WORLDVIEWS

The Congo, Afghanistan and the Limits of Outside Intervention

January 18, 2021

This year, two expansive — and expensive — international peace and security entities will pass a significant milestone. The United Nations peacekeeping operation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the NATO operation in Afghanistan have been deployed for two decades. Although these missions differ in many respects, notably in the scale and …

Africa, Asia, Security Council, UN Peacekeeping, WORLDVIEWS

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WORLDVIEWS

A New Year’s Hope: Restoring the Progressive Role of the US at the UN

December 28, 2020

by Jessica Neuwirth

A wave of relief and hope is sweeping across the United Nations, and the world, desperately awaiting the inauguration of Joe Biden and the beginning of the restoration of normalcy. Hopefully, we will quickly see the rebuilding of our country’s leadership and much-needed progress in the UN, as well as in other international forums …

Gender-Based Violence, Human Rights, US-UN Relations, WORLDVIEWS

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WORLDVIEWS

A Christmas Past in Pakistan and Practicing the Art of ‘Holiday Diplomacy’

December 24, 2020

by Elizabeth Colton

Pakistan is where I’ve had some of my favorite Christmases. Founded as a Muslim state by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the nation honors his birthday on Dec. 25 as a national holiday. “Merry Christmas & Greetings on Quaid-i-Azam Day” were frequent email greetings I received when I lived there as a diplomat. As our Covid-Christmas …

UN Diplomats, WORLDVIEWS

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WORLDVIEWS

President Trump’s Attacks on the Rule of Law, From A to Z

December 21, 2020

by Mona Ali Khalil

President Trump’s attacks on the rule of law in his four years in office have ranged from blatant disregard to outright breach of everything from well-established ethical values to universally accepted international norms, from United States laws and regulations to international laws and treaties. As the Trump presidency ends, there is hope that the …

Security Council, US Foreign Relations, US-UN Relations, WORLDVIEWS

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WORLDVIEWS

Many Countries Cheer Gains to Ending the Death Penalty Globally, but Foes Harden Their Stance

December 17, 2020

by Navi Pillay and Ruth Dreifuss

MADRID — A record-breaking vote on a resolution for a moratorium on the use of the death penalty has been passed by the United Nations General Assembly, with 123 countries in favor, 38 voting against and 24 abstaining. The vote, held on Dec. 16, was an improvement over an earlier vote, on Nov. 17 …

General Assembly, Human Rights, WORLDVIEWS

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WORLDVIEWS

How Far Will Biden Go With the UN?

December 16, 2020

by Stephen Schlesinger

As President-elect Joe Biden finds his footing in foreign affairs, one of his foremost challenges will be re-engaging with the United Nations. So far, he has said little about the organization, but he has just appointed a new UN envoy-in-waiting, an experienced and articulate diplomat, former Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs and …

Security Council, US-UN Relations, WORLDVIEWS

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WORLDVIEWS

A Global Forest Treaty Is Needed Now

December 10, 2020

by Adriana Erthal Abdenur

RIO DE JANEIRO — Illegal deforestation has become a defining problem of our time, but its place in global governance remains piecemeal. Just a few months ago, the idea of an international agreement on forests would have been unthinkable because of the spread of climate denialism and nationalist populism. But the winds of geopolitical …

Climate and Environment, Latin America, Sustainable Development Goals, WORLDVIEWS

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WORLDVIEWS

Southeast Asia, Forging Ahead on Women, Peace and Security

December 8, 2020

by Noeleen Heyzer

SINGAPORE — With two Asean members, Vietnam and Indonesia, currently sitting in the United Nations Security Council, the region has advanced Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security. This is the first global framework that addresses the changing nature of conflicts, the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war, the issues of …

Asia, Gender-Based Violence, Security Council, WORLDVIEWS

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WORLDVIEWS

The Vanishing Democracy in Hong Kong

December 1, 2020

by Alan Doss

Recent events in Hong Kong should alert those people who hope that economic development can lead to democratic change. A few weeks ago, the territory’s fragile democratic order took another hit when opposition members of Hong Kong’s Legislative Council resigned to protest the disqualification of four of their members, labeled by the Chinese authorities …

