Geraldine Byrne Nason

Amid Crises and Stalemates, the Security Council Matters. And Small, Elected Members Can Make a Difference.

• December 30, 2021

This was a year like no other globally, and so it was at the United Nations Security Council. In May, we grappled with an eruption of violence in Gaza. In August, we watched with dismay as Kabul fell to the Taliban. All year, we denounced widespread food insecurity in Yemen and struggled in horror …

Security Council, WORLDVIEWS

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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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COVID-19

India, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico and Norway to Join the UN Security Council

Stéphanie Fillion

• June 17, 2020

An almost empty General Assembly Hall, masks of all types and colors and diplomats rejoicing to see their colleagues that they probably have seen only on their computer screens for months marked this year’s General Assembly elections at the United Nations. On June 17, Norway and Ireland won the two open seats on the …

Covid-19, General Assembly, Security Council, US-UN Relations

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COVID-19

Canada, Ireland and Norway Wrap Up Their Campaigns for Security Council Seats as New Voting Methods Are Proposed

Stéphanie Fillion

• May 4, 2020

CHICOUTIMI, Canada — The Canadian ambassador to the United Nations, Marc-André Blanchard, told a Canadian newspaper in March “now is not the time to campaign for a Security Council seat,” as world diplomacy is being disrupted by the coronavirus and the United Nations headquarters remains physically closed for now. But the reality is there …

Covid-19, General Assembly, Security Council

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TOPIC: WOMEN

The Case of Harassing a UN Diplomat Via 1,000s of Text Messages

Sonah Lee-Lassiter

• May 14, 2019

While Koki Muli Grignon was working as the facilitator during the most intense week of the Commission on the Status of Women in New York, a prominent annual women’s rights conference at the United Nations, she received an odd email. It was the middle of nearly round-the-clock negotiations on the conference final summary document. …

Gender Violence, Human Rights, US-UN Relations, Women

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Canada, Ireland and Norway, Now Vying for the 2020 UN Security Council Vote

Stéphanie Fillion

• March 27, 2019

Jockeying for a two-year seat on the United Nations Security Council starts early — way early. Three countries are already vying for the two open seats in the regional group known as Weog — Western Europe and Others — for the 2021-22 term. The election is June 2020, and the “others” are Australia, Canada, Israel …