United Nations

US Permits UN Vote on Israeli Settlements

December 23, 2016

Aided by the abstention of the Obama Administration, the UN Security Council has passed a resolution calling on Israel to "immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory" and calling such settlements a "flagrant violation" of international law.
UN Chief: Targeting of Israel Has "Foiled" UN Priorities

December 21, 2016

The Independent reports that, in recent remarks to the UN Security Council, outgoing UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stated that the "disproportionate" number of resolutions, committees, and reports targeting Israel for alleged misconduct and rights violations has "foiled the ability of the UN to fulfill its role effectively."
UN Rights Chief Warns Against Israeli Settlement Bill

December 21, 2016

Referring to Israeli settlements as "the principal cause of a wide range of human rights violations inside the occupied West Bank," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein has warned that Israeli legislation under consideration in the legislature that would retroactively legalize such settlements is contrary to international law.
Academic: Reduce Discretion in Global Refugee System

December 21, 2016

In a paper following up on the UN General Assembly’s High-Level Meeting on Refugees and Migrants in September, Professor James Milner of Carleton University calls for governments to replace the current "discretionary" system of resettling refugees with a more "predictable" and "equitable" system that would require countries to share refugee responsibilities.
WHO Advances Campaign on "Universal Health Coverage"

December 20, 2016

As part of its campaign pressuring governments to provide "universal health coverage," and in line with health pledges set under the UN's comprehensive Sustainable Development Goals, the UN's World Health Organization has launched a global data portal through which it will provide information on access to healthcare.
UNESCO Releases Military Manual on "Cultural Objects"

December 20, 2016

A recent high-level panel hosted by the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) resulted in the launch of a Military Manual on Protection of Cultural Property, containing global standards for armed forces "on identifying, moving and preserving cultural objects during military operations."
UN Agency Issues Call to "Formalize" Domestic Labor

December 19, 2016

The UN's International Labour Organization has published a report pushing governments to "formalize" domestic labor to ease its regulation through such measures as developing standard contracts, "professionalizing" the sector with training and certification procedures, and ensuring the access of domestic workers to social benefits.
UNESCO Seeks Comments on Climate Ethics Report

December 19, 2016

The UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is calling for governments to comment on a draft document developed at an "experts" meeting in Rabat, Morocco, containing a "non-binding declaration on ethical principles in relation to climate change" for use in the UN's continuing efforts to implement its agenda on global warming.
UNESCO Releases Global Encryption Guidelines

December 19, 2016

The UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has commissioned a report containing recommendations for governments and other stakeholders on "best practices" in their implementation of the global human rights agenda in online encryption policies.
UN Agent Warns Croatia on Health, Abortion Rights

December 16, 2016

The UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health, Dainius Pūras, has warned the Croatian government not to "slide back" on its protection of the universal "right to health" in the country and criticized "retrogressive measures preventing access to safe abortion."