Human Rights

• November 12, 2021

PassBlue probes the global body granting licenses to mine the deep seas; UN staff detained in Ethiopia; global famine rises. You are reading This Week @UN, summarizing the most pressing issues facing the organization. The information is gathered from UN press briefings, PassBlue reporting and other sources. This week, Mexico’s president proposes a plan …

Africa, Asia, Climate Change, Human Rights, Humanitarian Aid, Middle East, Migration, Myanmar, Refugees, Secretary-General, Security Council, This Week @UN, US Foreign Relations, US-UN Relations

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WORLDVIEWS

Afghan Women Must Be Central to Decision-Making on Global Aid to the Country

Margot Wallström and Susana Malcorra

• November 4, 2021

The Taliban are back in power in Afghanistan, and the hard-won gains women have made in the country are at risk. The situation is dire for all Afghans. The country is on the brink of starvation, and in recognition of this urgent need, more than $1 billion has been pledged to provide humanitarian assistance …

Gender Violence, Human Rights, Terrorism, WORLDVIEWS

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TOPIC: WOMEN

Representing an African Revolutionary: French Lawyer Defends Thomas Sankara in Assassination Trial

Clair MacDougall

• October 25, 2021

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso — Anta Guissé has spent a large part of her 20-year career defending people accused of war crimes in countries like Rwanda, Cambodia and the Central African Republic before United Nations-backed international tribunals and the International Criminal Court. Now Guissé, a lawyer based in Paris, has switched to the prosecution in …

Africa, Human Rights, Women

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THIS WEEK @UN

Human Rights for Western Sahara?; a Cease-Fire Comes to Central African Republic; Weapons Spending Drives Gender Inequalities

Anna Bianca Roach

• October 22, 2021

The UN boss points to rising global military spending as a source of gendered violence; the UN’s tech envoy, mired in controversy, may be exiting; the Human Rights Council rolls out a multimillion-dollar project with the Philippines. You are reading This Week @UN, summarizing the most pressing issues facing the organization. The information is …

Africa, Asia, Gender Violence, General Assembly, Human Rights, ICC, Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Secretary-General, Security Council, This Week @UN, UN Agencies, UN Special Envoys, US-UN Relations

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US Senators Want Human-Rights Work Added to UN’s Western Sahara Mission

Maurizio Guerrero

• October 21, 2021

As abuses against Sahrawi activists and journalists mount in Western Sahara, 10 United States Republican and Democratic senators are urging the Biden administration to include a human-rights element in the work of the United Nations referendum mission in the disputed region, according to an Oct. 14 letter obtained by PassBlue. As the file holder …

Africa, Human Rights, Secretary-General, Security Council, US Foreign Relations, US-UN Relations

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Critics Wonder If a New $10 Million UN-Philippines Human-Rights Project Will Work

Anna Bianca Roach

• October 18, 2021

As the International Criminal Court begins an investigation into the thousands of extrajudicial killings committed by the Philippine government during its antidrug campaign, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights is partnering with the country on a three-year program to hold the government accountable for its behavior. On Oct. 7, …

Asia, Gender Violence, Human Rights, International Justice

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WORLDVIEWS

From the UN75 Declaration to ‘Our Common Agenda’: Perfecting a World Where No One Is Left Behind

Alya Ahmed Saif Al-Thani and Anna Karin Enestrom

• October 12, 2021

In February 2020, just weeks before New York City and much of the world went into lockdown in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, we and our fellow ambassadors at the United Nations began six months of negotiations, culminating in the adoption by all heads of state and government of the “Declaration on the commemoration …

Human Rights, Peace and Security, WORLDVIEWS

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WOMEN AS CHANGEMAKERS

An American Feminist, Honored by France, Carries On a Tireless Global Fight for Women’s Rights

Barbara Crossette

• October 6, 2021

Jessica Neuwirth, a pivotal force in promoting and supporting the rights of women and girls worldwide, was appointed to the rank of chevalier in the French Legion of Honor by the French government in a ceremony in New York City on Oct. 5. The citation said: “This high distinction expresses the gratitude of the …

Gender Violence, Human Rights, Women as Changemakers

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WORLDVIEWS

The UN Human Rights Council Dithers While the Earth Burns

Peter Splinter

• October 5, 2021

GENEVA — It is time for the United Nations Human Rights Council to take climate change much more seriously than it has been and to treat the issue with the urgency, deliberation and action that it demands. The Council has the tools to do so, and it should use them now. The recent Intergovernmental Panel …

Climate Change, Human Rights, WORLDVIEWS

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Venezuela’s Maduro Fires Up UNGA, While a Fight for Afghan Women’s Rights Has Big-Name Backing

