United Nations

Schaefer: African Withdrawals Could Shake ICC

October 27, 2016

Brett Schaefer of the Heritage Foundation writes that a broad "exit movement" of African countries from the International Criminal Court, a few of which have occurred in response to perceived ICC bias in favor of prosecuting people from African countries, could significantly hamper the functioning of the international judicial body.
African Countries Withdraw from ICC

October 26, 2016

AP reports that Burundi, South Africa, and Gambia have announced their intention to withdraw from the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, asserting that they oppose the ICC's acceptance of regime change as a consequence of its prosecutions and alleging that the body has been discriminatory in only pursuing prosecutions in African countries.
UN Group Condemns Racism in Canadian Justice System

October 26, 2016

Following its official visit to Canada, the UN Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent called for the country's government to implement an "African Canadian justice strategy" to end "racial profiling" and systemic racism in the Canadian law enforcement and justice system.
Commission Seeks Tens of Trillions in Climate Spending

October 26, 2016

The IPS News Agency reports that a publication from the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate, a committee comprising former heads of state and finance ministers, calls on countries to produce at least $90 trillion in "green" infrastructure spending around the world to fulfill the goals of the UN's social and environmental agenda in the next fifteen years.
Israel Suspends UNESCO Cooperation

October 25, 2016

The Times of Israel reports that, following cross-party criticism of a resolution adopted by the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization ignoring Jewish ties to holy areas of Jerusalem and calling Israel an "occupying power," Israeli officials have announced that the government will suspend all cooperation with the international organization.
UN Agents Seek Link Between Human Rights, Urban Agendas

October 25, 2016

Prior to the UN's "Habitat III" Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development in Ecuador, a group of UN human rights mandate holders issued a statement calling on conference participants to integrate the UN's agenda on the promotion of economic, social, and cultural rights into their plans for "sustainable" urban development.
UN Agency Warns of Climate Impacts on Farming

October 24, 2016

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization has published a report calling for policymakers around the world to provide for the "rapid transformation" of agricultural systems to reduce poverty while combating the catastrophic effects of global warming.
French Companies Sign Global Disability Charter

October 24, 2016

The UN's International Labour Organization has announced that two major French companies, Engie and Société Générale, have joined its Global Business & Disability Network by pledging to adhere to a set of global principles on equal treatment of and preventing discrimination against persons with disabilities.
Governments Tighten Global Controls on Greenhouse Gases

October 20, 2016

Government officials meeting in Kigali, Rwanda, have agreed to amend the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer to tighten restrictions on hydrofluorocarbons, greenhouse gas emissions produced by chemicals in air conditioners and refrigerators, with "developed" countries responsible for much of the early reduction.
Schaefer: UNESCO Rewrites Israel's History

October 20, 2016

Brett Schaefer of the Heritage Foundation writes that the US should suspend its cooperation with the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization in response to a recently adopted UNESCO resolution referring to Israel as an "occupying power" and ignoring historical Jewish ties to the Temple Mount and the Western Wall in Jerusalem.