violence against women

Human Rights for Western Sahara?; a Cease-Fire Comes to Central African Republic; Weapons Spending Drives Gender Inequalities

• October 22, 2021

The UN boss points to rising global military spending as a source of gendered violence; the UN’s tech envoy, mired in controversy, may be exiting; the Human Rights Council rolls out a multimillion-dollar project with the Philippines. You are reading This Week @UN, summarizing the most pressing issues facing the organization. The information is …

Africa, Asia, Gender Violence, General Assembly, Human Rights, ICC, Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Secretary-General, Security Council, This Week @UN, UN Agencies, UN Special Envoys, US-UN Relations

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US Senators Want Human-Rights Work Added to UN’s Western Sahara Mission

Maurizio Guerrero

• October 21, 2021

As abuses against Sahrawi activists and journalists mount in Western Sahara, 10 United States Republican and Democratic senators are urging the Biden administration to include a human-rights element in the work of the United Nations referendum mission in the disputed region, according to an Oct. 14 letter obtained by PassBlue. As the file holder …

Africa, Human Rights, Secretary-General, Security Council, US Foreign Relations, US-UN Relations

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Critics Wonder If a New $10 Million UN-Philippines Human-Rights Project Will Work

Anna Bianca Roach

• October 18, 2021

As the International Criminal Court begins an investigation into the thousands of extrajudicial killings committed by the Philippine government during its antidrug campaign, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights is partnering with the country on a three-year program to hold the government accountable for its behavior. On Oct. 7, …

Asia, Gender Violence, Human Rights, International Justice

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Afghan Students Reach Kyrgyzstan After a Risky Journey

Barbara Crossette

• October 13, 2021

Nearly 200 students from Afghanistan, escaping the Taliban’s tightening grip on education, have been safely evacuated from Kabul under an ambitious plan led by the American University of Central Asia and the Kyrgyzstan government. About 60 percent of the students, undergraduates and graduates, are women, according to the university. “Yes, we have largely succeeded,” …

Asia, Education, Refugees

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WOMEN AS CHANGEMAKERS

An American Feminist, Honored by France, Carries On a Tireless Global Fight for Women’s Rights

Barbara Crossette

• October 6, 2021

Jessica Neuwirth, a pivotal force in promoting and supporting the rights of women and girls worldwide, was appointed to the rank of chevalier in the French Legion of Honor by the French government in a ceremony in New York City on Oct. 5. The citation said: “This high distinction expresses the gratitude of the …

Gender Violence, Human Rights, Women as Changemakers

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TOPIC: WOMEN

What Should the New Head of UN Women Tackle First? Strong Advice From Feminists

Barbara Crossette

• September 28, 2021

More than 50 former staff members of UN Women sent a pointed open letter to the new executive director of the agency, Sima Sami Bahous, an ex-Jordanian diplomat, on Sept. 28. They suggest a comprehensive agenda for her, undertaking managerial reform and more actively and successfully promoting gender equality across the world. “UN Women …

Gender Violence, UN Agencies, Women

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Venezuela’s Maduro Fires Up UNGA, While a Fight for Afghan Women’s Rights Has Big-Name Backing

Maurizio Guerrero

• September 22, 2021

The second day of world leaders’ speeches delivered at the United Nations General Assembly continued on Sept. 22, after the heavily reported appearance of United States President Joe Biden at the fabled rostrum in the Assembly Hall; a last-minute video presentation by China’s Xi Jinping; and a video by Iran’s new president, Ebrahim Raisi, …

Asia, Gender Violence, General Assembly, Human Rights, UNGA76, US-UN Relations

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In Biden’s UN Debut as President, He Says America Is Ready for Diplomacy

Barbara Crossette

• September 21, 2021

Joe Biden, speaking at the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 21 for the first time as president of the United States, did not say again to the world that America was back. His message was that it never left and that his administration was looking to more productive engagement with nations in “this …

General Assembly, UNGA76

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THIS WEEK @UN

#UNGA76 Vaccination Rules; Gabon Peacekeepers Ousted; Macron Drops Out of UN Debate

Anna Bianca Roach

• September 18, 2021

Vaccine-policy confusion as delegates arrive for UNGA; Gabon’s troops repatriated from a United Nations peacekeeping mission; President Macron of France won’t participate in the UN high-level debate. 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. UNGA …

Gender Violence, Secretary-General, Security Council, This Week @UN, US-UN Relations

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TOPIC: WOMEN

The UN Urges the Somali Government to Stop a Surge in Sexual Assault Cases

Catherine Morrison

• September 15, 2021

For more than two decades, sexual violence against women in Somalia has become more pervasive as the country has been torn by civil conflict and state collapse. However, after an alarming 80 percent increase in the number of confirmed cases of sexual violence from 2019 to 2020, the United Nations is calling for urgent …

