Iran nuclear deal

• March 2, 2021

Former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in a memoir due out in June, is done concealing his anger over Donald Trump’s bad behavior on the international stage. The UN has always tried hard to maintain strong ties with the United States, its biggest dues-payer and the world’s leading superpower. And Ban, it seems, was …

BOOKS, Nuclear Disarmament, US Foreign Relations, US-UN Relations

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THIS WEEK @UN

The New US Envoy Begins Working; Iran’s Threatening Nuke Actions; Murders in the Congo

Ivana Ramirez

• February 26, 2021

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the United States envoy to the UN, starts her job; Iran’s troubling nuclear developments; UN-convoy murders in the Congo. 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, PassBlue reporting and other sources. As International Women’s …

Africa, Asia, Nuclear Disarmament, Secretary-General, Security Council, This Week @UN, US-UN Relations

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US Reacts to Alarming New Information From UN Agency on Iran’s Nuclear Activities

Stephanie Liechtenstein

• February 25, 2021

VIENNA — The International Atomic Energy Agency reported in a confidential document, seen by PassBlue, that Iran has added 17.6 kilograms of uranium, enriched up to 20 percent, to its total stockpile. The enrichment process, which had been announced by Iran in January, is occurring at Iran’s underground Fordow nuclear facility. The 20 percent …

Middle East, Nuclear Disarmament

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The UN Nuclear Watchdog Reaches a Temporary Inspection Plan With Iran

Stephanie Liechtenstein

• February 21, 2021

VIENNA — Iran has told the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations nuclear watchdog, that it will significantly limit inspections of its nuclear facilities as of Feb. 23. Rafael Mariano Grossi, the director-general of the Vienna-based agency, traveled to Tehran over the weekend to meet with Iranian officials to try to preserve at …

Middle East, Nuclear Disarmament, Security Council, US Foreign Relations

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THIS WEEK @UN

The US Rejoins the Paris Agreement; Climate-Related Conflicts; Intrigue With a UN Envoy

Ivana Ramirez

• February 19, 2021

The United States jumps back into the Paris Agreement; the Security Council tackles climate-security risks (for now); a new UN envoy’s letter from the past returns to haunt him. 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, …

Africa, Climate and Environment, General Assembly, Middle East, Secretary-General, Security Council, This Week @UN

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Biden’s UN Nominee Fends Off Questions About Being Soft on China

Barbara Crossette

• January 27, 2021

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, appearing before a Senate committee confirmation hearing on Jan. 27 for her nomination as United States envoy to the United Nations, handled a barrage of Republican accusations that the new Biden administration and she were not tough enough on China. The rhetoric from the Republican camp reached a crescendo when Senator Ted …

Africa, General Assembly, Human Rights, Nuclear Disarmament, Security Council, US Foreign Relations, US-UN Relations

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Biden Is Sworn in as 46th US President, Marking a New Era for the Globe

Dulcie Leimbach

• January 20, 2021

Capping the most tumultuous and dangerous 14 days in American politics, Joseph R. Biden Jr. was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States just before noon today. Only two weeks ago, on Jan. 6, a pro-Trump mob swarmed the US Capitol demanding that Biden’s election be overturned, sending legislators, fearing for …

Secretary-General, Security Council, UN Diplomats, US-UN Relations

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Why the EU Is Hopeful About the UN in 2021: An Interview With Ambassador Olof Skoog

Dulcie Leimbach

• January 12, 2021

Olof Skoog knows the United Nations like the back of his hand. As the European Union ambassador to the world body since 2019, he speaks for the 27-member bloc at the UN headquarters in New York City; most recently, he was Sweden’s envoy to the UN. He is known for his optimism — even …

Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Secretary-General, UN Diplomats, US-UN Relations

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SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENCY

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

Stéphanie Fillion

• January 6, 2021

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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WORLDVIEWS

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

Mona Ali Khalil

• December 21, 2020

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

How Far Will Biden Go With the UN?

Stephen Schlesinger

• December 16, 2020

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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Hey, Biden-Harris Team, What About the UN?

Stéphanie Fillion

• November 17, 2020

President-elect Joe Biden’s first message to fellow world leaders was clear: America is back. But there’s a glaring omission in his foreign policy plan: the United Nations. After four years of the Trump administration’s defunding and leaving UN organizations and agreements, the United States’ relationship with the UN is ripe for revival. But what, …

UN Agencies, US Foreign Relations, US-UN Relations

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UN75

Trump’s Foreign Policy Brilliance? Let Me Count the Disasters

Irwin Arieff

• September 25, 2020

Fake news alert: President Donald Trump said something vaguely positive about the United Nations during his speech marking the opening of this year’s General Assembly session. “God bless you all. God bless America. And God bless the United Nations,” Trump intoned on Sept. 22. Comically, the world body may justifiably be relieved, having braced …

General Assembly, UN75, US-UN Relations

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UN75

At the UN: US Condemns China; France Lectures; China Plays Sage; Turkey Is Gifted

Barbara Crossette

• September 22, 2020

Donald Trump, speaking on the opening day of the United Nations’ 75th General Assembly session — the same day that the United States officially tallied a coronavirus death toll of 200,000 people — reiterated all his familiar grievances against China and added a few. He blamed the Chinese not only for spreading Covid-19 across …

General Assembly, UN75

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UN75

Among World Leaders at UN’s 75th Commemoration, Trump Is a No-Show

Evelyn Leopold

• September 21, 2020

President Trump failed to deliver an expected video speech for the United Nations’ 75th anniversary commemoration. Instead, the acting deputy United States ambassador addressed the ceremony live from UN headquarters. From Washington, Secretary of State Michael Pompeo announced new sanctions against Iran during the UN anniversary remembrance, flanked by the US ambassador to the UN, …

General Assembly, Nuclear Disarmament, UN75, US Foreign Relations

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This Week's Most Popular

TOPIC: WOMEN

This Feminist Is Putting Women at the Peace Table

Sonah Lee-Lassiter

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Support Independent Journalism - Support PassBlue - Find out how →

Iran nuclear deal

Ban Ki-moon Tells All: He Was Miserable Watching Trump Run Wild

The New US Envoy Begins Working; Iran’s Threatening Nuke Actions; Murders in the Congo

US Reacts to Alarming New Information From UN Agency on Iran’s Nuclear Activities

The UN Nuclear Watchdog Reaches a Temporary Inspection Plan With Iran

The US Rejoins the Paris Agreement; Climate-Related Conflicts; Intrigue With a UN Envoy

Biden’s UN Nominee Fends Off Questions About Being Soft on China

Biden Is Sworn in as 46th US President, Marking a New Era for the Globe

Why the EU Is Hopeful About the UN in 2021: An Interview With Ambassador Olof Skoog

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

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

How Far Will Biden Go With the UN?

Hey, Biden-Harris Team, What About the UN?

Trump’s Foreign Policy Brilliance? Let Me Count the Disasters

At the UN: US Condemns China; France Lectures; China Plays Sage; Turkey Is Gifted

Among World Leaders at UN’s 75th Commemoration, Trump Is a No-Show

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