Online Program Enrolling Now - Seton Hall - United Nations Institute for Training and Research
Online Program Enrolling Now - Seton Hall - United Nations Institute for Training and Research

BLUE SMOKE: A monthly column, from PassBlue and UNA–UK, spotlighting senior appointments at the UN

OPINIONS

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Parachuting into the frenzy of Manhattan’s East Side last week exposed the usual traffic snarls and not-so diplomatic cacophony about the United Nations. The noise included hackneyed pleas to alter the Security Council, often mixed with calls to draft a …

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There’s an old Irish proverb, “Ní hé lá na gaoithe lá na scolb.” Roughly translated, it means that “the day of the wind is not the day for fixing the thatch” — a common roofing material for homes in rural …

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In 2014, the Syrian conflict appeared to be spinning out of control. Reaching new levels of horror and suffering that inflicted death, displacement and destruction on a massive scale within Syria, it had also developed into a full-fledged regional proxy …

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It is no secret that United Nations mediation is in a state of decline. The UN is no longer in the lead role in conflict countries where the secretary-general and his representatives or special envoys are mandated to provide mediation …

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As we celebrate Women’s Equality Day, on Aug. 26, Afghanistan sits in stark contrast to much progress elsewhere in the world. It’s clear that the country is going backward and that the prospects for equality for Afghan women and girls …

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We believe that war crimes, crimes against humanity and potentially genocide are currently being deliberately perpetrated in Sudan. We urge all of those committed to the collective responsibility to protect people from these crimes to listen to populations whose lives …

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For the disarmament agenda to progress, its machinery needs to be revisited. Current efforts by the Conference on Disarmament — the United Nations body tasked with negotiating treaties on weapons control — have stalled for almost 30 years because agreement …

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As the sun rises over the picturesque landscape of Kashmir, it’s easy to believe that all is well in the region. But beneath the scenic beauty is a harsh and unsettling reality — composed of a military occupation, oppression of …

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The creation of a United Nations Youth Office represents a chance to pilot a new model of leadership in the UN — one that at its core is power-sharing and not power-concentrating. The precedent it sets will have lasting effects …

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Qu Dongyu was recently re-elected as director-general of the Food and Agriculture Organization, a specialized agency within the United Nations system. This news directs attention to a trend that has come under increasing scrutiny: China’s expanding engagement with the UN development pillar. …

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It was all over in a day. The Wagner chieftain Yevgeny Prigozhin’s rebellion against Vladmir Putin, over his dissatisfaction with the regular Russian army’s failures in Ukraine, collapsed so quickly that the United Nations Security Council, the UN General Assembly …

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In September 2024 — 15 months from now — the United Nations’ 193 member states are expected to convene a Summit of the Future during the General Assembly’s annual high-level week in New York City. In addition to helping countries …

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Thankfully, many women judges have escaped Afghanistan with the help of the International Association of Women Judges and other organizations and governments. Sixty-eight women judges still desperately need sanctuary. I am deeply concerned for the safety of women who, like …

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A new review of the United Nations’ gender architecture appears ready to weaken the organization’s ability to achieve gender equality, particularly at the country level. Conversations with former UN staff, UN Women personnel and gender equality advocates have informed our …

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When Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, Natalia Karbowska sprang into action. She has since been working in overdrive to provide funding and humanitarian assistance to thousands of Ukrainian women whose lives have been destroyed by the Russian invasion, even …

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UNGA78: A quiz from PassBlue
Online Program Enrolling Now - Seton Hall - United Nations Institute for Training and Research

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