Africa, Gender Violence, Human Rights, Women

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THIS WEEK @UN

#UNGA76 Is Here; Women on Edge in Afghanistan; Biden’s Hit-and-Miss With Allies

Anna Bianca Roach

• September 10, 2021

Calling all world leaders to the General Assembly; the Taliban shun women; Biden’s confounding foreign policy. 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. Scoop: Incoming members of the obscure but influential UN General Assembly Credentials …

General Assembly, Secretary-General, Security Council, This Week @UN, UN Agencies, US-UN Relations

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American University in Kyrgyzstan Is Offering Afghan Women a Haven. Will the Taliban Let Them Go?

Barbara Crossette

• August 27, 2021

Fears are running high among the vulnerable women of Afghanistan — scholars, writers and other intellectuals — that they may be prime targets for retribution and abuse by the Taliban’s ideologically driven tribal misogyny. In remote Kyrgyzstan, a Muslim nation landlocked and mountainous like Afghanistan but different in many ways, the democratically elected government …

Asia, Gender Violence, Uncategorized

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TOPIC: WOMEN

Iceland May Be the World’s Most Gender-Equal Society, but Covid Exposed Vital Gaps

Dulcie Leimbach

• August 26, 2021

REYKJAVIK — Iceland is reportedly one of the most gender-equal societies in the world, but during a visit to the country in July, it was not immediately obvious how this progress plays out in everyday life. The clearest sign came during trips to public pools throughout parts of the island. In the midafternoon, men …

Gender Violence, Human Rights, Women

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WOMEN AS CHANGEMAKERS

Women Will Achieve Equality, No Matter What: Natalia Kanem of UNFPA Explains

Barbara Crossette

• August 24, 2021

For Natalia Kanem, the executive director of the United Nations Population Fund since 2017, the last couple of years have been a wild ride. In 2020, women the world over were getting ready to celebrate important anniversaries: 25 years since an international conference in Beijing pledged global action on women’s rights, including their reproductive …

Health and Population, Secretary-General, UN Agencies, Women as Changemakers

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Afghans Who Work for the UN in Their Country Say They Fear for Their Lives [Updated]

Fiona Shukri

• August 20, 2021

United Nations staff members in Afghanistan who work for the UN political mission there say it has been failing to protect its national personnel since the Taliban’s sudden takeover of the country on Aug. 15 and as the United States evacuates tens of thousands of Americans and others from the Kabul airport amid deadly …

Asia, Gender Violence, Humanitarian Aid, Secretary-General, UN Agencies, US Foreign Relations, US-UN Relations

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This Week's Most Popular

UN Signals That the Search for a New Tech Envoy May Be Underway

Laura E. Kirkpatrick

THIS WEEK @UN

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violence against women

Human Rights for Western Sahara?; a Cease-Fire Comes to Central African Republic; Weapons Spending Drives Gender Inequalities

US Senators Want Human-Rights Work Added to UN’s Western Sahara Mission

Critics Wonder If a New $10 Million UN-Philippines Human-Rights Project Will Work

Afghan Students Reach Kyrgyzstan After a Risky Journey

An American Feminist, Honored by France, Carries On a Tireless Global Fight for Women’s Rights

What Should the New Head of UN Women Tackle First? Strong Advice From Feminists

Venezuela’s Maduro Fires Up UNGA, While a Fight for Afghan Women’s Rights Has Big-Name Backing

In Biden’s UN Debut as President, He Says America Is Ready for Diplomacy

#UNGA76 Vaccination Rules; Gabon Peacekeepers Ousted; Macron Drops Out of UN Debate

The UN Urges the Somali Government to Stop a Surge in Sexual Assault Cases

#UNGA76 Is Here; Women on Edge in Afghanistan; Biden’s Hit-and-Miss With Allies

American University in Kyrgyzstan Is Offering Afghan Women a Haven. Will the Taliban Let Them Go?

Iceland May Be the World’s Most Gender-Equal Society, but Covid Exposed Vital Gaps

Women Will Achieve Equality, No Matter What: Natalia Kanem of UNFPA Explains

Afghans Who Work for the UN in Their Country Say They Fear for Their Lives [Updated]

This Week's Most Popular

The Surreal Saga of Gitmo; US Rejoins the Human Rights Council; the Taliban Break Promises

US Senators Want Human-Rights Work Added to UN’s Western Sahara Mission

Critics Wonder If a New $10 Million UN-Philippines Human-Rights Project Will Work

Afghan Students Reach Kyrgyzstan After a Risky Journey

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