United Nations

UNESCO Aspires to Regain Prominence in Global Education Arena

January 08, 2020

After years of funding cuts, politicization, and growing competition from other education actors, such as the Global Education Forum, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization ("UNESCO") is pursuing a new strategy to step up its coordinating role for the global education community.
UN Official Takes Parting Shot at "Populist Authoritarian Nationalists"

January 01, 2020

As he departs his post, Andrew Gilmour, the outgoing United Nations assistant secretary-general for human rights, blames "populist authoritarian nationalists" in North America, South America, Europe and Asia for "a backlash against human rights on every front, especially the rights of women and LGBT communities."
UNGA Adopts Resolution on "Education for Sustainable Development"

December 31, 2019

On December 19, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the resolution Education for Sustainable Development that calls upon the international community to scale up education for sustainable development in order to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
UNGA Condemns Russian Attempts to Legitimize Crimea Annexation

December 23, 2019

On December 18, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution condemning all attempts by the Russian Federation to legitimize its attempted annexation of Crimea, including the automatic imposition of Russian citizenship, illegal election campaigns and change of the demographic structure of the population of Crimea.
UN Announces Financial Support for Refugee Programs

December 23, 2019

At a recent Geneva summit, United Nations' officials announced almost 770 pledges in financial support for refugee programs to improve access to jobs, electricity, infrastructure and relocation, with the World Bank committing $4.7 billion.
SIDA and UNDP Create $40 Million Partnership to Promote National Capacities to Address Environmental and Climate Change Challenges

December 12, 2019

The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency ("SIDA") and the United Nations Development Programme ("UNDP") have entered a US $40 million partnership to help national capacities "to better manage ecosystems and biodiversity, improve water and ocean governance, and scale up climate action."
UN International Court of Justice Considers Rohingya Claims Against Myanmar

December 11, 2019

The United Nations International Court of Justice (“ICJ”) is considering a claim filed by Gambia on behalf of Muslim Rohingya alleging that Myanmar committed atrocities during a 2017 army crackdown, with Nobel Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi appearing in defense of Myanmar.
Iran Court Orders U.S. to Pay Damages in Relation to Sanctions Impact

December 04, 2019

Following a judgment by the United Nations International Court of Justice, Iran's top judiciary has ordered the United States to pay up $130 billion in damages about a year after the United Nation's top court ruled that President Donald Trump's administration should ease sanctions against Tehran to ensure the continued flow of humanitarian goods.
Gleckman: Corporatist Multistakeholderism is Undermining Nature and Work of UN

November 25, 2019

In a video posted to openDemocracy, Harris Gleckman, Senior Fellow at the Center for Governance and Sustainability and the author of Multistakeholder Governance and Democracy: A Global Challenge, speaks about "the growing corporate influence over our global governance system – and what can be done to stop it."
Western Nations Urge Opposition to Russian-led Resolution Regarding Internet

November 20, 2019

The U.S. and its Western allies are urging opposition to a Russian-led resolution at the United Nations that they warn is a thinly veiled effort to create global norms that endorse state control of the internet.