholders, including civil society organisations, women’s rights groups and patient groups, changes would be implemented.

Andronache said that in countries where strongly conservative political policies and societal attitudes are prevalent, it was crucial that “the message be adapted to the context”.

“In more conservative societies, the approach should not be perceived as confrontational or ideological but rather framed as an issue of safety, dignity, and quality of care for both mother and child. Emphasising health, respect, and communication may be more readily accepted than a discourse focused exclusively on rights,” she said.

She added that it was essential that women be made aware of OV during their engagement with healthcare professionals – prenatal courses should be accessible and include, alongside medical information, clear explanations about women’s rights, informed consent, and what respectful care entails. ‘Meanwhile, information must reach those who need it most, she said — particularly in rural areas and in communities with more limited access to education.

“This requires simple messages, delivered in accessible languages and through channels that women already trust, including healthcare providers, community leaders, or other women sharing their experiences,” Andronache said.

“Awareness is built not only through the dissemination of information, but also through the creation of a space in which women feel able to ask questions, understand what is happening to them, and recognise when their rights are not being respected,” she added.

However, even in places where there is more awareness, serious problems with OV remain.

The study found that awareness of OV is higher in Eastern European countries, in part because advocacy initiatives regarding women’s rights during childbirth have contributed to increased visibility of the issue. Yet OV is widespread in some of these states.

In the survey the highest dissatisfaction rates with their childbirth experience were recorded among respondents from the Western Balkans (Albania, Serbia and Kosovo).

In 2022, a study by lawyers in Serbia found that women in the country are regularly subjected to various forms of violence at maternity clinics and hospitals, including not just verbal abuse and humiliation at the hands of staff, but violent physical examinations and invasive procedures without consent.

In January 2024, Marica Mihajlovic, a Roma woman, claimed that during labour her doctor jumped on her stomach, slapped her and racially abused her. Her baby died soon after birth.

A 2023 report on OV in Moldova included testimony from scores of OV victims, some of whom were left with serious physical and mental health issues afterwards.

As well as having to deal with the physical and mental damage of their experiences, victims of OV in the region also often face significant barriers to any redress for their suffering.

“Women who are aware of obstetric violence and would like to take action encounter, in reality, a form of distance—not only physical, but also emotional and institutional. In theory, reporting mechanisms should be ‘within reach’: easy to understand, accessible, and safe. In practice, in many countries this distance is far too great,” explained Andronache.

She said many women who want to report OV struggle with difficult and bureaucratic systems for doing so. Many are also put off by feelings that reporting what happened to them will not change anything or, worse, “that they would be placed in a position of having to prove their suffering, of being questioned, or even invalidated”.

“In the absence of clear and credible accountability mechanisms, reporting is not perceived as a solution, but as a long, uncertain, and emotionally draining process,” Andronache said.

Some also find that after a difficult or traumatic experience, they simply do not have the emotional resources to engage in a formal process. “They seek calm, recovery, and the ability to care for their child. The question ‘is it worth going through this?’ becomes very real,” said Andronache.

While the report identifies the scale of the OV crisis in the region and changes needed to reverse, or at least lessen it, fundamental improvement is not expected to come overnight, regardless of how enthusiastically governments embrace the UNFPA’s recommendations.

“Some changes can be implemented relatively quickly—for example, establishing clear and accessible reporting mechanisms, informing women, introducing more transparent procedures, or providing basic training for medical staff. These depend largely on political will and organisational capacity and can be achieved within a relatively short timeframe.

“However, the more difficult aspect is the transformation of mindsets—both within the medical system and in society at large. A deeper transformation to a system in which women feel safe to speak out and which responds with accountability and respect is a long-term process that may take a decade or more. At its core, this is a cultural shift, not merely a regulatory one,” said Andronache.

Khomasuridze agreed.

“We and our partners have a long way to go. Progress depends on action at the national level and we are very well positioned in [EECA] countries to accelerate progress, working with government, professional societies, civil societies, women’s groups, and patients’ groups to make sure that this transformative agenda is implemented,” she said.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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Credit: Ryan Brown/UN Women

By Inés M. Pousadela and Samuel King
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay / BRUSSELS, Belgium, Mar 30 2026 (IPS)

On 19 March, the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) did something unprecedented in its eight-decade history: it held a vote. The Trump administration, having spent two weeks attempting to defer, amend and ultimately block the session’s main outcome document, known as the agreed conclusions, cast the only vote against its adoption. That dissenting vote said a lot, as it came from the world’s most powerful government, backed by financial leverage, bilateral reach and a network of anti-rights states and organisations that are making inroads at many levels.

Established in 1946, the CSW brings together 45 states each year to negotiate commitments that, while not legally binding, shape domestic legislation, set international norms and signal the direction of political will. Civil society plays an important role in it: the NGO Committee on the Status of Women coordinates thousands of organisations, from large international bodies to grassroots groups, with the aim of ensuring those most affected by policy have a seat at the table. For several decades, this has been the closest thing the world has to a dedicated annual intergovernmental negotiation on women’s rights.

The assault on gender equality

The Trump administration arrived at CSW70 having withdrawn from UN Women in January and from its Executive Board in February, citing opposition to what it calls ‘gender ideology’. It submitted eight amendments targeting language on reproductive health. When these didn’t succeed, it attempted to defer or withdraw the conclusions entirely. When that too failed, it voted against adoption and tabled a separate resolution seeking to impose a restrictive definition of gender, effectively attempting to rewrite 30 years of carefully negotiated commitments. Its resolution was blocked.

At the Munich Security Conference in February, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio defined western civilisation as bound together by Christian faith, shared ancestry and cultural heritage, an ideological approach that treats women’s equality, reproductive rights and LGBTQI+ rights not as human rights but ideological impositions to be rejected. The Trump administration’s financial muscle is now the delivery mechanism for this worldview.

Defunding as a weapon

The immediate material crisis at CSW70 was the collapse of funding. The elimination of 90 per cent of USAID contracts wiped out US$60 billion in foreign aid. The USA is instead negotiating bilateral deals with 71 countries under its ‘America First’ global health strategy, extending its global gag rule not just to civil society organisations but to recipient governments. This means any institution that receives US health funding must certify that neither it nor any organisation it works with promotes or provides abortion.

Funding will now flow through faith-based groups, with ultra-conservative Christian organisations such as the Alliance Defending Freedom and Family Watch International set to benefit, having spent years building networks across Africa, Asia and Latin America. They use the language of family values, parental rights and national sovereignty to consolidate conservative influence over laws affecting women, LGBTQI+ people and young people. In many countries, they already have direct access to governments while progressive organisations are routinely excluded.

With threats intensifying, the UN is signalling retreat. A proposal under the UN80 cost-cutting initiative to merge UN Women with the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) has alarmed civil society worldwide. The stated rationale is efficiency, but there’s little overlap between the two agencies and their combined budgets make up a small part of the UN’s overall spending, suggesting savings would be modest. It’s hard to escape the conclusion that the targeting of these organisations reflects the increasing contestation of their rights-based mandates rather than any logic of organisational efficiency.

Over 500 civil society organisations signed an open letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres warning that, when sexual and reproductive health rights are absorbed into broader mandates, they risk ‘being deprioritised, underfunded, or rendered politically invisible’. Some states have urged caution but so far none has committed to blocking the merger.

Civil society holds the line

In difficult times, over 4,600 civil society delegates attended CSW70 and made their presence count. They took the floor to name structural barriers and demand accountability: youth representatives challenged the normalisation of online violence, Pacific Island delegates described how geography compounds the denial of justice for survivors, and activists from Haiti documented the labour exploitation of migrant domestic workers. They all emphasised that when women’s rights organisations are restricted or defunded, survivors lose their primary pathway to justice.

The NGO CSW Forum hosted over 750 events alongside the official session. But not everyone could participate. US visa restrictions meant several women’s rights activists, particularly from the global south, couldn’t enter the country. This is a worsening problem that limits civil society’s ability to engage.

CIVICUS’s newly released 2026 State of Civil Society Report documents exactly what civil society has been up against: institutions built to protect women’s rights under sustained, coordinated attack, their funding cut, their mandates targeted and the human rights values they are built on reopened for revision. CSW70’s agreed conclusions offer hope, committing states to action on AI governance, discriminatory laws, digital justice, labour rights, legal aid and the formal recognition of care workers. But as the contest over them made plain, political will is running low and the anti-rights community is emboldened. Civil society left CSW70 without losing ground – and this seems to be the measure of success in the regressive times we live in.

Inés M. Pousadela is CIVICUS Head of Research and Analysis, co-director and writer for CIVICUS Lens and co-author of the State of Civil Society Report. She is also a Professor of Comparative Politics at Universidad ORT Uruguay.

Samuel King is a researcher with the Horizon Europe-funded research project ENSURED: Shaping Cooperation for a World in Transition at CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation.

For interviews or more information, please contact research@civicus.org

 

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Alors que la gestation pour autrui s'impose comme un marché international en plein essor, les failles juridiques et les circuits transfrontaliers soulèvent de nombreuses inquiétudes. Entre Turquie, Géorgie et Chypre du Nord, des enquêtes révèlent les zones d'ombre d'un secteur où se croisent désir de parentalité, intérêts économiques et risques d'exploitation.

- Articles / Courrier des Balkans, Turquie, Santé, Gratuit

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