Monitoring Policy Making at the United Nations |
| ||||||||||||
What Was New What's New
Week of January 14 - 18, 2008
Iraq Social and Economic Policy UN Reform Secretary General International Justice
Iraq
US Bombs Iraqi Insurgent Hideouts (January 11, 2008)
US aircrafts dropped 40,000 pounds of bombs in the southern region of Iraq in one of the largest air strikes in recent months. This unprovoked attack supposedly targeted "insurgents" in the Diyala province, but an attack of this size and scale ultimately increases the civilian mortality rate and uproots innocent Iraqis. From thousands of miles in the air, military personnel can hardly confirm the identity of these "insurgents." (New York Times)Oil for Iraqi Citizens (January 6, 2008)
This Al-Alhram article disputes the claim that "improved conditions" in Iraq have prompted 25,000 Iraqis to return to their country. Instead, deteriorating conditions in host countries Syria and Jordan are causing the return of refugees. In November 2007, the Iraqi International Initiative on Refugees urged the Security Council to pass a binding resolution requiring Iraq to defend the rights of its citizens and allocate part of Iraq's oil revenue to refugees in host countries.Security Council
Congo-Kinshasa: Over 500,000 People Displaced Last Year (January 15, 2008)
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) confirmed that half a million people have been displaced in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the past twelve months. The UN held a conference on January 15 in North Kivu and requested that the Congolese armed forces and the opposing rebel groups denounce the level of violence and discontinue the recruitment of child soldiers. (UN News)Military Leaders of Sudan and UN-AU Darfur Force Discuss Deployment (January 15, 2008)
The United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) officially took over from the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) on December 31, 2007. The UNAMID force has 9,000 troops deployed out of the mandated 26,000 and lacks adequate equipment such as helicopters. However, despite these setbacks talks resumed this week between the Sudanese Armed Force and UNAMID officials to discuss greater access to refugee camps and increased protection of the internally displaced. (UN News)Empire?
Responsibility to Protect: Moving the Campaign Forward (October 2007)
This report by the University of California, Berkeley supports the concept of Responsibility to Protect (R2P) and offers suggestions on how to move R2P from principle to practice. The study suggests the UN should bring R2P into force in order to "prevent, react to and rebuild after mass atrocities in the 21st century." The report, however, does not reflect on whether powerful countries will use force to promote their own national strategic goals rather than for "humanitarian purposes."The Schizophrenias of R2P (June 30, 2007)
Jose E. Alvarez, Professor of International Law and Diplomacy at Columbia University, warns against turning the idea of "Responsibility to Protect" (R2P) from "political rhetoric to legal norm." Alvarez asks what it means to protect and whether R2P justifies the use of preemptive force, which would explain the concept's popularity among powerful countries such as the US.Social and Economic Policy
Updated Tables and Charts on WFP Hunger Relief Shortfalls (2007)
In 2007, most WFP operations focused on sub-Saharan Africa, where droughts, floods, HIV/AIDS and conflict caused hunger crises and food insecurity. As of October, the WFP experienced an overall funding shortfall of US$653 million, not including the US$800 million needed for the end of 2007 to ensure uninterrupted food aid in 2008. As in previous years, the WFP called on donor countries to increase their untied multilateral contributions to give the program more flexibility in distributing funds to where they are most needed.
