International Organizations

Governments Resist Reforms of UN Development System

February 13, 2018

Stefano Gennarini of the Center for Family & Human Rights reports on the resistance by some countries to UN Secretary-General António Guterres's plan providing for a "reinvigorated" system of UN "resident coordinators" in each country empowered to influence national policy priorities within the UN's framework on "sustainable development."
UN Agent Calls on US to Reverse National Monument Order

February 12, 2018

UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples Victoria Tauli-Corpuz has warned that US President Donald Trump's "outrageous" proclamation opening most of Bears Ears National Monument in Utah to natural-resources projects undermines international legal obligations to obtain the consent of indigenous peoples when implementing measures affecting them.
NGO: Guantanamo Bay Order Violates International Law

February 08, 2018

Amnesty International has published a report asserting that US President Donald Trump's executive order reversing plans to close the US detention facility in Guantanamo Bay and preparing for prisoner transfers to the facility violates US obligations under international human rights law.
HRW Criticizes Praise for China from UN, Governments

February 08, 2018

Sophie Richardson of Human Rights Watch criticizes international organizations like the UN Human Rights Council, Western governments, and businesses for engaging with, and even praising, the authoritarian, single-party regime of China without taking a principled stand on the country's broad lack of recognition of democratic values and individual rights.
ICRC Reviews Use of "Autonomous" Weapons Systems

February 08, 2018

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has published a paper reviewing the application of international humanitarian law to the use of so-called "autonomous" weapons systems and indicating some level of human control over the targeting and attacking process is necessary to comply with global rules of warfare.