United Nations

Scholar Points to Merits of US Decision on UNRWA

January 24, 2018

Elliott Abrams of the Council on Foreign Relations writes that the Trump Administration's decision to cut funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), charged with handling Palestinian refugees, is the correct one due to UNRWA's troubling association with radical groups like Hamas and its perpetuation, rather than resolution, of Palestine's "refugee" problem.
US Withholds More Funding from UNRWA

January 24, 2018

The Times of Israel reports that the US State Department has announced its withdrawal of $45 million more in funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) days after the US withheld $65 million as it undergoes a "fundamental re-examination" of its contributions to the agency charged with financing institutions for Palestinian refugees.
NGOs Counter UN Claims of Declining Sex Abuse in CAR

January 24, 2018

USA Today reports that human rights groups are countering claims by UN officials that the number of sex-abuse allegations against UN peacekeepers in the Central African Republic (CAR) is falling and are calling for the UN to establish an independent tribunal to evaluate such abuse claims.
UN Agencies Fight Health Effects of Global Warming

January 19, 2018

The UN Environment Programme and the World Health Organization have launched a partnership for combating "environmental health risks," including health threats from climate change and "food and nutrition issues."
UNESCO Renews Guide Pushing for Sexuality Education

January 18, 2018

The UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recently updated its International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education to renew its push for countries to implement "quality comprehensive sexuality education," including for children as young as five years old, as part of the global human rights and health agenda.
UNESCO: Tech Development Must Respect Rights Agenda

January 18, 2018

At a December session in Geneva hosted by the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), UNESCO representatives and other commentators called for a broad infusion of the global human rights agenda in the development of "big data and artificial intelligence" technologies.
US Withholds $65 Million from UNRWA

January 17, 2018

Fox News reports that the US government has announced that it is withholding $65 million of its planned $125 million funding from the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), charged with supporting institutions for Palestinian refugees, as it presses for reform in UNRWA operations.
UN Agents Warn of Rights Impacts of Kenyan Climate Project

January 17, 2018

A press release from a group of UN human rights mandate holders signals the complexity of the interplay between climate and human rights issues by warning EU institutions that their failure to conduct a "human rights impact assessment" in funding a "Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation" project in Kenya may have resulted in human rights abuses.
Schaefer: US Must Follow Through on UN Funding Threats

January 17, 2018

Brett Schaefer of the Heritage Foundation writes that, in the wake of the UN General Assembly vote criticizing US policy on Jerusalem, the US must follow through with its funding threats to discourage future UN votes against US support of Israel, including by cutting the funding of the UN Relief and Works Agency, charged with financing Palestinian institutions and development.
UN Programs Leverage "Big Data" for SDGs

January 16, 2018

An article from Priyankar Bhunia of OpenGov highlights a series of UN initiatives on the collection and use of "big data" in countries around the world to support the international organization's fulfillment of the comprehensive social and environmental objectives contained in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).