United Nations

UNOHCHR Criticizes Australian Return of Refugees

July 14, 2014

The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights ("UNOHCHR") has announced that it is "deeply disturbed" by Australia's return of a group from Sri Lanka seeking asylum to their home country, allegedly without adequately considering the case of each person for refugee status.
UN Calls for Use of "Space Tools" to Promote Sustainability

July 14, 2014

The UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space has opened its most recent session by calling for the use of space tools and information derived from space objects to be used to address climate change and promote the UN's post-2015 development agenda.
UN: Redistribution Is "Key" to Global Climate Change Treaty

July 14, 2014

The head of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Christiana Figueres and others have called for developed countries like the U.S. to contribute more to the UN Green Climate Fund, which would send funding to developing countries, to advance negotiations on a global climate treaty.
HRC Adopts Resolution on "Protection of the Family"

July 14, 2014

The UN Human Rights Council ("HRC") has adopted a resolution seeking a report and calling for a panel discussion on the "protection of the family," after the HRC rejected an amendment stating that "various forms of the family exist."
UN Promotes Global Governance of Environmental Law

July 11, 2014

At the Global Symposium on Environmental Rule of Law, hosted by the UN Environment Programme, panelists called for countries to enforce environmental laws with the aim of economic equality, with one panelist seeking an "international court for the environment."
Bromund: UN Concludes "Pointless" Session on Guns

July 11, 2014

Ted Bromund writes at NRO that the recently concluded meeting of the UN's Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons demonstrates the UN's inability to promote the actual implementation of the program on illegal trade in firearms and its desire instead to promote expanded gun control.
Groves: Joining UNCLOS Would Not Advance U.S. Arctic Interests

July 11, 2014

Steven Groves of the Heritage Foundation writes that ratification of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea ("UNCLOS") would not advance U.S. interests in the Arctic and would instead hinder U.S. interests through, among other things, its mandatory dispute resolution mechanism.
UN Agency Receives Support for Global Governance of Air Pollution

July 11, 2014

At its recent Environment Assembly, a group of countries pushed the UN Environment Programme to work further toward the reduction of air pollution by calling on governments to rigidly enforce laws designed to cut emissions.
UN Convenes Climate Meeting Seeking Redistribution of Wealth

July 11, 2014

The UN has organized a "Green Climate Fund" meeting in Oslo, Norway to pressure developed countries to contribute funds that would be transferred to developing countries for projects to counter global warming.
UN, EU Sign Agreement on Climate Change Cooperation

July 11, 2014

The UN Environment Programme and the European Commission have signed a "Memorandum of Understanding" committing them to continued cooperation on combating climate change and to work on "sustainable development" issues.