United Nations

China Appointed to Influential UN Human Rights Council Panel

May 20, 2020

China, which has a known history of abusing human rights, has been appointed a seat on the Consultative Group of the United Nations Human Rights Council, which is the panel that oversees candidate recommendations for UN human rights experts.
WHO Adopts Resolution Calling for Evaluation of COVID-19 Response

May 20, 2020

In a Resolution adopted on May 18, the World Health Organization ("WHO") agreed (OP 9.10) to engage in a "process of impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation" of its coordination of the international health response to COVID-19.
Trump Administration Threatens Permanent Freeze on WHO Funding

May 20, 2020

In a May 18 letter, President Donald Trump informed the World Health Organization ("WHO") that, absent major reforms within 30 days, the United States would permanently freeze WHO funding.
UN/OSCE/OAS Publish Joint Declaration on Freedom of Expression and Elections in a Digital Age

May 01, 2020

The United Nations ("UN") Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe ("OSCE") Representative on Freedom of the Media, and the Organization of American States ("OAS") Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression have published a Joint Declaration on Freedom of Expression and Elections in a Digital Age
Bloomberg: UN Urges $1 Trillion Debt Pardon for Developing Economies

April 28, 2020

According to the United Nations, a global authority should be created to help implement $1 trillion in debt cancellation for developing countries to free up funds to fight the coronavirus pandemic and avert a massive debt crisis.
U.N. Backs Down on Partnership With Chinese Firm for 75th Anniversary

April 22, 2020

The United Nations has backtracked on a pact with the Chinese telecommunications giant Tencent Holdings to provide videoconferencing and text services for the international organization’s 75th anniversary.
Gilsinan: What’s Wrong With the World Health Organization

April 15, 2020

Writing in The Atlantic, Kathy Gilsinan explains how China deceived the World Health Organization with respect to the COVID-19 outbreak and fallout.
Trump Orders Suspension of WHO Funding

April 15, 2020

President Donald Trump has ordered a suspension of payments to the World Health Organization, accusing the WHO of failing to do enough to stop the COVID-19 virus from spreading when it first surfaced in China.
UN Launches Panel to Tackle Illicit Finance

March 18, 2020

In order to ensure the goals and targets set out in the Sustainable Development Goals are achieved, the United Nations has launched the High-Level Panel on Financial Accountability, Transparency and Integrity ("FACTI") to address corporate tax abuse and other illicit financial flows.
Runde: Trump Administration Wins Big with WIPO Election

March 16, 2020

According to Daniel Runde writing in The Hill, working with other countries and interested business and intellectual property ("IP") protection advocates, the Trump Administration played a leading role in securing the election of Singapore's Daren Tang as the new Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization ("WIPO"), preventing the election of a candidate from China, whose IP practices experts believe contravene international standards.