News & Insights
News & Insights
Curated sector news across Law, Economics & Finance, Energy, and Medicine — updated weekly by CLNZ Books.
Law
ICJ Issues Advisory Opinion on the Right to Strike Under ILO Convention No. 87
The International Court of Justice delivered its advisory opinion on 21 May 2026, responding to a question posed by the International Labour Organization on the right to strike under ILO Convention No. 87. The session was held under the presidency of Judge Iwasawa Yuji at the Peace Palace in The Hague. The opinion is expected to influence labour law interpretation across ILO member states and international employment disputes.
Source: International Court of Justice — icj-cij.org
Economics & Finance
IMF Revises Global Growth to 3.1% as Middle East Conflict Disrupts Commodity Markets
The IMF's April 2026 World Economic Outlook revised its global growth forecast to 3.1%, down from 3.4% in 2025, citing the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and damage to critical energy infrastructure as the primary shock. The Fund projects elevated oil, gas, fertilizer and aluminium prices as a negative supply shock affecting advanced and emerging economies alike, with low-income countries facing the sharpest slowdown. Global public debt is projected to approach 100% of GDP by 2028.
Source: International Monetary Fund — imf.org
Energy
IRENA: Meeting 1.5°C Target Requires 18.4 TW of Renewable Capacity by 2035
IRENA's updated 1.5°C pathway report, published 21 May 2026, projects electricity must account for 35% of global energy use by 2035, driven by rapid renewable expansion. Achieving this will require approximately 18.4 TW of installed renewable capacity by 2035 and 38.2 TW by 2050. The agency estimates annual grid investment needs will rise to around $1.2 trillion to support electrification, renewable integration, and energy storage — alongside a rapid decline in fossil fuel use.
Source: IRENA — irena.org
Medicine
79th World Health Assembly Adopts Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance 2026–2036
At its 79th session in Geneva (18–23 May 2026), the World Health Assembly approved the Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance 2026–2036, renewing commitments to combat AMR through a One Health approach. WHO's surveillance system reports that one in six common bacterial infections in 2023 were already resistant to antibiotic treatment. Without urgent action, AMR could cause up to 39 million deaths by 2050, disproportionately affecting low- and middle-income countries.
Source: World Health Organization — who.int
Updated weekly — Week of 25 May 2026