United Nations

UN Report Pushes Link Between Human Rights, Global Warming

January 06, 2016

The efforts by UN agencies and human-rights activists to use the economic, social, and cultural human rights agenda as a vehicle to advance policies countering climate change has culminated in a "comprehensive study" from the UN Environment Programme that calls for world leaders to explicitly recognize human-rights concerns in climate-related legislation and policy.
UN, NGO Produce Guide on "Green Bonds"

January 05, 2016

The UN Environment Programme and the nonprofit Climate Bonds Initiative have released a report guiding countries with "emerging economies" to establish markets in the public sector for "green bonds" that fund projects furthering the UN's sustainable development and climate-change agendas.
Germany Will Set out Climate Action Plan for 2050

January 05, 2016

In line with its commitments at the recent UN climate deal reached in Paris, the German Government has indicated that by mid-2016 it will release a "climate action plan" that will detail how the country plans to reach zero fossil-fuel emissions by the year 2050.
Academic Seeks World Progress on Climate-Refugee Regime

January 05, 2016

Expressing concern over the failure of governments and activists to gain traction at UN fora in establishing legal status for "refugees" fleeing the effects of climate change, Professor Alexander Betts of the University of Oxford calls for world leaders to "update and reform the global refugee regime" to include those affected by global warming.
World Bank Uses Paris Deal to Expand "Climate Finance"

January 04, 2016

The World Bank Group is seeking to capitalize on the adoption of a UN deal on countering climate change recently agreed in Paris to expand its work and funding in countries for development projects that reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and by developing a "Climate Change Action Plan" that will mainstream climate considerations in the Bank's operations.
World Bank Calls on Poland to Increase Wealth Redistribution

January 04, 2016

The World Bank has published an article calling on the Polish Government, "for social and economic reasons," to expand cash redistribution programs and to increase monetary benefits to the poor population in the country.
US State Department Seeks "Re-funding" of UNESCO

January 04, 2016

According to The Washington Free Beacon, the US State Department is seeking Senate support for a measure permitting the US once again to fund the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization ("UNESCO") after the Obama Administration was legally required to de-fund UNESCO in 2011 due to the organization's admission of Palestine as a member.
Slaughter: Climate Deal Signals New Approach to Global Governance

December 30, 2015

Author and former president of the American Society of International Law Anne-Marie Slaughter writes that the approach of the UN climate pact agreed in Paris, involving non-binding national commitments and a "conglomeration" of stakeholders, is part of a 21st-century strategy for implementing global governance.
UN Official Warns EU on Impending Tobacco Reforms

December 30, 2015

POLITICO reports that the head of the UN World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control secretariat Vera Da Costa e Silva has posted a letter to EU officials warning them that working too closely with representatives of tobacco companies in developing anti-cigarette smuggling rules would violate the bloc's international commitments.
US Member of Congress: Disband or Reform UNHRC

December 30, 2015

US Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen has called for President Barack Obama to call for either a fundamental reform or the disbandment of the UN Human Rights Council ("UNHRC"), which she asserts makes no meaningful contribution to the protection of fundamental human rights and instead merely singles out Israel for alleged rights abuses.