United Nations

UNESCO Initiative Promotes Policies on “Positive Masculinities”

March 06, 2019

A UNESCO-convened group representing Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean recently approved an Interregional Roadmap for the UNESCO Global Initiative on Masculinities, with the ultimate goal of producing global recommendations for public policy promoting “positive masculinities” to achieve gender equality.
Mchangama: UN Chief Is Misguided on “Hate Speech” Plan

March 05, 2019

Jacob Mchangama of the think tank Justitia warns that the UN Secretary-General’s preparations for a “global plan of action” on countering hate speech could encourage a vigorous suppression of political speech by authoritarian and other governments and lead to a “less safe, tolerant, and free” world.
Israel Criticizes UN Report on Palestinian Deaths

March 05, 2019

Ben Evansky reports that the Israeli government has criticized as biased and a waste of resources a report from a UN Independent Commission of Inquiry calling for investigations by international justice mechanisms into alleged “war crimes” committed by Israeli forces against Palestinian demonstrators in 2018.
UN Conference Seeks to Combine Climate, SDG Agendas

March 05, 2019

The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs will host a conference in Copenhagen to determine how best to align action to achieve the UN’s comprehensive social and environmental program set out in its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the UN’s Paris climate deal to prevent the worst impacts of global warming.
Swiss UN Resolution Seeks Global Governance of Geoengineering

March 04, 2019

The website Climate Home News reports that the Swiss government plans to introduce a resolution at the UN Environment Assembly in March seeking global governance of geoengineering techniques aimed at reducing the negative impacts of climate change.
UN Chief Urges Lawmakers to Bolster SDG Effort

March 04, 2019

In remarks to lawmakers from the Inter-Parliamentary Union, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for legislative action across the globe to achieve the UN’s comprehensive social and environmental targets contained in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
UNESCO SDG Steering Committee Pushes for Education Targets

March 04, 2019

The UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recently showcased its promotion of targets in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on education with a meeting of its SDG-E2030 Regional Steering Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean to bolster regional cooperation on “equity and inclusion” in education systems.
UNFCCC Contributes to Caribbean Climate “Hub”

March 04, 2019

The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has partnered on launching a Caribbean Measurement, Reporting and Verification Hub to push governments in the region to share information about their efforts to comply with their pledges under the UN’s Paris climate accord.
Denmark, Australia Criticize UNHRC on Anti-Israel Agenda

March 01, 2019

The Jerusalem Post reports that diplomats of Denmark and Australia recently called on the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to eliminate the body’s standing agenda item through which it issues an annual condemnation of alleged Israeli human rights violations, warning the item “undermines the credibility of this council.”
Gennarini: UN Development Reforms Reduce Government Oversight

March 01, 2019

Stefano Gennarini of the Center for Family & Human Rights reports that reforms to the UN development system put in place by UN Secretary-General António Guterres include an increase in the authority of local UN agents to implement policies without consulting national governments of their host states.