United Nations

NGO: China Seeks to Make UN Rights Review Meaningless

December 19, 2018

Sophie Richardson of the nongovernmental organization Human Rights Watch reports on China’s work in the UN Human Rights Council and other UN organs toward hollowing out any meaningful review of the country’s performance on civil and political rights.
Haley Criticizes UN “Obsession” with Israel

December 19, 2018

At a recent UN Security Council meeting, outgoing US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley criticized the UN as “hopelessly biased,” citing the UN General Assembly’s failure to condemn Hamas as a terrorist group, and warned that the UN’s “obsession” with Israel has helped stall direct Palestinian-Israeli negotiations.
UN Climate Talks Produce “Rulebook” on Climate Action

December 18, 2018

The New York Times reports that countries at a UN summit in Poland agreed a common rulebook on measuring and reporting their contributions to global greenhouse gas emissions but failed to find consensus on standardizing “carbon markets” and redistributing “climate aid” from wealthy to poor countries.
US Outlines “Balanced Approach” to Climate Action at UN Summit

December 18, 2018

The US State Department published a statement following the recent UN climate summit in Poland setting out the current Administration’s “balanced approach to economic growth, energy security, and environmental protection” and a pledge not to “allow climate agreements to be used as a vehicle to redistribute wealth.”
WHO Calculates Health Benefits of Climate Action

December 17, 2018

The UN’s World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a press release concluding that the up-front costs of global “climate action” as set out in the UN’s Paris climate accord is only half the value of the health gains the WHO predicts as a result of these policies, claiming that the Paris deal is “potentially the strongest health agreement of this century.”
UNESCO Body Adopts SDG Agenda Items for Teachers

December 17, 2018

As part of the UN campaign to achieve its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a task force of the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recently adopted a declaration calling for new standards on teacher qualifications and pushing for more public funding for teachers, through “socially just fiscal policies.”
UNESCO Launches Sexuality Education Campaign

December 17, 2018

The UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has launched a global campaign promoting comprehensive sexuality education as a vehicle for educators to teach young people about “puberty, love, sex and relationships” and how “to make healthier life decisions.”
WTO, UN Chiefs Discuss Contributions to SDGs

December 17, 2018

World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Roberto Azevêdo and UN Secretary-General António Guterres recently met at UN headquarters to discuss, among other items, how the WTO can contribute through trade policy to the achievement of the comprehensive social and environmental targets in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Article: UN Migration Pact Violates National Sovereignty

December 14, 2018

Hans von Spakovsky and Brett Schaefer of the Heritage Foundation assert that the Trump Administration is justified in refusing to support the recently signed UN Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration because it would purport to limit the government’s constitutional authority to control immigration policy.
Conflict over UN Migration Accord Brings down Belgian Government

December 14, 2018

Politico reports that a conflict over the UN’s recently agreed migration compact has broken apart Belgium’s governing coalition and forced the Prime Minister to set up a minority government, as part of broader controversy in Europe and elsewhere regarding whether the pact recognizes a general right to migrate.