United Nations

UN Head Praises US President for Climate Measures

August 05, 2015

The office of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has praised US President Barack Obama for his "visionary leadership" in seeking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through measures that have produced controversy by sidestepping congressional approval.
UN Agency Analyzes "Big Data" from Smartphones

August 05, 2015

The UN Environment Programme ("UNEP") has announced the launch of a resource center called UNEP Live that will, among other things, analyze "big data" gathered from smartphones with satellite data to support government efforts to combat global warming and reduce air pollution.
Bolton: Iran Deal Undermines UNSC Veto

August 05, 2015

Former US Ambassador to the UN John Bolton writes that the Iran nuclear deal subtly undermines the principle of the UN Security Council ("UNSC") veto, available to permanent members to block resolutions, by permitting a "snapback" in sanctions without a vote by the UNSC.
Activist Calls for Powerful UN System

August 05, 2015

Author and activist Tad Daley praises a report from the nongovernmental Commission on Global Security, Justice, and Governance for seeking to "reinvent" the UN system, but calls for further action to eliminate the veto on the use of UN Security Council power, to build a more popularly representative UN assembly, and to create a UN military force.
UN Agent Outlines "Human Right" to Environmental Protection

August 05, 2015

UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment John Knox writes that governments have "substantive obligations" to build legal frameworks to protect people against infringement of their "human right" to a healthy environment, and calls for countries to take human rights into account in negotiating a new UN climate accord later in 2015.
UN Members Agree to Broad Sustainability Agenda

August 03, 2015

As the UN Secretary-General's Chef de Cabinet Susana Malcorra punctuated negotiations over the UN Sustainable Development Goals ("SDGs") by noting "the sheer size, the depth and the complexity of this agenda," UN member states agreed to a comprehensive agenda of SDGs that cover poverty, inequality, climate change, and other targets, to be formally adopted in September.
World Bank, ILO Push "Universal Social Protection" Agenda

July 29, 2015

The UN's World Bank Group and International Labour Organization ("ILO") have launched a joint action plan on achieving a broad range of goals, including reducing income inequality, by supporting "universal social protection" plans from governments around the world.
UN Women Seeks Shift in "Global Financial Architecture"

July 29, 2015

Following the recent UN development finance meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the Executive Director of UN Women Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka praised the meeting's outcome document for heeding calls for "systemic changes in the financial and economic architecture" to support broad principles including "women's empowerment" and "gender mainstreaming."
Agenda at UN Development Conference Presses for "Sustainability"

July 23, 2015

The agreed action agenda at the recent UN development conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, pushes for measures from global actors on economic, social, and environmental issues in order, according to UN General Assembly President Sam Kutessa, to achieve "a more equal and sustainable world."
UN Pushes Climate Change Agenda in Education Systems

July 23, 2015

The UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization ("UNESCO") has released a publication setting out "national case studies" on how to include climate change in the curricula of schools around the world.