United Nations

US Considers Withdrawing from UNHRC

March 01, 2017

Politico reports that, according to sources in contact with the US State Department, officials within the Trump Administration are considering withdrawing from the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) over the body's anti-Israel bias and its inclusion of regimes widely considered to be human rights violators.
UN Official Warns Against Withdrawal from Rights Treaties

March 01, 2017

At the opening of the current UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein warned that attempts by "reckless political profiteers" to withdraw their countries from "international or regional treaties and the institutions which uphold them" would threaten human rights around the world.
UN Official Seeks Language Learning for SDGs

March 01, 2017

In a statement marking "International Mother Language Day," the Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Irina Bokova linked the importance of "linguistic diversity" around the world with her agency's agenda on teaching students of all ages to contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
UN, EU Bodies Issue "Telework" Recommendations

March 01, 2017

The UN International Labour Organization and EU agency Eurofound have published a report containing global recommendations on access of employees to "telework," warning of increased stress due to mobile work and calling for the promotion of "part-time teleworking" to improve worker well-being.
UN Develops Tracking of SDG Progress in Cities

March 01, 2017

UN-Habitat recently held its first technical meeting in Naivasha, Kenya, on developing criteria to help the UN and global activists scrutinize the progress of cities around the world in implementing the UN's comprehensive Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
UNESCO Works Toward Global Internet Indicators

March 01, 2017

The UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is seeking proposals for candidates interested in developing a set of indicators on "Internet Universality" that will serve as global guidelines on how countries can implement the global human rights agenda through their internet policies.
UN Launches Tools for Monitoring SDG Progress

March 01, 2017

The UN Environment Programme has launched new tools as part of its Environment Live "knowledge platform" that enable users to track the impacts of global warming and scrutinize their governments' contributions to the fulfillment of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the year 2030.
UNEP, Argentina Develop "Sustainable Finance" Roadmap

February 28, 2017

In recent meetings with Argentinian officials, representatives of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) discussed the establishment of "a strategic roadmap on sustainable finance in Argentina" and how it would fit into UNEP's broader promotion of a global financial system based on the UN's "sustainable development" agenda.
World Bank Issues Rankings on "Sustainable" Energy

February 28, 2017

The World Bank has published a report entitled Regulatory Indicators for Sustainable Energy that ranks 111 countries on how well their renewable energy regulations and policies in a bid to pressure governments to do more to implement the UN's comprehensive Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
UN Rights Office Launches $253 Million Funding Appeal

February 27, 2017

Citing increased "xenophobia and calls for racial and religious discrimination," the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has launched a global appeal for $253 million in "extra-budgetary funds" to advance the global human rights agenda as well as the UN's comprehensive Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) around the world.