The recent agreement between the United Nations and Türkiye to enable the export of grain from Ukraine is a hopeful sign of more active mediation by countries to mitigate the raging conflict in that country. But this step, while important, is not enough to mask the inability of the UN and other global players to …
WARSAW, Poland — Olena’s journey begins in the smoldering shadow of the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, Ukraine, but whether her escape to safety will end in a suburb of Warsaw, Poland, or thousands of miles away in Dublin, Ireland, remains unknown and reflects the unsettling nature of life as a war refugee. Olena’s only …
Myanmar’s military junta has extended its state of emergency by six months, a year and a half after it overthrew the democratically elected government in a February 2021 coup. The ruling was announced on Aug. 1, the same day that Zhang Jun, China’s permanent representative to the United Nations, presented his country’s program of work …
As Security Council president in August, China wants to keep the UN body “cool” — literally and figuratively — by navigating the fine line of staying close to Russia while not souring relations too much with the West; discussing global “security” without mentioning any of China’s own human-rights problems and contested territorial claims; and championing …
In the never-ending struggle to reform the use of the veto in the United Nations Security Council, a new initiative may prove to be relatively successful in the quest by a range of countries to change the veto step by step. This modest but potentially significant act of reform is called the “veto initiative,” and …
LAGOS, Nigeria — The United Nations verified the abduction of 4,278 children in 21 countries last year in its recent annual report on children and armed conflict, but it failed to acknowledge widespread kidnappings throughout northwest and north-central Nigeria that were recorded by one of its own agencies in 2021. Almost a quarter of abductions …
This week, we focus on the deadly attacks against the UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and assaults in Yemen, leading to deaths of children. You are reading This Week @UN, summarizing the most pressing issues before the organization. The information is gathered from UN press briefings, PassBlue reporting and other …
The war in Ukraine has caused severe disruptions to regional and global security, including raising concerns about the potential use of unconventional weapons. Not least of these concerns is the dangerous Russian disinformation campaign alleging biological weapons development in Ukraine, which has led to fears that Russia itself may use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine …
A new agreement between Russia and the United Nations to specifically propel Russia’s food products and fertilizers back into commercial markets was signed in Istanbul last week. It comes with big ambitions for a country waging war and an international body dedicated to peacemaking: helping to achieve the “zero-hunger” Sustainable Development Goal, ensuring “unimpeded access” …
This week, we focus on the signing of the UN-Turkish led grain deal as well as the Nelson Mandela memorial event, where the Duke and Duchess of Sussex made a big statement with their appearance and his speech. You are reading This Week @UN, summarizing the most pressing issues before the organization. The information is …
Russia’s war on Ukraine is not only increasing the cost of delivering aid to the world’s most vulnerable people, but European donors’ and American interests in the war are also reducing the ability of those countries to fund global development agencies that are facing food and fuel price hikes. The upheaval from the war and …
LONDON — A new United Nations high commissioner for human rights needs to be found, appointed by the General Assembly and be ready to begin work on Sept. 1. Anyone who meets the criteria set out in the UN’s official job description can apply for this role — the deadline is July 27. The recruitment …
When Kimba Abdou went to a local store a year ago to buy a 100-kilogram bag of millet, a staple grain for Nigeriens, he parted with 20,000 West African francs, known as CFA, or about $31. The last time he checked, the price had gone up by more than 50 percent — with a bag …
This week, we focus on the rising number of armed children in conflicts in Africa’s Sahel region and how fake news, misinformation and disinformation are hurting peacekeeping worldwide. You are reading This Week @UN, summarizing the most pressing issues before the organization. The information is gathered from UN press briefings, PassBlue reporting and other sources. …
Amid mounting reports of Ukrainian children being forcibly deported to Russia during Moscow’s brutal war against the country and its culture, savvy Ukrainian technocrats are launching a tool to fight back in cyberspace. An interactive public website will soon go live to assist expert search teams that are tracking missing children, according to President Volodymyr …
With the world facing an unprecedented food crisis, the smallest of the three Rome-based agencies of the United Nations — the International Fund for Agricultural Development — has a new president. Álvaro Lario, its chief financial officer and a Spaniard, was elected as the agency’s seventh president on July 7, starting Oct. 1 for a …
LAGOS, Nigeria — Mauot Louis and his family ran out of their home in Sudan one day in the early 1990s, leaving their puppy behind. They were forced out by Nuer fighters, rebels from the second-largest ethnic group in South Sudan, who were angry with the control of John Garang, the leader of the rebellion …
This week, we focus on the continual attacks on UN peacekeepers in Mali, which further stall efforts to restore peace in the West African country. You are reading This Week @UN, summarizing the most pressing issues before the organization. The information is gathered from UN press briefings, PassBlue reporting and other sources. This week, we …
Brazil will try to push for a softening of global sanctions on Russia to free up essential food supplies and ease access to fertilizers internationally. Ambassador Ronaldo Costa, the country’s permanent representative to the United Nations, hinted at such action in an exclusive interview with PassBlue. Costa said that conversations in the Security Council over …
OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso — As the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) announced a lifting of sanctions against the Malian military junta on Sunday, the news may be especially welcome to the nearly two and a half thousand West African peacekeepers who remain in limbo as a result of the regional tensions. Since February, …
This week, we focus on the progress in discussions about elections in Libya and the drastic call for help in Afghanistan after the recent earthquake. You are reading This Week @UN, summarizing the most pressing issues before the organization. The information is gathered from UN press briefings, PassBlue reporting and other sources. This week, we …
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