SDGs

UN-75: The Moment to Build a More Inclusive World Order Is Here

October 24, 2020

by María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés and Tijjani Muhammad-Bande

Since its founding 75 years ago, the United Nations has proven, with the support of its member countries and other partners, its worth in complex problem-solving. That includes preventing great-power wars, remedying humanitarian emergencies, safeguarding human rights and reducing extreme poverty. But as we commemorate UN Day, with world leaders having marked the world …

Development, Disarmament, Governance, Health and Population, Human Rights

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UN75

Finally, a Woman Leader Speaks at the UN General Assembly Debate: Slovakia

September 23, 2020

by Sonah Lee

A pre-recorded statement from Bosnia and Herzegovina’s President Sefik Dzaferovic kicked off Day 2 of the 75th General Assembly, and like many other world leaders, he called for heightened multilateralism amid today’s pandemic and global conflicts. Simultaneously, for the first hour of the day, a Unicef-sponsored virtual event about protecting future generations from the …

General Assembly, UN75

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THIS WEEK @UN

The UN’s 75th Birthday Is Here; Trump’s Not Coming to UNGA; What He Might Say Virtually

September 18, 2020

by Dulcie Leimbach

The most important week of the year at the United Nations has arrived, though expectations are low, given that the annual opening debate of the General Assembly is being held virtually because of Covid-19. No global leaders are coming to the debate; no wine-laden luncheons or “bilateral” meetings for them are scheduled; and no …

This Week @UN, US-UN Relations

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THIS WEEK @UN

Beijing+25; ICC Prosecutor Sanctioned by US; Niger Leads the Security Council

September 5, 2020

by Dulcie Leimbach

The 25th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing; the United States sanctions the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court; dissecting the failed ambitions of the US effort to force the UN mission in Lebanon to be more aggressive. Greetings from This Week @UN, our summary highlighting the most important news on the …

Middle East, Secretary-General, Security Council, This Week @UN, US-UN Relations

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COVID-19

Wanted: Small Investors to Boost Development Money Beyond Banks

August 31, 2020

by Barbara Crossette

For nearly two years, an international group of 17 specialists on the finance frontier have been connecting digital technologies to new sources of money for the faltering Sustainable Development Goals. On Aug. 26, they unveiled an ambitious report on what can be done when traditional pools of capital are broadened and deepened by including …

Covid-19, Development

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THIS WEEK @UN

India’s Reliance on Fossil Fuels, Casting Light on UN Counterterrorism Ops, US Asylum Seekers Stuck in Mexico

August 29, 2020

by Allison Lecce

US asylum seekers pushed back into Mexico in unprecedented numbers amid Covid-19; an investigation into the mysterious work of the richly financed UN counterterrorism operations; chastising India for its support of fossil fuels; and a UN envoy’s assessment of the new United Arab Emirates-Israeli pact. Greetings from This Week @UN, our summary highlighting the most …

Climate and Environment, Middle East, Refugees, Terrorism, This Week @UN, US Foreign Relations

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THIS WEEK @UN

The Struggling SDGs, Money for Beirut, Resuming Vaccinations in Pakistan and Afghanistan

August 15, 2020

by Allison Lecce

The tremendous fallout from the explosion in Beirut on Aug. 4 continues as the United Nations offers direct aid, including providing a mobile health clinic and vaccines for children, while a new $565 million appeal to help the Lebanese recover has begun. And in a stunning rejection, a United States draft resolution submitted to …

This Week @UN

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Where Is Brazil as the UN Marks Its 75th Anniversary?

August 12, 2020

by Adriana Erthal Abdenur and Maiara Folly

RIO DE JANEIRO — This year marks the 75th anniversary of the United Nations. Amid the major economic and geopolitical effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is a time to reflect on the successes and failures of the UN system, Brazil’s role in its story and what needs to be done to improve the …

Climate and Environment, Governance, Human Rights, Latin America, World Bank

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COVID-19

Sudan May Have Banned FGM, but the Harsh Practice Continues

August 11, 2020

by Rhona Scullion

Just four months ago, Sudan took the monumental step to ban female genital mutilation, a painful, unnecessary and dangerous procedure that leaves lasting scars. Generally carried out on girls before they reach puberty, genital mutilation is now punishable in Sudan by up to three years in prison and subject to a fine. In a …

