United Nations

Observers Condemn Brazilian Report on UN Influence

August 14, 2017

A group of UN human rights mandate holders has condemned a report from the Brazilian Congress accusing the UN of catering to social and environmental activist groups by intruding in policy debates in the country, criticizing the Congress for failing to uphold international human rights obligations to strengthen the protection of indigenous peoples in its territory.
UN Agency Seeks AI Contribution to Social Agenda

August 14, 2017

The UN's International Telecommunication Union (ITU) convened representatives of governments, businesses, UN agencies, and nongovernmental organizations in June at an "AI for Good Global Summit" to discuss governance of artificial intelligence (AI) and how AI technology can help fulfill UN goals on "poverty, hunger, health, education," and the environment.
UN Agency Warns of Drop in Education Funding

August 14, 2017

The Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Irina Bokova has warned that indications from the agency's Global Education Monitoring Report that aid to education is declining could mean a global failure to fulfill the UN's education targets under its comprehensive Sustainable Development Goals.
UNESCO Promotes Teacher Training on "Sustainability" in Asia

August 14, 2017

In June, the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) gathered representatives from 10 universities in Southeast Asia for a workshop on promoting UNESCO's "Education for Sustainable Development" agenda in teacher training programs throughout the region.
UN Agencies Seek Universal "Sexuality Education"

August 14, 2017

A group of UN agencies has launched a joint report on adolescent health calling on all countries to implement "comprehensive sexuality education," including lessons on "promotion of gender equality and respect for human rights," in their national education curricula to ensure protection of "sexual and reproductive health" rights, widely interpreted to include abortion.
California, China Sign Climate Technology Deal

August 14, 2017

Reuters reports that the governments of California and China have responded to US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw the US from the UN's Paris climate deal by bypassing US federal authorities in establishing a California-China Clean Technology Partnership to explore carbon emissions trading and green energy development.
World Bank Prioritizes Climate Commitments

August 14, 2017

In the wake of US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw the US from the UN's Paris climate change deal, the World Bank Group issued a statement insisting on its continuing prioritization of the UN's climate agenda and asserting its goal of making its portfolio 28 percent climate-related by the year 2020.
World Bank Calls for "Greening" of Africa's Cities

August 14, 2017

In June, the World Bank released a report calling for a "comprehensive green urban development strategy" to ensure that the growth of Africa's cities complies with the UN agendas on "sustainability" and "climate resilience."
UN Agent Weighs in on Medication in Mental Health Policy

August 14, 2017

In a June report, UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health Dainius Pūras called on governments across the globe to move toward a "rights-based approach" to mental health, warning of power imbalances in the health sector that lead to "paternalistic and excessively medicalized concepts" and result in overuse of medication and violation of rights.
Essays Seek Canadian Implementation of UN Indigenous Declaration

August 11, 2017

The Centre for International Governance Innovation has published a collection of essays on how the Canadian government should use the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as a mechanism through which it can "braid together" international, national, and Indigenous laws to uphold the global human rights agenda in its relationship with the Indigenous community.