United Nations

UN Chief: "Now Is the Time" for a Palestinian State

August 11, 2017

Marking 50 years since the start of the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, UN Secretary-General António Guterres weighed in on his desired outcome for negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis by calling for the immediate creation of a Palestinian state.
US Entities Bind Themselves to UN Climate Goals

August 10, 2017

Reuters reports that former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has submitted a statement on behalf of "over 1,000 U.S. governors, mayors, businesses, universities and others" to the UN declaring their intention to pursue the greenhouse gas emissions goals of the Paris climate deal in the absence of US federal action and report their progress to UN agencies.
Gennarini: UN's Paris Deal Undermines Democracy

August 10, 2017

Stefano Gennarini of the Center for Family and Human Rights argues that the UN's Paris climate deal is an example of "bureaucracy run amuck to the point of undermining democratic rule and the people’s sovereignty."
Haley: Dictators Use UNHRC to "Whitewash Brutality"

August 10, 2017

In June, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley published an op-ed in which she calls on the UN to "reclaim the legitimacy" of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), which she indicates has become merely a "showcase for dictatorships that use their membership to whitewash brutality," in part by introducing competitive voting in the body.
Bolton: UN Climate Deal Ramps up Global Governance

August 10, 2017

In an interview published in June, former US Ambassador to the UN John Bolton explains the global governance ambition and corresponding "reduction of national sovereignty" involved in the "voluntary" Paris climate accord, welcoming the prospective decision of the White House to remove the US from the agreement.
Lawyer: Rights Obligations Underlie Climate Deal

August 10, 2017

Just prior to US President Donald Trump's move to withdraw the US from the UN's 2015 Paris climate deal, German lawyer and philosopher Felix Ekardt opined that, despite the nonbinding nature of the climate agreement, the President's move to withdraw would violate the country's human rights-based obligations to combat global warming.
Academic: UNSC Faces Risks in Focus on Human Rights

August 10, 2017

Professor Ingrid Wuerth of Vanderbilt Law School writes that proponents, such as UN Secretary-General António Guterres, of more involvement of the UN Security Council in global "human rights" initiatives must recognize the potential risk that such a rights focus could politicize the UNSC's work on peace and security.
UNESCO Hosts "Human Rights Education" Seminar

August 10, 2017

In May, the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) hosted a seminar in Geneva with representatives of governments, UN agencies, and nongovernmental organizations exploring how to advance UNESCO's agenda on including education on "human rights" and "global citizenship" in national curricula around the world.
UN Report Blames Palestinian "Suffering" on Israeli Restrictions

August 10, 2017

According to a UN press release, a report from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs places a substantial share of the blame for "Palestinian suffering in the occupied territory" on "Israeli constraints on movement and economics."
Report Calls for Launch of "UN Urban" Mechanism

August 09, 2017

Acknowledging the "limitations" in terms of funding and accountability of the UN's Human Settlements Program, a panel has called for the establishment of a replacement mechanism, "UN Urban," to coordinate the UN's global policies pushing urban development that contributes to its comprehensive Sustainable Development Goals.