Africa, Covid-19, Gender-Based Violence

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COVID-19

The UN Development Goals Are ‘Seriously Off Track,’ an Expert Says

August 10, 2020

by Barbara Crossette

The shock of the unexpected coronavirus pandemic will make it harder to achieve success on the Sustainable Development Goals, now a third of their way to the finish line, in 2030. However, the problems that have stymied or reversed progress go back long before Covid-19 hit, leading development experts say. In conjunction with a …

Covid-19, Sustainable Development Goals

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THIS WEEK @UN

The Security Council Meets Physically (Twice), and More Details on the UN’s Big Week in September

July 17, 2020

by Allison Lecce

As the number of Covid-19 cases skyrockets globally — and the United States remains the epicenter with nearly 3.6 million confirmed cases — the United Nations Security Council met physically on July 14 for the first time since March 12. The setting was not the Council’s usual chamber in the UN headquarters but the …

Security Council, This Week @UN

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THIS WEEK @UN

US Severs Ties to the WHO, Security Council Vetoes, Counterterrorism Week

July 10, 2020

by Allison Lecce

In a final straw to the current troubles between the World Health Organization and the United States, the Trump administration notified United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on July 6 of its withdrawal from the agency, effective July 6, 2021. But the story may not be over, as Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, tweeted: …

Climate and Environment, General Assembly, Secretary-General, Security Council, This Week @UN, US-UN Relations

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COVID-19

In Latin America, Panama Battles the Coronavirus Between Two Oceans

June 11, 2020

by Isabel Saint Malo

PANAMA CITY, Panama — March 2 marked the beginning of the school year in Panama, when about a million students, a quarter of the population, headed for school. One week had passed when the first Covid-19 case was reported, a national emergency was declared and full lockdown began. My husband and I live with …

Covid-19, Latin America

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COVID-19

In Spain, a Strong Sense of Solidarity Drives Endurance in the Pandemic

April 27, 2020

by Susana Malcorra

MADRID — The first two cases of Covid-19 infections here were identified on Feb. 26, 2020. That day, 23 people had become infected in Spain in less than 24 hours. Three days later, the number was 80. From then on, Madrid rapidly became the city with the most cases in the country, and by …

Covid-19, Health and Population

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COVID-19

The UN’s War Plan Against the Coronavirus as It Attacks the Globe

March 26, 2020

by Dulcie Leimbach and Stéphanie Fillion

The coronavirus officially hit the United Nations at its New York City headquarters on March 12, when the first reported case was announced by the Philippines mission to the UN that one of its diplomats had Covid-19 and was recovering. Twenty-four hours later, the UN announced that its personnel in New York — with …

Covid-19, General Assembly, Humanitarian Aid, Secretary-General, Security Council

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SDGs

UN-75: The Moment to Build a More Inclusive World Order Is Here

Finally, a Woman Leader Speaks at the UN General Assembly Debate: Slovakia

The UN’s 75th Birthday Is Here; Trump’s Not Coming to UNGA; What He Might Say Virtually

Beijing+25; ICC Prosecutor Sanctioned by US; Niger Leads the Security Council

Wanted: Small Investors to Boost Development Money Beyond Banks

India’s Reliance on Fossil Fuels, Casting Light on UN Counterterrorism Ops, US Asylum Seekers Stuck in Mexico

The Struggling SDGs, Money for Beirut, Resuming Vaccinations in Pakistan and Afghanistan

Where Is Brazil as the UN Marks Its 75th Anniversary?

Sudan May Have Banned FGM, but the Harsh Practice Continues

The UN Development Goals Are ‘Seriously Off Track,’ an Expert Says

The Security Council Meets Physically (Twice), and More Details on the UN’s Big Week in September

US Severs Ties to the WHO, Security Council Vetoes, Counterterrorism Week

In Latin America, Panama Battles the Coronavirus Between Two Oceans

In Spain, a Strong Sense of Solidarity Drives Endurance in the Pandemic

The UN’s War Plan Against the Coronavirus as It Attacks the Globe

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Trump’s UN Team: Gone Today, Sadly Still Here Tomorrow

The Congo, Afghanistan and the Limits of Outside Intervention

The Nuclear Ban Treaty Enters Into Force, 75 Years After Hiroshima

If Africa Is So Rich, Why Is It So Poor?

How Far Will Biden Go With the UN?

UN-Scripted, the Passblue UN podcast series

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