women’s rights

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

Leave a Comment

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

Laura E. Kirkpatrick

• October 20, 2021

Fabrizio Hochschild Drummond, a Chilean who has had a long career with the United Nations, remains a controversial figure among some staff members, stemming from a UN inquiry into his workplace behavior that began in December 2020. Certain countries have also been rankled by his being named the organization’s first tech envoy just as …

Secretary-General, UN Special Envoys

Leave a Comment

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

Leave a Comment

THIS WEEK @UN

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

Anna Bianca Roach

• October 15, 2021

The Taliban break promises to women in Afghanistan; Mali moving toward combatant reintegration; the Kafkaesque legal work representing Gitmo detainees. 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. This week, frozen assets and aid funding …

Africa, Asia, Middle East, Security Council, This Week @UN, UN Diplomats, UN Special Envoys, US-UN Relations

One Comment

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

Leave a Comment

THIS WEEK @UN

UN’s Guterres Strikes Back; Kenya Pilots the Security Council; a Promising Malaria Vaccine

Anna Bianca Roach

• October 8, 2021

A new vaccine for malaria; the Security Council goes to the Sahel; the Human Rights Council’s actions, criticized and praised. 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. This week, we include discussions in the …

Africa, Asia, General Assembly, Health and Population, Myanmar, Secretary-General, Security Council, This Week @UN

Leave a Comment

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

Leave a Comment

THIS WEEK @UN

Women a Blip Among UNGA Speakers; Feminists’ Tough Advice for UN Women; Is Undersea Mining Underway?

Anna Bianca Roach

• October 1, 2021

Where were the women at UNGA?; feminists want big action by UN Women; undersea mining may be underway. 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. We covered the UN high-level week extensively, bringing readers reports …

Climate and Environment, Gender Violence, Secretary-General, This Week @UN

Leave a Comment

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

2 Comments

COVID-19

As UNGA Winds Down, Mali Warns of Rising Dangers in the Sahel as France Claims a Recent Success

Barbara Crossette

• September 27, 2021

On the last day of global leaders’ speeches at the opening of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly, the array of countries on the roster ranged from Israel to Iceland, from Algeria to North Korea, from Canada to Guinea. Two long-scheduled countries to deliver messages — Afghanistan and Myanmar — were …

Africa, Asia, Climate and Environment, Covid-19, General Assembly, UNGA76, US Foreign Relations

Leave a Comment

From Tiny Barbados, a Scolding to the World: ‘We Have Not Moved the Needle!’

Anna Bianca Roach

• September 24, 2021

The fourth day of the United Nations General Assembly debate soldiered on, with pointed speeches by, among others, the Caribbean island nation of Barbados, whose prime minister, Mia Amor Mottley, asked the General Assembly Hall, “How many crises and natural disasters need to hit before we see that old conventions of aid mean that …

Climate and Environment, General Assembly, Health and Population, UNGA76, US-UN Relations

Leave a Comment

At the UN, Boris Johnson Tries to Rally Forces for the Climate Change Event in November

Dulcie Leimbach

• September 23, 2021

If you have understandably faded from the UNGA76 gathering by now, here are highlights for Day 3 of global leaders’ speeches, held on Sept. 23. We’ve also included Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s late-night remarks on Sept. 22 in the General Assembly Hall. Only four women have spoken across the three days, from Estonia, Moldova, …

Africa, Caribbean, Climate and Environment, General Assembly, Health and Population, Terrorism, UNGA76, US-UN Relations

Leave a Comment

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

Leave a Comment

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

Leave a Comment

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

One Comment

What do you know about the UN Security Council?

This Week's Most Popular

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

Laura E. Kirkpatrick

THIS WEEK @UN

Support Independent Journalism - Support PassBlue - Find out how →

women’s rights

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

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

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

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

Afghan Students Reach Kyrgyzstan After a Risky Journey

UN’s Guterres Strikes Back; Kenya Pilots the Security Council; a Promising Malaria Vaccine

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

Women a Blip Among UNGA Speakers; Feminists’ Tough Advice for UN Women; Is Undersea Mining Underway?

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

As UNGA Winds Down, Mali Warns of Rising Dangers in the Sahel as France Claims a Recent Success

From Tiny Barbados, a Scolding to the World: ‘We Have Not Moved the Needle!’

At the UN, Boris Johnson Tries to Rally Forces for the Climate Change Event in November

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

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

UN-Scripted, Passblue's UN podcast series

PassBlue needs your support to stay strong: