The SI Committee on the Kurdish People, established by the Council following a decision by the Congress, held its first meeting in Sulaimaniya, on Friday 12 April 2013. It was hosted by the SI member Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, PUK, and brought together participants from more than twenty Kurdish political parties and organisations from Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria...

Building on the discussions and decisions of the recent SI Council regarding the situation in the Sahel, a meeting of the Socialist International Africa Committee was held in Niamey, Niger, on 17-18 March, to focus on the crisis in Mali and its implications for the region and the continent. Hosted by the SI member party in Niger, the Party for Democracy and Socialism of Niger, PNDS, it included a broad participation of leaders and representatives of many parties from the region and beyond...

The Socialist International held its Council meeting in Cascais, Portugal, on Monday 4 – Tuesday 5 February, the first since the XXIV Congress that took place in Cape Town, South Africa, last September. The event was hosted by the SI member party in that country, the Portuguese Socialist Party. Under the main heading “The World Economy: Our Vision for Growth, Jobs and Sustainable Development” the Council brought together close to 300 participants from 100 delegations including leaders and delegates from SI member parties worldwide, as well as specially invited guests...

The United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP18/CMP8, which this year took place in Doha, Qatar, concluded last weekend. Negotiations were extended in an effort to reach a positive decision involving all parties; however, yet again, we have witnessed a COP sadly devoid of significant decisions on climate change, one of the most serious issues humankind currently faces. This demonstrates once more the lack of political will to deal with this challenge...

This year’s annual meeting of SI Presidium members at the United Nations in connection with the General Assembly debates was held at the UN Headquarters in New York on Wednesday 26 September. Members of the new Presidium, having been elected only a few weeks before at the XXIV SI Congress held in South Africa, were of the opinion in Cape Town that this initiative implemented in recent years should be maintained despite the short time frame on this occasion, given the opportunity which these meetings have provided both to have a bearing on the main issues of the global agenda being addressed at the United Nations...

The XXIV Congress of the Socialist International met in Cape Town, South Africa, on August 30 - September 1, under the heading "For a New Internationalism and a New Culture of Solidarity". Bringing together leaders and delegates of member parties from around the world, including a number of heads of state and government and specially invited guests, the event was attended by representatives of 130 parties and organisations...