Monitoring Policy Making at the United Nations |
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What Was New What's New
Week of May 12 - 16, 2008
Iraq Security Council Empire? Social and Economic Policy NGOs Nations and States UN Reform
Iraq
Iraqi Officials Implicated in Smuggling of Antiquities (May 13, 2008)
A leading expert at the British Museum has revealed that members of the Kuwaiti ruling family, officials from the governments of Iraq and Turkey and regional gangs within Iraq possess antiquities looted during the earliest phases of the US occupation of Iraq. In a show of complete disregard for the importance of culture and history, Norwegian businessman, Martin Schoyen, has even "opened a private museum carrying his name in which he is displaying 6,000 smuggled pieces he bought via mediators." (Az-Zaman)Security Council
Sudan: Watermelons, Conflict and Climate Change (May 13, 2008)
Climate change triggers conflict over water resources in Sudan. As temperatures rise and rainfall drops in Sudan, pastoral herders and agricultural farmers clash over shared water reserves. However, while this report warns of the dangers of climate change, it also illustrates that the pastoral Kawahla tribe and farming Gawamha people of Sudan offer a useful model of conflict resolution. The two groups have learnt to adapt to the changes in climate – by increasing trade, making use of livestock byproducts on crops, and using community forums to mediate disputes over scarce water access. (Integrated Regional Information Networks)The Status of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in Sudan (April 2008)
The Sudanese National Congress Party (NCP) fails to implement key aspects of a peace-deal between the North and South of Sudan, according to the UN peacekeeping mission in Sudan (UNMIS). The NCP signed a Comprehensive Peace Agreement with the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in 2005, which promised to share oil revenues between the North and South. However, the NCP refuses to move troops from oil producing areas, obscures government oil assets and fails to abide by a boundary commission ruling for the North and South of Sudan. (UNMIS)How Autonomous is Autonomy? The Western Sahara Dispute in a Bind (April 2008)
This Middle East Institute paper offers differing perspectives on the dispute between Morocco and the pro-independence Polissario Front over Western Sahara. One commentator, Robert Holley, argues that limited autonomy for Western Sahara under Moroccan rule is the only solution. In contrast, Stephen Zunes states that Morocco wishes to claim rich natural resources in the area, and that support from the US and France at the Security Council allows Morocco to renege on the promise of an independence poll for Western Sahara.D.R. Congo Reviews Mining Contracts Signed During Resource-Fueled War (May 8, 2008)
The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) makes progress in renegotiating mining contracts signed during the country’s civil war, says World Politics Review. Rich multinational companies signed lucrative extraction deals with the government and rebel leaders during the war in exchange for money and military hardware. Although the article praises the DRC government for reviewing these mining contracts, the author warns that the renegotiation stage is open to corruption, and that any failure to distribute the natural resources fairly could trigger further violence in the country.Empire?
The Responsibility to Protect and Its Application to the Situation in Burma (May 9, 2008)
No government should evoke the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine to mandate military intervention and force aid into cyclone-stricken Myanmar, this paper urges. If governments were to do so, they would misapply the doctrine and, more seriously, worsen the humanitarian crisis. The Burmese Junta might take forced intervention as a cue to close Myanmar’s doors to any cooperation with the UN. This paper concludes that foreign governments can best alleviate the humanitarian crisis through bilateral negotiation with the Junta to secure access for aid agencies. (World Federalist Movement Institute for Global Policy)103d Congress S. J. Res. 19 (October 27, 1993)
In this resolution, signed by President Clinton, US Congress apologizes to indigenous Hawaiians for the “illegal acts” of US merchants who overthrew the constitutional government of Hawaii in 1893. The document acknowledges a version of US history that Congress had long denied, and which condemns the annexation of Pacific Islands. However, the 1993 statement remains silent on how the US government should compensate Hawaiians for their loss of sovereignty. (Library of Congress)Radar, Star Wars, & the Czech Republic (May 1, 2008)
Z Magazine investigates whether the “free will of the citizens of one country can resist the hegemonic ambitions of empire,” as Czech villagers oppose US plans for a radar base southwest of Prague. Contrary to US media reports that “the Czechs have generally been receptive to the idea,” two-thirds of Czech citizens object to their government giving the US free-reign to build the radar and import military personnel. Villagers living near the proposed site fear the health risks and doubt that the US faces sufficient threat from Iran and Russia to warrant a radar base on European soil.Social and Economic Policy
