United Nations

UN Sponsors Human Rights Education Conference

January 03, 2018

The UN recently sponsored an International Conference on Human Rights Education at Concordia University in Montreal to encourage schools around the world to teach young people the international organization's broad human rights agenda.
UN Agent Praises Canada's "Rights-Based" Housing Plan

January 03, 2018

UN Special Rapporteur on the right to housing Leilani Farha recently lauded Canada's decision to adopt a "national housing strategy" as the government's acknowledgment, in line with the global economic, social, and cultural rights agenda, that housing is a human right, though she criticized the government for failing to commit to ending homelessness by the year 2030.
Schaefer: US Must Force Broad Reforms on UNHRC

January 02, 2018

Brett Schaefer of the Heritage Foundation argues that, if the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) refuses to adopt US demands for stricter membership criteria and a reduction in the disproportionate number of resolutions on Israel by the end of 2018, the US could easily justify a decision to leave the body.
UN Rights Chief Opposes El Salvador Abortion Ban

January 02, 2018

As part of his review at the conclusion of his visit to El Salvador, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein called on the country's government to adopt a "moratorium" on the enforcement of its abortion ban, characterizing the prosecution of women for receiving abortions as a violation of the global human rights agenda.
UN Summit Produces Range of New Climate Pledges

December 29, 2017

A UN press release surveys a broad range of commitments to combating global warming - including through a new "global coal alliance" and a deal on biofuel targets - agreed by national governments around the world, along with US state and local governments, at the recent UN climate summit in Bonn, Germany.
UN Advances Climate-based Global Ocean Governance

December 29, 2017

As part of efforts by various UN agencies to ramp up global governance of the world's oceans, UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission is celebrating the launch of an Ocean Pathway Partnership at the recent UN climate summit in Bonn, Germany, with the aim of "identifying and implementing effective ocean-based solutions to climate change."
UN Climate Talks Yield "Gender Action Plan"

December 29, 2017

Highlighting the comprehensive scope of UN-organized negotiations over combating climate change, UN Women has touted the adoption by various governments at the recent UN climate summit in Bonn, Germany, of a "Gender Action Plan" that serves as a "roadmap to incorporate gender equality and women’s empowerment in climate change discourse and actions."
UN Agency Launches Global Forest Mechanism

December 28, 2017

At the recent UN climate summit in Bonn, Germany, the UN Development Programme announced that launch of a Global Platform for the New York Declaration on Forests to provide a "central coordination mechanism" and work with nongovernmental organizations to speed up government action to halt all deforestation by the year 2030.
Report Indicates UNHCR Consults Assad Regime on Aleppo Aid

December 28, 2017

Emma Beals cites evidence indicating that the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is accepting direction from the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad in rebuilding the ravaged city of Aleppo, where international organizations have pointed to a long train of humanitarian law violations by the Assad regime during the long-running Syrian civil war.
President of UN Talks Pushes Climate Rights Agenda

December 28, 2017

An article from Human Rights Watch lauds the announcement by Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama during the recent UN climate summit in Bonn, Germany, that his government would be pushing for the integration of the global human rights agenda in climate action plans as it presided over UN climate negotiations through 2018.