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UN Group Calls on Belgium to Produce Action Plan on Racism
February 13, 2019
Warning of “endemic” racism in the country’s institutions, the UN Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent has called on the Belgian government to adopt a “comprehensive national action plan against racism” and to revise its textbooks to ensure they “accurately reflect historical facts” regarding Belgium’s colonial history.
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UN Observer Confirms Premeditated Nature of Khashoggi Killing
February 08, 2019
Al Jazeera reports that UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions Agnes Callamard, who is leading an international investigation of the murder of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, has determined Saudi officials perpetrated the “premeditated” killing and then undermined Turkey’s investigation of the murder.
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Schaefer Calls for Changes in UN Budget Contributions
February 07, 2019
Brett Schaefer of the Heritage Foundation explains how optimism regarding a planned UN budget cut for the period of 2018 to 2019 was unfounded, as the international organization has raised the budget over previous levels with a mid-point adjustment during the current cycle, and argues the US’s proportional contribution to the UN budget should be lowered.
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UN Observer Demands End to Sanctions Against Venezuela
February 06, 2019
UN Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of sanctions Idriss Jazairy has criticized sanctions imposed by the US against Venezuela’s national oil company as a violation of international human rights law that will “compound the grave crisis affecting the Venezuelan economy.”
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UNCTAD Warns of Potential Impacts of US-China Tariffs
February 06, 2019
The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has waded into the trade dispute between the US and China, warning the imposition of tariffs would not be beneficial to the domestic producers of either country.