Causes and Strategies on World Hunger: Green Revolution versus Sustainable Agriculture (May 2008)
Global Policy Forum’s Katarina Wahlberg criticizes the World Bank’s proposal to create a Green Revolution in Africa. By focusing on boosting agricultural production through scientific development of more productive crops, the Bank disregards the fact that the Earth’s biological systems cannot be exploited forever. Also, the supporters of the new Green Revolution fail to address the major causes of the global food crisis, including biofuel production and unsustainable global consumption of meat. The author calls for a shift from industrial agriculture of export crops to sustainable agriculture for local consumption. (World Economy & Development in Brief)
Since the 1970s, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund pushed for large-scale industrial agriculture, trade liberalization and other structural adjustment policies in poor countries, causing the “structural meltdown” that led to the global food crisis. The global market system – which puts the needs of investors before the nutritional needs of humans – has transformed food from nourishment into a commodity for speculation and bargaining. Nearly all corporate players in the global food chain reported record profits after the first quarter of 2008. These corporations are “making a killing from the food crisis.” (GRAIN)Grain Companies’ Profits Soar as Global Food Crisis Mounts (April 30, 2008)
Hungry people are protesting around the globe as they struggle to feed themselves in the face of massive commodity price rises. Large agribusinesses claim they are working to solve the food crisis. Monsanto for instance, plans to design genetically modified crops that “can squeeze even more yield from each acre of planted grain.” But “Big Agriculture” actually benefits from the food crisis. Monsanto’s profit in the last quarter (February 2008) more than doubled, while Cargill’s profit jumped 42 percent in the same period. (Wall Street Journal)NGOs
US Counterterrorism Developments Impacting Charities (December 2007)
US counterterrorism policies have placed severe restrictions on the NGO sector, with the Treasury freezing funds of NGOs with Islamic links. The FBI has used anti-terrorism resources to track groups that object to the government’s policies and courts have closed NGOs after one-sided hearings. However, NGOs face a moment ripe to push for positive reform. NGOs should collectively pressure the administration to use the frozen funds for charitable purposes and oversee non profits according to transparent rules, the author urges. (International Journal of Not-for-Profit Law)Nations and States
The Country That Disappeared (March 9, 2008)
In 1960, Somalia and Somaliland formed one country after their independence from the UK. However, in 1991, Somiland seceded in an attempt to escape the Somali dictator Siad Barre. It became a pro-Western Islamic democracy with low rates of corruption and crime. Despite the fact that the country has peace, universities, hospitals and its own currency, it doesn’t really exist. No other government has granted Somaliland diplomatic recognition. (Observer)A World of Selfistans? (March 13, 2008)
Why has Kosovo been able to break away from Serbia, while separatists in Kashmir and Sri Lanka still struggle to gain independence? The case of Russia and Chechnya shows that politically stable and militarily strong countries seldom loose territory through secession of minority groups. The example of Turkey – backed by the US – and Kurdistan proves that having powerful allies also helps nations to impede a break-away. While the independence of Kosovo raised hope for several separatist regions, the nations to which they belong are even more determined to hold on to them. (Foreign Policy in Focus)A Land of Camel Milk and Honey (February 27, 2007)
In 1991, Somaliland declared independence from Somalia, formed its own government and started using its own currency. Despite this secession, the US and other governments have yet to officially recognize Somaliland or offer international aid to this emergent country. This lack of assistance, however, has not stopped Somaliland from becoming a thriving nation with expanding public schools, hospitals and social services. The author attributes this success to the government and insists that it is time for the international community “to recognize Somaliland as a nation.” (New York Times)UN Reform
Business and Human Rights – Treaty Road Not Travelled (May 6, 2008)
John Ruggie, UN special representative for business and human rights, argues against legally binding rules for transnational corporations under international law. Defending his position, Ruggie argues that it takes a long time to negotiate a treaty and governments may evoke the negotiations as a pretext to not take any action on a national level. Ruggie further argues that enforcing a treaty would be difficult, rejecting the idea of an international court for companies. (Business and Human Rights)
