United Nations

UNHRC to Examine Racism and Police Brutality in U.S.

June 17, 2020

At the urging of Burkina Faso and all 54 African nations, in light of a series of deaths of black individuals at the hands of police, the United Nations Human Rights Council will debate conditions of racism in U.S. law enforcement.
UN Human Rights Chief Demands U.S. Address "Deep-seated Grievances"

June 07, 2020

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, has called on U.S. leaders to address the racial injustice grievances at heart of the protests that have erupted in hundreds of American cities.
China's Resistance to Share COVID-19 Data Kept WHO in Dark

June 03, 2020

Politico : An Associated Press study reveals that tight controls on information and competition within the Chinese public health system impeded the flow of COVID-19 data to the World Health Organization ("WHO"), which believed defending China's response would improve the flow of data.
UN Official Celebrates Costa Rica Same-Sex Marriage Outcome

June 01, 2020

Michelle Bachelet, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and former President of Chile, has congratulated Costa Rica on its implementation of same-sex marriage legislation dictated by a controversial 2018 decision of the Supreme Court of Costa Rica.
Babones: WHO’s China Ties Responsible for Disastrous Coronavirus Response

June 01, 2020

In a Foreign Policy commentary, Salvatore Babones, an adjunct scholar at the Centre for Independent Studies in Sydney, details the ways in which the World Health Organization’s close relationship with China resulted in an ineffective response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Trump Terminates U.S. Relationship with WHO

May 30, 2020

President Trump has announced that the U.S., which is the largest single contributor to the World Health Organization (“WHO”), is terminating relations with the organization, asserting that the WHO has "failed in its basic duty" in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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