Kazakhstan abolishes death penalty
President Tokayev signed a law on ratification of the second optional protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, with the purpose of abolishing the death penalty.
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.
Wind power becomes Spain’s leading energy source for 2021
So far this year, renewable sources have contributed almost 47% of the country’s total consumption needs compared to less than 30% a decade ago.
France passes sweeping conversion therapy ban
Conversion therapy practitioners can face prison time and fines because “homosexuality and trans identity aren’t sicknesses that can be cured.”
Malta becomes first E.U. nation to legalize cannabis
Malta has become the first European Union country to legalize personal cannabis cultivation and use, with parliament passing the bill 36 to 27. Adults can now grow up to four plants at home and carry small amounts without facing criminal charges, while regulated nonprofit associations will handle distribution. Minors found with cannabis will be referred to care or treatment rather than arrested — a quiet but meaningful shift toward treating drug use as a health matter, not a crime. With Germany, Luxembourg, and Switzerland moving in similar directions, Malta’s vote signals that laws once considered politically untouchable are being reimagined across Europe, opening space for more humane approaches to drug policy worldwide.
Botswana achieves WHO’s “silver tier” certification for mother-to-child HIV transmission
The country was previously classified as a “high burden” country, which is defined as more than two percent of women living with HIV.
Scotland ends all coal power
Scotland has marked the end of its coal-powered history by demolishing the huge chimney at its last remaining coal plant at Longannet in Fife.
Canada bans conversion therapy
As of January 7, 2022 it will be a crime punishable by up to five years in prison to cause another person to undergo conversion therapy.
Wind becomes largest source of electricity for first time in Turkey
Turkey has prioritized the security of its energy supply as one of the central pillars of its energy strategy, leading to efforts to boost investments in the clean energy sector.
Countries with regulations against industrially produced trans fats tripled over the past year
Forty countries now have best-practice trans fat elimination policies in effect, protecting 1.4 billion people from this deadly food compound, according to new WHO report.
12 international donors pledge $1.5 billion to support protection of the Congo Basin forests
The 500 million acres of forests may be the last significant land-based tropical carbon sink in the world, making the forests vitally important in the global fight against climate change.