United Nations

UN Whistleblower Policy Revisions Face Criticism

January 17, 2017

George Russell writes that a whistleblower policy revision under consideration by new UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres may give fodder to US politicians who wish to defund the international organization by providing the strongest whistleblower protections only to claims that are in the "public interest," a standard that critics say is highly subjective.
UN Agent: Puerto Rican Debt Deal Must Respect Rights

January 17, 2017

In a statement on Puerto Rico's debt crisis, the UN Independent Expert on foreign debt and human rights, Juan Pablo Bohoslavsky, called for the US to ensure losses are "fairly distributed" among creditors so as not to force the country's government to adopt "austerity" measures that violate its citizens' economic, social, and cultural human rights.
Report Points to Anti-Israel Textbooks at UN-funded Schools

January 17, 2017

Perry Chiaramonte writes that a report from the Center for Near East Policy Research asserts that Palestinian schools operated by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) use textbooks that deny the legitimacy of Israel and links of the Jewish people to holy sites in Jerusalem.
World Bank Funds Sri Lankan "Social Safety Nets"

January 16, 2017

The World Bank has signaled its continued emphasis on supporting government redistribution of wealth in countries around the world by announcing its $75 million financing of a "social safety nets" project in Sri Lanka.
World Bank Loan to Turkey Focuses on "Sustainability"

January 13, 2017

The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors has approved a loan of $132.7 million to Turkey to fund a "Sustainable Cities Project," which seeks to advance the "economic, financial, environmental, and social sustainability of Turkish cities."
Abrams: White House Abandons Israel at UN

January 13, 2017

Elliott Abrams of the Council on Foreign Relations writes that the Obama Administration discontinued the longstanding US defense of Israel in the UN Security Council by failing to veto a resolution that bypasses direct Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations and ignores how Israeli concessions on West Bank settlements have not advanced the peace process.
UN Fails to Delve into Peacekeepers' Pasts

January 13, 2017

The Washington Post reports that, amid recent revelations of sexual violence committed by UN peacekeepers in Africa, the UN has found that delegating background checks on its forces in the Central African Republic to repressive regimes on the continent has led to the inclusion of officers with violent pasts in the ranks of UN peacekeepers.
New UN Chief Commits to SDG Agenda

January 11, 2017

In a recent article, the new Secretary-General of the UN Antonio Guterres commits to prioritizing the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, a comprehensive program of global social and environmental targets for the year 2030.
UN Establishes Panel on Syrian War Crimes

January 05, 2017

The UN General Assembly has voted to establish an "International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism" to gather evidence on war crimes committed in the Syrian Civil War for later referral to national and international tribunals for prosecution of alleged offenders.
UN Meeting Explores Governance of Marine Ecosystems

January 05, 2017

The recent meeting of UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission considered how the global governance of transboundary "Large Marine Ecosystems" can help advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which seek to "end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all by the year 2030."