When Secretary of State Mike Pompeo convenes the second of his ministerial-level, multifaith conferences on religious freedom around the world on July 16 to 18, global threats to Christianity are likely to figure prominently, if recent comments by American officials are any guide. Pompeo is a guiding light. An Evangelical Christian, he says he sees a role … Read more
The nomination of Heather Nauert to succeed Nikki Haley as United States ambassador to the United Nations has quickly enraged some international women’s rights groups and a major Islamic advocacy organization based in the United States, portending a tense confirmation hearing in the US Senate for Nauert. The announcement of her nomination last week by … Read more
In a rare act of legislative sabotage, the Trump administration’s plan to starve international family planning of funds has been killed for now as committees in both the United States House of Representatives and the Senate slipped hundreds of millions of dollars to support reproductive health programs into a 2,232-page, $1.3 trillion US budget package … Read more
STONE TOWN, Tanzania — When a story circulated in August 2017 of male lions attempting to copulate with each other in Kenya’s Masai Mara national park, headlines and Twitter feeds went wild with speculation, ridicule and accusation. Despite Kenya being one of the more progressive countries in East Africa regarding LGBTQ awareness and rights, the nation … Read more
WASHINGTON, D. C. — Nikki Haley, the United States ambassador to the United Nations, has articulated an ambitious blueprint for the American presidency of the UN Security Council this month. One pillar of the US approach will be what she called an “unprecedented” thematic session on human rights to enable the achievement of international peace and security. … Read more
Suriname’s government is on the right track at home when it comes to protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people against discrimination and violence. In 2015, the government introduced antidiscrimination legislation, including sexual orientation on grounds for nondiscrimination complaints. The government also understands that it needs to protect the rights of same-sex couples living in … Read more
Hate crimes have risen dramatically in the United States since the election of Donald Trump as president on Nov. 8. The United Nations has quickly taken note, criticizing its strongest financial and moral supporter, America. “Recent reports of hate crimes in the United States are of great concern,” began a statement from the office of … Read more
BOGOTÁ — By a thin margin, Colombian voters said no in early October to a peace agreement to end the decades-long war in the country between the guerillas, FARC-EP, and the government. The painstakingly written peace pact was developed with considerable contributions from women to embed commitments to gender rights in the country’s post-conflict setting. … Read more
A respected medical journal and a leading American population research and policy organization have teamed up to create a commission to fill gaps and turn vague promises in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals into real gains for women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights. The initiative, sponsored by the London-based journal The Lancet and … Read more
As news of the United States Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage spread across America, reactions around the world were both celebratory and cautious — cautious because in 76 countries gay relationships are criminal relationships, and fear of arrest, violence and even death at the hands of adversaries haunts many lives. According to a report … Read more
Before this year ends, the United Nations will have committed itself and its 193 member governments to a new 15-year development strategy to be hailed as a blueprint for ending poverty, expanding social justice and strengthening equality. Equality for whom is the question. Missing by deliberate design from the new plan, called the Sustainable Development … Read more
LIMA, Peru — Despite making great economic strides in recent years, Peru has a violent history that remains relatively fresh for many people here. Starting around 1980 and lasting until 2000, the country was rocked by an internal armed conflict between the Peruvian army and various guerilla groups, most notably the Shining Path. Atrocity crimes … Read more
The Obama administration has made a further commitment to advancing universal human rights by appointing Randy Berry the first United States special envoy to promote the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people worldwide. The appointment comes as “the lives of LGBT people and those who support them are under increasing strain and often … Read more
Advocates offering some alternative ideas and a few dissenting views on the Sustainable Development Goals on track to be adopted by the United Nations at a special session later this year are convening on Jan. 26 in New York to air opinions from all major developing regions on this critical new proposed set of policies. … Read more
By almost every measure, this year will be monumental for the United Nations. The organization will be 70 years old and that will inspire, as anniversaries always do, a lot of stocktaking, analysis and, of course, criticism. Past stumbles will get attention and an army of “reformers” will offer prescriptions for the future. In 2015, … Read more
After years of lagging behind several European countries in official support for gay rights, the United States under President Barack Obama is advancing to the forefront internationally in both domestic and foreign policies. New policies in Washington, often instituted by executive orders that bypass conservative hurdles in the US Congress, reflect the rapid changes occurring … Read more
