Vassily Nebenzia

• May 23, 2022

Can we shed a tear for Sergey Lavrov? Who could have foreseen, a few years back, the huge mess he now finds himself in? Spanning five decades of service in Moscow’s foreign policy hierarchy, the veteran envoy has worked his way up to the very highest levels of international diplomacy after starting out in …

Peace and Security, Security Council, UN Diplomats, WORLDVIEWS

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WORLDVIEWS

Handling Zelensky: The UN’s Dilemma

Stephen Schlesinger

• April 18, 2022

The United Nations has been widely criticized for failing to stop the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Critics point out that Russia has vetoed every action in the Security Council to stymie or end the Russian attack. Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky even told the Council earlier this month that given its many standoffs, it might …

Peace and Security, Secretary-General, Security Council, WORLDVIEWS

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Ukraine’s UN Envoy on Russia’s War and the Significance of ‘Swan Lake’

Dawn Clancy

• April 11, 2022

When he needs to unwind amid Russia’s disastrous invasion of his country, Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Nations, takes long bike rides in Manhattan with his dog, Dezi (Dez, for short), a sprightly Jack Russell terrier. Her name is a riff on the title of Max Ehrmann’s poem “Desiderata,” which means something …

Peace and Security, Refugees, Security Council

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WORLDVIEWS

United Nations: The Last Thing Putin Wants

Mark Malloch-Brown

• February 28, 2022

Putin’s decision to send Russian troops into Ukraine was a flagrant breach of the most fundamental rules of interstate relationships. It was not only an unprovoked attack against an independent sovereign nation, and by an unfree country on a free one, it was also a major offensive strike against the heart of the United …

General Assembly, Peace and Security, Security Council, WORLDVIEWS

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Russia and US Trade Jabs in the UN Security Council Over the Fate of Ukraine

Dawn Clancy

• January 31, 2022

The United States and Russia publicly aired their stances and concerns over the Ukraine crisis in a United Nations Security Council meeting, with the US calling Russia’s military buildup on Ukraine’s borders a “clear and consequential threat to peace and security” and Russia accusing the US of engaging in “megaphone diplomacy” meant to “whip …

Peace and Security, Security Council

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UN Human-Rights Experts Raise Alarm Over the Fate of a Russian Ex-Guantánamo Detainee

Clair MacDougall

• July 20, 2021

Yusuf Mingazov met his father, Ravil, for the first time through a videocall between a Red Cross office in Nottingham, Britain, and the Guantánamo Bay detention camp in Cuba, where he had been imprisoned for more than 14 years. “It was kind of difficult to explain the emotions and everything, but it was nice …

Human Rights, Terrorism, US-UN Relations

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Does the UN Security Council Have an Arria-Formula Problem?

Stéphanie Fillion

• July 6, 2021

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought enormous changes and challenges to the United Nations Security Council. One result has been the heightened politicization and proliferation of the Arria-formula meetings, or informal sessions, of the Council that can be initiated by any member. The increasing use of these meetings has widened the splits among the big …

Peace and Security, Security Council

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Can the Issue of Climate-Induced Wars Stick to the UN Security Council Agenda? The UK Tries It Out

Stéphanie Fillion

• February 18, 2021

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is scheduled to preside over a Security Council meeting virtually on climate and security risks on Feb. 23. The British introduced the topic to the Council in 2007, but with Washington’s 180-degree turn toward climate change action and certain new Security Council members that are climate-friendly, 2021 could be …

Africa, Asia, Climate Change, Security Council

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The UN Warns Personnel About Potential Violence in the US but Is Silent on the Election Itself

Stéphanie Fillion

• November 4, 2020

The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, has so far remained silent on the United States Nov. 3 presidential election, despite concerns about possible violence in the country and President Trump having prematurely proclaimed victory. Indeed, the UN warned its personnel at New York headquarters to be prepared for “civil unrest” that may occur over …

Secretary-General, US-UN Relations

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SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENCY

Russia Brings Human Contact Back to the UN Security Council

Stéphanie Fillion

• October 4, 2020

From the very moment that the United Nations decided to work online, after the pandemic hit, Russia has been the strongest and loudest opponent of going virtual at the world body. For its Security Council presidency, in October, Russia finally got its way: the Council will be meeting once again in its chamber, sitting …

Africa, Middle East, Security Council Presidency

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At the UN, Scrooge Haunts the Holiday Season

Dulcie Leimbach

• December 20, 2019

In this season of giving, the United States delegation offered free bourbon from Kentucky to the media and is splurging on a holiday party paid for by Kelly Knight Craft, the US ambassador, while in more serious business at the United Nations, the Russians not only held up a vote for one day regarding …

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

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SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENCY

Russia Is Busy as Security Council President, but Putin Is Staying Home

Stéphanie Fillion

• September 4, 2019

Russia is president of the United Nations Security Council in September just as nearly 200 heads of state and government and even a prince or two will soon travel to New York City to attend the opening session of the General Assembly. President Vladimir Putin will not be taking part in any event this …

Nuclear Disarmament, Security Council Presidency, US Foreign Relations

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UN Sanctions for Sexual Violence in Libya Approved, but Russia Resisted

Dulcie Leimbach

• November 11, 2018

A decision by the United Nations Security Council to add sanctions against perpetrators of sexual violence should have gone smoothly. The proposal, led by the Netherlands and Sweden, was meant to deter such violence in conflict zones and other hot spots. Weeks earlier, diplomats turned out in hordes to mark the 18th anniversary of a …