Maurizio Guerrero

• September 22, 2021

The second day of world leaders’ speeches delivered at the United Nations General Assembly continued on Sept. 22, after the heavily reported appearance of United States President Joe Biden at the fabled rostrum in the Assembly Hall; a last-minute video presentation by China’s Xi Jinping; and a video by Iran’s new president, Ebrahim Raisi, …

Asia, Gender Violence, General Assembly, Human Rights, UNGA76, US-UN Relations

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TOPIC: WOMEN

The UN Urges the Somali Government to Stop a Surge in Sexual Assault Cases

Catherine Morrison

• September 15, 2021

For more than two decades, sexual violence against women in Somalia has become more pervasive as the country has been torn by civil conflict and state collapse. However, after an alarming 80 percent increase in the number of confirmed cases of sexual violence from 2019 to 2020, the United Nations is calling for urgent …

Africa, Gender Violence, Human Rights, Women

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THIS WEEK @UN

The UN Sticks to Afghanistan; Ireland Steers the Security Council; Preying on Mothers’ Fears

Anna Bianca Roach

• September 3, 2021

The UN’s priorities in Afghanistan for now; how certain multinational corporations feed on new-mothers’ fears amid Covid; Ireland’s envoy defends the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan. You are reading This Week @UN, summarizing the most pressing issues facing the organization. The information is gathered from UN press briefings, PassBlue reporting and other sources. …

Human Rights, Secretary-General, Security Council, This Week @UN, UN Agencies, US Foreign Relations, US-UN Relations

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SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENCY

How Tough Can Ireland Be on Protecting Afghan Women’s Rights?

Stéphanie Fillion

• September 1, 2021

The day after the Taliban took over Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital, Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason of Ireland spoke directly to Afghan women through her remarks in the United Nations Security Council, telling them: “Women of Afghanistan: we hear you and we hear your pleas to the international community at this dark time. The fear, indignation …

Human Rights, Security Council Presidency

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TOPIC: WOMEN

How Infant-Formula Makers Feed Off Fears of Covid

Lori Silberman Brauner

• August 31, 2021

As just about every expert agrees, breast milk beats formula on every score, from the health of the baby to out-of-pocket costs. But that hasn’t stopped formula makers from pushing their products, cutting deeply into breastfeeding rates around the world. Their current practices include using Covid-19 as a scare tactic: “Hey Mama, Now’s the …

Covid-19, Health and Population, Human Rights

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TOPIC: WOMEN

Iceland May Be the World’s Most Gender-Equal Society, but Covid Exposed Vital Gaps

Dulcie Leimbach

• August 26, 2021

REYKJAVIK — Iceland is reportedly one of the most gender-equal societies in the world, but during a visit to the country in July, it was not immediately obvious how this progress plays out in everyday life. The clearest sign came during trips to public pools throughout parts of the island. In the midafternoon, men …

Gender Violence, Human Rights, Women

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How much do you know about the UN's women, peace and security (WPS) agenda?

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WORLDVIEWS

UN Recognition of the Myanmar Junta Will Hurt the World Body’s Moral Credibility

Nang Moet Moet

TOPIC: WOMEN

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Human Rights

Further Souring of Ethiopian-UN Relations; Deep-Sea Mining Dangers; Polish-Belarusian Standoff

Afghan Women Must Be Central to Decision-Making on Global Aid to the Country

Representing an African Revolutionary: French Lawyer Defends Thomas Sankara in Assassination Trial

Human Rights for Western Sahara?; a Cease-Fire Comes to Central African Republic; Weapons Spending Drives Gender Inequalities

US Senators Want Human-Rights Work Added to UN’s Western Sahara Mission

Critics Wonder If a New $10 Million UN-Philippines Human-Rights Project Will Work

From the UN75 Declaration to ‘Our Common Agenda’: Perfecting a World Where No One Is Left Behind

An American Feminist, Honored by France, Carries On a Tireless Global Fight for Women’s Rights

The UN Human Rights Council Dithers While the Earth Burns

Venezuela’s Maduro Fires Up UNGA, While a Fight for Afghan Women’s Rights Has Big-Name Backing

The UN Urges the Somali Government to Stop a Surge in Sexual Assault Cases

The UN Sticks to Afghanistan; Ireland Steers the Security Council; Preying on Mothers’ Fears

How Tough Can Ireland Be on Protecting Afghan Women’s Rights?

How Infant-Formula Makers Feed Off Fears of Covid

Iceland May Be the World’s Most Gender-Equal Society, but Covid Exposed Vital Gaps

This Week's Most Popular

Action to Protect Older Women’s Rights Has Stalled in the UN General Assembly

As Germany’s Parliament Grows More Diverse, Will the Trend Spread to the Rest of Europe?

Trending UN News: Week Ending Nov. 26

Gender Imbalances: Missing Girls and Vanishing Men

UN-Scripted, Passblue's UN podcast series

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