United Nations

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.
US Notifies UN of Withdrawal from Climate Deal

August 09, 2017

UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed "major disappointment" regarding the future of efforts to combat climate change and "promote global security" as the US delegation to the UN officially notified him of the country's intention to withdraw from the UN's 2015 Paris climate deal "as soon as it is eligible to do so” in 2019.
UN Atomic Agency Touts Role in SDG Progress

August 09, 2017

Showing the universal focus by the UN system on the global body's "sustainable development" agenda, the International Atomic Energy Agency devoted a significant portion of a recent conference in Vienna to describing how its promotion of nuclear energy contributes to the UN's environmental and social targets set out in the Sustainable Development Goals.
ILO Seeks "Social Justice" in "Occupied" Palestine

August 09, 2017

The UN's International Labour Organization (ILO) has published a report warning that restrictions imposed by Israel on its "occupied" territories in the West Bank are reducing the possibility of "decent work" in the area and calling for "social justice" to be a major portion of the Israel-Palestine peace effort.