Libya

Deadly Violence in D.C.; a Beloved UN Diplomat Dies; Fatal Attacks in Niger

January 8, 2021

The United States Capitol stormed by pro-Trump rioters; a legendary UN diplomat dies at 101; Islamist jihadists blamed for fatal assault in Niger. You are reading This Week @UN, a summary of the most pressing issues facing the organization. The information is gathered from the UN spokesperson’s press briefings, original reporting and other sources. …

Africa, General Assembly, Libya, Secretary-General, This Week @UN, UN Diplomats, US-UN Relations

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SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENCY

Tunisia, Delicately Straddling the Politics of North Africa and the Mideast

January 6, 2021

by Stéphanie Fillion

It’s become the origin story of Tunisia’s revolution and the broader Arab Spring: In December 2010, Mohamed Bouazizi, a Tunisian street vendor, set himself on fire after years of being harassed by police officers and experiencing a series of humiliating encounters with local officials. His self-immolation became the focus of long-simmering anger toward the …

Africa, Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Libya, Security Council Presidency

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Sidelining Africans, the US Imposes Its Own Choice for UN Envoy to Libya

November 16, 2020

by Maurizio Guerrero

Ignoring two proposals from Africa to fill the United Nations special envoy post for Libya, the United States demanded that the secretary-general, António Guterres, accept its own choice, several diplomats have told PassBlue. The maneuver could leave Africa with only a minimal voice in the mediation of a war in its own continent, spurred …

Africa, Gender-Based Violence, Libya, Secretary-General, Security Council, UN Special Envoys

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THIS WEEK @UN

Libya’s New Cease-Fire; UN Hits 75 Years Old; New York City Mayor Snubs UN

October 23, 2020

by Dulcie Leimbach

A “permanent” cease-fire is reached in Libya; Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York City declines to meet with the president of the UN General Assembly; and what’s going on behind closed-door meetings at the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization. Greetings from This Week @UN, highlights of the most important news on the world …

Africa, Disarmament, General Assembly, LGBT, Libya, This Week @UN

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UN Sanctions for Sexual Violence in Libya Approved, but Russia Resisted

November 11, 2018

by Dulcie Leimbach

A decision by the United Nations Security Council to add sanctions against perpetrators of sexual violence should have gone smoothly. The proposal, led by the Netherlands and Sweden, was meant to deter such violence in conflict zones and other hot spots. Weeks earlier, diplomats turned out in hordes to mark the 18th anniversary of a …

Gender-Based Violence, Libya, Security Council

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WORLDVIEWS

After 50 Years of UN Sanctions, Is the System Broken?

December 1, 2017

by Enrico Carisch and Loraine Rickard-Martin

With only few of the current United Nations sanctions cases accomplishing their political objectives, it is not unreasonable to wonder why the system seems broken. As the 50th anniversary of the first use of this important political tool is duly noted, the short answer is that nothing is wrong with sanctions. The problem is with …

Libya, Nuclear Disarmament, Peace and Security, Security Council, WORLDVIEWS

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Getting to Know Mediterranean Farmers: Agritourism Hits Sicily

October 17, 2017

by Dulcie Leimbach

BELPASSO, Italy — The Oasi di Francesca farm-stay hotel is situated in an unlikely spot here in Sicily, about a kilometer from an Italian naval air base and a half hour to the large port city of Catania in the east, facing the Ionian Sea. Among the acres of low-lying artichoke plants — as …

Climate and Environment, Development, Libya, Migration, Refugees, Unesco

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BOOKS

A Hint on Confronting Islamist Power. Or Maybe Not.

October 7, 2017

by Irwin Arieff

Will it never end? When will time run out on the array of shape-shifting militant Islamist movements intent on moving into shaky trouble spots around the world to impose their extreme ideology, harness the population and hijack the local economy? How long will it take for the international community — the ubiquitous West — …

BOOKS, Libya, Middle East, Syria, Terrorism, US Foreign Relations

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GOINGS-ON

The UN Formalizes Its Partnership With Sant’Egidio, the Rome-Based Mediator

June 9, 2017

by Dulcie Leimbach

The United Nations has formalized its relationship with the Community of Sant’Egidio, the highly regarded Catholic membership organization based in Rome that has been focusing on conflict prevention and resolution, primarily in Africa, for 30 years. A community of 60,000 laypeople founded in 1968, Sant’Egidio has been working with the UN on mediation prospects …

Africa, GOINGS-ON, Human Trafficking, International Justice, Libya, Migration, Peace and Security

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TOPIC: WOMEN

Rape by Terrorists: A UN Report Documents Sexual Attacks in War

May 2, 2017

by Dulcie Leimbach

Moving away from strictly categorizing rape and other sexual abuse against women as a weapon of war, a new report from the United Nations addresses the increasing use of rape as a weapon of terrorism. The report also documents how mass migration has led to further sexual violence against women through human trafficking by …

Gender-Based Violence, Human Trafficking, Libya, Middle East, Peace and Security, Women

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GEOPOLITICS

Feelings Hurt, Yemeni-Americans in New York City Protest the Trump Immigration Ban

February 2, 2017

by Dulcie Leimbach

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Thousands of Yemeni-Americans in New York City turned out to peacefully — if not passionately — protest the White House ban on immigrants entering the United States from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen. The protesters waved American and Yemeni flags, shouting slogans like “United we stand against the Muslim ban.” Held …

Geopolitics, Libya, Middle East, Migration, Refugees, Syria, US Foreign Relations

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Europe Pushes Ahead for More Aid to Syrians and to Disrupt Human Smuggling

September 29, 2015

by Dulcie Leimbach

Seizing a chance to respond more coherently to the deadly situation in Syria, the European Union and Jordan are proposing a “resilience plan” to alleviate the humanitarian emergency while pushing for a political course to stop the Syrian government from killing what’s left of its people. The European Union is also moving ahead in …

Human Trafficking, Libya, Middle East, Refugees

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In Italy, a Patchwork of Services for Migrants Arriving at Its Shores [Video]

August 5, 2015

by Maria Luisa Gambale

ROME — Italy is a slender peninsula ringed by 4,722 miles of coastline, a blessing that brings thousands of Italians to the sea each August for Ferragosto, the country’s summer vacation period. The coastline — one of the longest in the world — has also been attracting boats full of refugees and migrants, in …

Africa, Libya, Migration, Refugees

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Europe Forges Ahead to ‘Disrupt’ Human Smuggling at Sea From Libya

June 22, 2015

by Dulcie Leimbach

After a month of near silence in Europe on a proposal to stop human smuggling across the Mediterranean Sea from Libya to European shores, European foreign ministers are moving ahead this week on a plan to “disrupt” smugglers’ vessels in international or European waters. The plan, introduced on June 22, was noted in the …

Africa, Libya, Migration, Refugees

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The UN’s Mission in Mali: A Deadly Fight Against Terrorists

January 18, 2015

by Dulcie Leimbach

The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali, the most demanding and bloodiest operation in the organization’s global portfolio, is moving its major functions from its base in Bamako, the capital, to Gao, a remote city also on the Niger River, and other camps in the north. The goal is to keep a vigilant eye …