United Nations

ECOSOC Overturns Committee's Rejection of Rights NGOs

May 31, 2018

AP reports that the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), under pressure from the US and Canadian governments, recently overturned the decision by the UN's NGO Committee to reject the accreditation of two organizations focused on the promotion of civil and political rights in North Korea and Iran.
UN Forum Pushes "Collective Rights" of Indigenous Peoples

May 31, 2018

At the annual meeting of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, speakers called for the employment of "collective rights" of indigenous peoples to protect their interests in the land, limit the impacts of climate change, and further the social and environmental goals of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
UN Launches Fund Aimed at Road-Safety Measures

May 31, 2018

The UN has launched a Road Safety Trust Fund to help achieve road-safety targets contained in the comprehensive UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on encouraging on a global basis a number of traffic-related policies including "improved behaviour of road users."
US Eyes Funding Cuts for UN Bodies over PA Membership

May 30, 2018

AFP reports that the Palestinian Authority's (PA) accession to membership in two UN agencies and a chemical weapons watchdog has prompted US officials to consider eliminating funding for these organizations in line with US legal restrictions on funding for international bodies that accept Palestine as a member.
PA Seeks to Halt US Vetoes of UNSC Actions

May 24, 2018

The Times of Israel reports that the Palestinian Authority (PA), citing the US's blocking of a proposed statement by the UN Security Council (UNSC) supporting "peaceful" protests by Palestinians in Gaza and calling for a UN investigation of Palestinian deaths, has called for the UNSC to adopt a "new formula" that would prevent the US from vetoing future resolutions.
UN, World Bank Launch Joint SDG Framework

May 23, 2018

The UN and World Bank Group have agreed to a Strategic Partnership Framework consolidating their commitments to achieving the UN's comprehensive social and environmental targets contained in its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including through financing for "sustainable development" and action against climate change.
NGO: UN Chief Ignores Chinese Rights Violations

May 23, 2018

Sophie Richardson of Human Rights Watch criticizes UN Secretary-General António Guterres for ignoring his mandate to advance human rights as he praised Chinese President Xi Jinping for his engagement with the UN system without mentioning the Chinese government's regular practices of arbitrary detention and torture or the absence of political rights in the country.
Schaefer: UN Disarmament Forum Must Exclude Syria

May 21, 2018

Brett Schaefer of the Heritage Foundation calls on the US government to shine a spotlight on how the UN Conference on Disarmament permits countries including Syria and North Korea to hold its rotating presidency in light of the commitment of these countries to the proliferation and, in some cases, the use of nuclear and chemical weapons.
UN Chief Praises China for Commitment to SDGs

May 18, 2018

During a recent visit to China, UN Secretary-General António Guterres praised Chinese President Xi Jinping for his commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and for his work toward a diplomatic solution to tensions on the Korean peninsula.
UN Official Criticizes Australian Refugee Processing

May 18, 2018

Indrika Ratwatte of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees recently criticized Australian officials for the "extremely detrimental impact," particularly involving mental health issues, their detention program for migrants bound for Australia and placed in external processing centers on various Pacific Islands had on asylum seekers in the region.