Nations

This archive collects milestones and progress stories involving nations — countries and their governments — acting to improve lives, protect rights, or address shared challenges. From policy breakthroughs to international cooperation, these stories show what countries are doing right.

Aerial view of a free-flowing river winding through green hills for an article about Yangtze River restoration

China tears out 300 dams on a Yangtze tributary to bring back endangered fish

By / / Good news links

Yangtze River restoration is advancing through one of the largest dam removal efforts in history, with China demolishing more than 300 dams and shutting down 342 small hydropower stations along the Chishui River. Critically endangered Yangtze sturgeon, a species that has survived for 140 million years, are already returning to previously blocked spawning grounds. Combined with a decade-long fishing ban imposed in 2020, the coordinated effort is producing measurable ecological recovery within years. The project adds significant momentum to a global dam removal movement and demonstrates that political will can reverse decades of river degradation at scale.

A healthcare worker caring for a newborn in a clinical setting for an article about newborn malaria treatment

World’s first malaria treatment approved for newborn babies

By / / Good News For Humankind

Newborn malaria treatment reached a historic milestone as regulators approved Coartem Baby, the first antimalarial drug designed specifically for infants weighing under 5 kilograms. Developed through a partnership between Novartis and the non-profit Medicines for Malaria Venture, the dissolvable, cherry-flavored medication fills a gap that persisted for decades, leaving the most fragile newborns without a safe, approved option. Approval has been fast-tracked across eight African countries where need is greatest, with Novartis committing to largely not-for-profit pricing. For the youngest infants born into high-transmission environments, this changes everything.

Two women holding a young child outdoors for an article about same-sex parental rights

Ukrainian court recognizes same-sex couple as a family for the first time

By / / Good News For Humankind

Same-sex family recognition reached a historic milestone in Ukraine as a Kyiv court ruled that a same-sex couple constitutes a legal family — the first such ruling in Ukrainian history. The case was brought by a serving soldier and his partner of over ten years, highlighting urgent legal gaps that leave LGBTQ+ service members’ partners without medical, property, or benefits protections during wartime. The ruling stops short of marriage equality but establishes family recognition as a viable legal path. Human rights advocates say it adds meaningful momentum to parliamentary discussions on civil partnerships already supported by President Zelenskyy.

A farmworker walks through a maize field at dawn for an article about the South Africa terbufos ban — 13 words.

South Africa bans terbufos pesticide, protecting farming communities

By / / Good News For Humankind

Terbufos ban marks a major win for South Africa’s farmworker communities, as the country moves to prohibit one of the world’s most hazardous pesticides starting in 2026. The organophosphate chemical, rated “extremely hazardous” by the World Health Organization, had been routinely applied to maize and sugarcane while exposing rural workers and children to potentially fatal risks. The ban followed a multi-year campaign by the Center for Environmental Rights and the Rural Women’s Assembly, combining toxicological evidence with direct community testimony. South Africa joins the EU and other nations in phasing out terbufos, signaling that grassroots advocacy centered on vulnerable communities can reshape national chemical policy.

A rainforest river winding through dense green jungle in Suriname for an article about Suriname malaria-free certification, for article on dual-insecticide bed nets

Suriname becomes the first Amazon nation certified malaria-free by WHO

By / / Good News For Humankind

Suriname malaria-free certification marks a historic first for the Amazon region, as the World Health Organization officially declared the South American nation free of the disease on June 30, 2025. Suriname became the 46th country worldwide and the first in the Amazon basin to earn this status, completing a decades-long effort that recorded its last locally transmitted case in 2021. The achievement required reaching deeply remote Indigenous and mining communities through trained local health workers and a policy of free treatment regardless of immigration status. That combination of political will, community-centered design, and international support offers a replicable model for neighboring countries still working toward elimination.

A Vietnamese court building at dusk for an article about Vietnam death penalty reform — 12 words

Vietnam cuts death penalty for eight crimes including corruption and drug offenses

By / / Good News For Humankind

Vietnam death penalty reform marks one of the most significant shifts in the country’s criminal justice history, removing capital punishment from eight categories of offenses including economic crimes and corruption. The revised penal code introduces a restitution pathway allowing convicted individuals to have death sentences commuted to life imprisonment by returning illegally obtained assets, prioritizing recovery of public funds over retribution. This structurally novel approach creates transparent, measurable criteria for sentencing rather than leaving mercy to judicial discretion. The reform aligns Vietnam with a growing global movement to narrow the scope of capital punishment, even where full abolition remains politically difficult.

A diverse group of elected officials at a government building for an article about LGBTQ+ political representation

Out LGBTQ+ elected officials in the U.S. have tripled since 2017

By / / Good News For Humankind

LGBTQ+ elected officials across the United States have more than tripled since 2017, marking an unprecedented expansion in American political history documented by the Victory Fund Institute. Wins are occurring not just in coastal cities but in suburban districts, rural counties, and states once considered out of reach — suggesting a genuine nationwide shift. Research links higher LGBTQ+ representation to stronger non-discrimination protections and more equitable public health policy. For young LGBTQ+ people, seeing someone like themselves hold office measurably affects civic identity and belief that participation matters. The tripling is a milestone, not an endpoint.

Rows of solar panels extending across a vast installation for an article about China's 1 terawatt solar milestone

China becomes the first country to install 1 terawatt of solar power

By / / Good News For Humankind

China’s solar milestone reached one terawatt of installed photovoltaic capacity in 2025, making it the first nation in history to hit that mark, arriving ahead of schedule. The achievement is equivalent to 1.6 million utility-scale solar arrays running simultaneously and now represents half of all solar capacity installed worldwide as recently as 2024. Beyond climate goals, the buildout reflects a strategic push toward energy independence, reducing exposure to volatile fossil fuel markets. Most significantly, China’s manufacturing scale has driven global panel prices to historic lows, making clean energy newly affordable for developing nations that once had no realistic alternative.

Aerial view of a coastal power station at dusk for an article about Ireland coal-free Moneypoint closure

Ireland closes its last coal-fired power plant at Moneypoint

By / / Good News For Humankind

Ireland’s coal-free milestone arrived in 2025 when Moneypoint power station, the country’s only coal-fired plant, shut down permanently after nearly six decades of operation. The closure makes Ireland one of Europe’s first fully coal-free nations and eliminates the single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions from its electricity grid. Wind power, now generating 35-40% of Irish electricity, effectively replaced what coal once provided. Communities near Moneypoint in County Clare stand to see direct air quality improvements, while Ireland’s shift from imported coal to domestic wind also strengthens energy security against volatile global commodity markets.

Close-up of psilocybin mushrooms in a clinical research setting for an article about psilocybin therapy

New Zealand approves psilocybin therapy for treatment-resistant depression

By / / Good News For Humankind

Psilocybin therapy has received formal approval in New Zealand as a supervised treatment for severe, treatment-resistant depression, making the country one of a small but growing number of nations to authorize the psychedelic compound for clinical use. The decision opens a legal pathway for patients who have exhausted conventional antidepressants and talk therapies — a group estimated to represent roughly one-third of all depression patients globally. Access is tightly structured, requiring licensed clinicians, controlled settings, and follow-up integration support. New Zealand joins Australia, Canada, and several U.S. states in signaling a broader shift in how governments are responding to mounting clinical evidence around psychedelic-assisted mental health care.