Funding Shortfalls of Hunger Crises in 2007: The 10 Largest Crises
Funding Shortfalls of Hunger Crises in 2007: The 10 Crises with the Largest Share of Shortfalls (%)
Funding Shortfalls of Hunger Crises in 2007: The 10 Crises with the Largest Value of Shortfalls (US$)
Funding Shortfalls of Hunger Crises in 2007: Regional Comparison
Ffd Briefing 1 (December 14, 2007)
Global Policy Forum Europe Director Jens Martens provides a one-page summary of the General Assembly draft resolution on the upcoming UN conference on development financing. The GA resolution - dated December 6, 2007 - expects a first draft outcome document by end of July 2008.Credit for the Poor (Fall 2007)
The global socioeconomic system rewards banks and businesses for seeking to maximize profit, rather than endorsing principles such as equity and inclusiveness. Consequently, more than half of the world's population is denied access to loans provided by conventional banks and thus has little opportunity to lift themselves out of poverty. In this Harvard International Review article, Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus argues that microcredit can be a powerful alternative.Preliminary Financing for Development Work Programme for 2008 (January 10, 2008)
The President of the UN General Assembly has published a program of work for the preparation for the development financing conference scheduled for the end of 2008 in Doha. During the year, the UN will host six thematic "review sessions" covering domestic financial resources, foreign direct investment, international trade, international aid, debt relief and reforms of the international monetary, financial and trading systems. The UN will also host "hearings" to involve NGOs and the business sector in the process.UN Reform
During the 2005 - 2006 discussions on UN management reform, Western governments and media often accused the G77 for being "counter-agents of change, resistant to all reform initiatives." This article disputes this idea, showing how the G77 plays an important role in the UN reform process. The group, however, has a different reform agenda than their richer counterparts, focused on development and the equitable distribution of resources. (Center for UN Reform Education)Mr. Ban Ki-Moon and the Future of the United Nations (January 13, 2008)
This article urges the five permanent Security Council members to give up their veto rights and recommends that the G4 - Brazil, Germany, India and Japan - join as permanent members. Seeking greater involvement of the Secretary General, the author also suggests to make the UN head an ex officio officer of the Security Council. To increase the democratic profile of the General Assembly, the author proposes that each member country appoints four representatives through national elections. (Global Research)Observe Early and Often (January 7, 2008)
Election crises in Kenya and Pakistan show that international elections assistance often fails to prevent post-election violence. The author suggests establishing a UN monitoring unit that sets standards for national election commissions. Commissions that live up to these standards will receive a UN certificate. A failure of certification could warn for potentially problematic elections. (New York Times)Secretary General
Why Washington Wants Rid of Mr Boutros Ghali (November 1996)
After the Cold War the US saw its chance to take control of the UN as the Soviet opposition bloc disappeared. But Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali instead seized the opportunity to present innovative agendas for peace and development. The skeptical US reaction to these proposals showed that "all-powerful America only wanted to deal with an ordinary bureaucrat who would, by definition, have to obey or to resign." (Le Monde diplomatique)Challenges 2007-2008: UN Remains Impotent as Captive of the US (January 10, 2008)
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon uses many great words in his New Years speech. But critics doubt that he will be able to fulfill all of his pledges for 2008. They suggest that Ban should shift focus to restore the esteem of the UN and more importantly free the organization from the domination of the US. (Inter Press Service)Opening Remarks on News Conference (January 7, 2008)
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon talks about the challenges the organization will face in 2008. Ban emphasizes the needs of the "bottom billion," the poorest in the world, calling for a strenghtened role of the UN in development issues. With the 60th birthday of the Declaration of Human Rights approaching in late 2008, Ban also stresses the importance of human rights. Finally the Secretary General recommends expanding public awareness about climate change. (UN News)International Justice
Kony Rejects Talks Deadline (January 9, 2008)
Talks between the Ugandan government and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) to secure peace in Northern Uganda have been going on since early 2006, but recently have stalled. In an apparent bid to get the negotiations moving, Ugandan president Musevini has set January 31, 2008 as the deadline for a peace deal. This deadline, however, is deemed "a threat that undermines the peace process" by Joseph Kony, leader of the LRA.(Institute for War and Peace Reporting)Bodyguard Testifies against Taylor at War Crimes Trial (January 10, 2008)
After a 6-month postponement, Charles Taylor's trial reopened at the ICC in The Hague. This Independent article reports on the testimony by Charles Taylor's former bodyguard, who informed the ICC of the direct connection between the former president of Liberia and the rebels on the front line during Sierra Leone's bloody civil war. Charles Taylor stands accused of fuelling the conflict by backing Sierra Leone's Revolutionary United Front rebels in order to plunder the country's diamond wealth.
