Trade: First WTO review of application of "rebalancing" tariffs (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Geneva)
The WTO Safeguards Committee this week held its first-ever review of the application of "rebalancing" tariffs, hearing concerns raised by Thailand over the additional "rebalancing" tariffs imposed by Tur key on imports of air conditioners from Thailand.

United Nations: America First or America Alone? (PRIV)
(IPS, New York)
The United States' move to withdraw from the Human Rights Council will have "reverberations" throughou t the world in years to come, say human rights groups.

Rights: 2.5 million migrants smuggled worldwide, many via social media (PRIV)
(IPS, New York)
At least 2.5 million migrants were smuggled worldwide in 2016, generating an income for smugglers which ranged between $5.5 billion and $7.0 billion, according to a newly published report "2018 Global Study On Smuggling Of Migrants" by the Vienna-based UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Europe: EU funds giant research project on migration (PRIV)
(IPS, Oslo)
What is the relationship between migrat ion and development? And why do people choose to leave or stay in their home countries? Those are among the questions an international research project will explore.

Ecuador: Sustainable land management, formula to combat desertification (PRIV)
(IPS, Middle of the World City)
Sustainable land management (SLM) and conservation are the recipes that with different ingredients represent the basis for combating soil degradation, participant s in the event to celebrate the World Day to Combat Desertification (WDCD) agreed on June 17 in Ecuador.

Ukraine: Puts water strategy high on development agenda (PRIV)
(IPS, Kiev)
A campaign to raise awareness of water securi ty in Ukraine could be an inspiration around the world, activists behind it say, after it forced a change in the country's approach to its water resources.