United Nations

Denmark, Australia Criticize UNHRC on Anti-Israel Agenda

March 01, 2019

The Jerusalem Post reports that diplomats of Denmark and Australia recently called on the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to eliminate the body’s standing agenda item through which it issues an annual condemnation of alleged Israeli human rights violations, warning the item “undermines the credibility of this council.”
Gennarini: UN Development Reforms Reduce Government Oversight

March 01, 2019

Stefano Gennarini of the Center for Family & Human Rights reports that reforms to the UN development system put in place by UN Secretary-General António Guterres include an increase in the authority of local UN agents to implement policies without consulting national governments of their host states.
UN Chief Refers to “Hate Speech” as Major Global Threat

March 01, 2019

In recent remarks to the UN Human Rights Council, UN Secretary-General António Guterres referred to “hate speech” as “a menace to democratic values, social stability and peace.”
ICJ Demands UK “Decolonization” of Chagos Islands

February 27, 2019

The UN’s International Court of Justice (ICJ) has found that the UK has an obligation to hand over “as rapidly as possible” administration of the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean to Mauritius, finding Britain’s continued control of the remote archipelago for use as an air base since 1968 violates international law.
Dutch NGOs Threaten Climate Lawsuit Against Shell

February 22, 2019

Climate Liability News refers to a threat from Dutch NGOs to sue Shell over the company’s contributions to greenhouse gas emissions if it refuses to adhere to the UN’s Paris climate accord as “a new legal front in the climate battle” in which NGOs demand compensation from large energy companies to address their alleged climate impacts.
WHO Creates Standard-Setting Body for Genome Editing

February 21, 2019

The World Health Organization has formed a committee to create uniform global standards governing the editing of the human genome, including “appropriate governance mechanisms” for the practice.
UN Agencies Seek “Citizenship Education” to Promote Rule of Law

February 21, 2019

The UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) have published a report on how schools around the world must promote the rule of law through “global citizenship education” programs that instill the UN’s sustainable development agenda in children.
ICJ Rejects US Motion to Dismiss Iran Proceedings

February 20, 2019

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has rejected a US motion to dismiss proceedings brought by Iran to recover $2 billion in bank assets frozen by the US government during Iran’s 1979 revolution, finding that it has jurisdiction to decide the dispute.
UN Observers Criticize French Treatment of “Yellow Vests”

February 20, 2019

A group of UN human rights mandate holders has “denounced” France’s treatment of the “yellow vest” protesters opposing the government’s environmental and labor rights reforms, asserting that arrests, searches, and excessive use of force by police are threatening the right to protest in the country.
China Gains from Waning US Influence at UN

February 15, 2019

Foreign Policy reports that experts on US foreign affairs view the UN Secretary-General’s appointment of a Chinese diplomat as UN envoy to the African Great Lakes region in spite of objections from US officials as an example of the potentially problematic impacts of waning US influence in the international organization.