United Nations

UN Prepares for Launch of Global Fishing Accord

May 23, 2016

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization has announced that the first-ever international agreement regulating "illegal, unregulated and unreported" fishing and requiring the sharing of information among governments about vessels that engage in such fishing will enter into force next month.
World Bank Funds "Climate Innovation Centers" In Developing Countries

May 20, 2016

The World Bank has launched a set of Climate Innovation Centers in developing nations around the world to support "climate-smart" businesses and advance the UN's agenda on climate change.
G-7 Commits to Early Action on UN Climate Deal

May 19, 2016

The Japan Times reports that, at a recent summit in Toyama, Japan, environment ministers from the Group of 7 industrialized nations agreed to seek the early entry into force of the UN climate agreement signed in April that commits governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
UN May Run Emissions Credit System for Airlines

May 19, 2016

Bloomberg reports that, according to David Antonioli of the greenhouse gas program Verified Carbon Standard, the UN's International Civil Aviation Organization will likely select the UN to run a carbon emissions credit program seeking to reduce the contribution of the airline industry to climate change.
World Bank Funds Urban Projects Under Climate Action Plan

May 19, 2016

The World Bank has outlined its financial support under its Climate Action Plan to projects in cities around the world to protect inhabitants, through policies ranging from protection against disasters to "social safety nets" for the urban poor, from the impacts of global warming.
UN Agent: Climate Funding Presents Human Rights Test

May 18, 2016

UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment John Knox has warned that an ongoing UN meeting in Bonn, Germany, is the first test of human rights commitments made by governments in the UN climate deal signed in April as countries develop a mechanism that redistributes funds from wealthy to poor countries to help them adapt to climate change.
UN Agent Criticizes EU "Lack of Will" for Migrant Problems

May 18, 2016

Following a visit to Greece, UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants François Crépeau has blamed the EU for its "lack of political will" in finding a long-term solution for migrants from the Middle East in the country and its "overreliance on securing borders."
UN Seeks Answers to Climate-Induced "Internal Displacement"

May 13, 2016

The head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, Robert Glasser, has cited a UN-supported report asserting that climate change is increasingly responsible for displacement of people within countries to call for the development of new capabilities to manage risks of climate disasters and to provide housing to people displaced by global warming.
UN Proposes Global Governance of Migration Policy

May 11, 2016

AP reports that, ahead of a meeting of the UN General Assembly in September on migration issues, the UN has issued a document proposing a global governance system led by the UN that allocates responsibility for taking in refugees and migrants and calling on the UN to develop a campaign against xenophobia.
UN Scrutinizes Gender Provisions in National Constitutions

May 11, 2016

A symposium hosted by UN Women encouraged the use of the agency's Global Gender Equality Constitutional Database to evaluate whether there are sufficient provisions on women's rights in national constitutions and to promote the inclusion of provisions on affirmative action, "sexual and reproductive health rights," and other women-specific issues in these constitutions.