Asia, Governance, Human Rights, WORLDVIEWS

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WORLDVIEWS

The Process to Choose the Next UN Leader Should Start Now

November 29, 2020

by Ben Donaldson

LONDON — This time five years ago, Mogens Lykketoft, the president of the United Nations General Assembly, was working with members of the Security Council to create the first open process to appoint the next secretary-general, after the adoption of General Assembly Resolution 69/321. In 2021, the process will begin again to select the …

General Assembly, Secretary-General, WORLDVIEWS

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WORLDVIEWS

A Tale of Two Elections: The US and Côte d’Ivoire

November 11, 2020

by Alan Doss

GENEVA — Three days before the recent, highly contentious United States presidential election occurred, another one was held in the West African country of Côte d’Ivoire. The two elections provide interesting comparisons and contrasts. The US and Côte d’Ivoire are obviously vastly different countries, but there are similarities. Both countries are the issue of …

Africa, Governance, WORLDVIEWS

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WORLDVIEWS

On the 10th Anniversary of Haiti’s Cholera Outbreak, What Has the UN Learned?

October 30, 2020

by Beatrice Lindstrom and Joey Bui

Ten years ago this month, Haiti confirmed the arrival of a deadly cholera epidemic that killed more than 10,000 people. The disease — and the United Nations’ response to it — has caused immeasurable harm in Haiti and undermined the UN’s moral standing when it is sorely needed. As victims in Haiti pause to …

Caribbean, US-UN Relations, WORLDVIEWS

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WORLDVIEWS

A Letter to the USA: Why Your Vote on Nov. 3 Matters for the World

October 27, 2020

by Alan Doss

GENEVA — The first time I set foot in the United States was just before the 1968 presidential election, when I joined the United Nations in New York City as a young staffer in the development aid program. I arrived in a country painfully scarred by the assassinations of the Rev. Martin Luther King …

Governance, US Foreign Relations, WORLDVIEWS

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COVID-19

The Path to Ending Our Global Chaos Is Through the UN

October 22, 2020

by Mona Ali Khalil

By all accounts, 2020 has been a terrible year so far — but is it worse than 1920? In 1920, World War I, which killed 16 million people, had just ended. The two-year influenza pandemic that followed killed 50 million more. In 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic has already killed more than one million people …

General Assembly, Health and Population, Secretary-General, Security Council, WORLDVIEWS

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COVID-19

Can the “Third UN” Reimagine Post-Covid Global Cooperation?

October 19, 2020

by Tatiana Carayannis and Thomas G. Weiss

This week we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, as the Covid-19 pandemic highlights our interdependence and the need for global cooperation. Enthusiasm for it, however, is in short supply amid deteriorating Washington-Beijing relations, Brexit and rising populisms. Throughout its history, the UN has confronted bureaucratic challenges and radical changes in world …

Climate and Environment, Covid-19, Governance, Health and Population, WORLDVIEWS

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WORLDVIEWS

The Congo, Afghanistan and the Limits of Outside Intervention

A New Year’s Hope: Restoring the Progressive Role of the US at the UN

A Christmas Past in Pakistan and Practicing the Art of ‘Holiday Diplomacy’

President Trump’s Attacks on the Rule of Law, From A to Z

Many Countries Cheer Gains to Ending the Death Penalty Globally, but Foes Harden Their Stance

How Far Will Biden Go With the UN?

A Global Forest Treaty Is Needed Now

Southeast Asia, Forging Ahead on Women, Peace and Security

The Vanishing Democracy in Hong Kong

The Process to Choose the Next UN Leader Should Start Now

A Tale of Two Elections: The US and Côte d’Ivoire

On the 10th Anniversary of Haiti’s Cholera Outbreak, What Has the UN Learned?

A Letter to the USA: Why Your Vote on Nov. 3 Matters for the World

The Path to Ending Our Global Chaos Is Through the UN

Can the “Third UN” Reimagine Post-Covid Global Cooperation?

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