Monitoring Policy Making at the United Nations |
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What Was New What's New
Week of February 18 - 22, 2008
Iraq Security Council Empire? Social and Economic Policy Nations and States International Justice
Iraq
Return to Fallujah (January 28, 2008)
This Independent article takes a look at the city of Fallujah since the 2004 US attack, which left it in a miserable condition. While the city lacks electricity, clean water and operational healthcare facilities, projects such as the Business Development Centre receive priority funding from the US. Far from seeing occupying forces as a source of assistance, residents of Fallujah claim the US “provides nothing and brings only destruction.”UN Body to Send Its First Iraq Envoy Since 2003 (February 18, 2008)
According to this Reuters article, the United Nations will send an Iraq envoy for the first time since the bombing of the UN headquarters in Baghdad in 2003. The United Nations evacuated its staff from Iraq after losing twenty-two employees in the attacks. Antonio Guterres, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, will increase staffing in Baghdad in an effort “to better help Iraqis, either displaced or fleeing the country.”The Iraq Project (January 31, 2008)
The Bush administration and media emphasize the success and short-term nature of the surge strategy in Iraq. But an increase in suicide attacks, US casualties and deaths of cooperative Sunni leaders reflect an obvious failure. The Balad air-base remains the largest US military base in the world and one of the many permanent construction sites in Iraq, proving the US does not seek a temporary presence. Despite emphasizing self-governance and democracy in Iraq, the actions of the Bush administration reflect a separate goal: “the establishment of a fully-fledged American colony in the heart of the Arab and Islamic world.” (openDemocracy)Security Council
A Third of Settlements on Land Taken for “Security Purposes” (February 17, 2008)
More than one third of the West Bank Israeli settlements were built on private Palestinian land that was temporarily seized by military order for “security purposes,” according to this Haaretz source. The Defence Ministry had previously refused to release information on the issue, telling an Israeli court that publication “would damage the states security and foreign relations.” The report notes that the legality of the settlements is now in doubt under both Israeli and international law. The report also shows the falsehood of the Israeli assertion that “military necessity” justifies keeping the settlements in existence rather than returning the land to its Palestinian owners.Security Council Deadlocked over Kosovo (February 18, 2008)
The UN Security Council remains divided over Kosovo’s declaration of independence, this Inter Press Service article states. Permanent members Britain, France and the US support the move, while China and Russia are strongly opposed. Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin criticized the US and European Union for a selective approach to the question of self-determination noting that “they sound as if they have never heard of the Palestinians [or] Western Sahara.” Churkin also warned that unilaterally bypassing international law for political expediency would undermine the foundations of the United Nations collective security system.Kosovo Declares Independence from Serbia (February 18, 2008)
The breakaway province of Kosovo has unilaterally declared independence from Serbia, sparking opposition from both Serbia and Russia within the Security Council. The province has been under a mandate of the United Nations since 1999 and is currently policed by 16,000 NATO troops. In an emergency Security Council meeting, Vitaly Churkin, Russian Ambassador to the UN stated that Kosovo’s declaration violated previous UN resolutions and that any independence was “null and void” under international law. (International Herald Tribune)UN Says Eritrea Cut Off Food to Peacekeepers (February 15, 2008)
A UN spokeswoman has stated that UNMEE troops on the Ethiopia – Eritrea border are “trapped” after Eritrea cut off food supplies and stopped the peacekeeping force from withdrawing to Ethiopia. Eritrea has been frustrated by the UN’s lack of progress in getting Ethiopia to abide by “final and binding” border limits. The UN stated that the disputed border territory belongs to Eritrea, although Ethiopia ignores the delimitation due to its close strategic relationship with the US. (Reuters)IAEA Denies Internal Row over Iran, Condemns “Hype” (February 12, 2008)
An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) official has rejected criticism of being soft on Iran, and denied claims of a disagreement over Iran’s nuclear program. The official defended the impartiality of the IAEA, saying that it would clarify the basis of Iran’s nuclear program, before objectively presenting the facts to the Security Council. The IAEA accused “Western diplomats” of using “hype” tactics to impose further Security Council action against Iran, and noted that similar tactics had been used by the US to justify military action in Iraq. (Reuters)Empire?
Asia's Hidden Arms Race (February 12, 2008)
While pushing North Korea to revise its nuclear plan, Japan, South Korea, the US, Russia and China are simultaneously competing in a hidden arms race. Japan, abandoning its peace constitution, spends billions on missile defense. Counterbalancing a decrease of US military support, South Korea’s increased military spending by 70% between 1999 and 2006. North Korea, unable to keep up with his Southern neighbour, instead holds on to the building of its nuclear power program. The US accounts for almost half of the world’s military expenditures and increased its military budget by 74% since 2001. And Russia also boosted military spending to “recover its lost superpower status.” (TomDispatch)Africom Threatens the Sovereignty, Independence and Stability of the African Continent (January 24, 2008)
In this position paper, the National Conference of Black Lawyers (NCBL) strongly oppose Africom, the US military command in Africa. Rather than “[achieving] a more stable environment in which political and economic growth can take place” The NCBL claim Africom protects US oil interests and allows the US to compete with China for dominance of Africa’s resources. In other words Africom is “likely to become a device for foreign domination.” (Pambazuka)Social and Economic Policy
Losing Ground: The Human Rights Impacts of Oil Palm Plantation Expansion in Indonesia (February 2008)
With this report, Friends of the Earth, LifeMosaic and Sawit Watch add to the discussion on biofuels by pointing out the negative human rights implications of the expanding industry. Indonesia, the world’s largest producer of crude palm oil, is developing a plantation the size of “England, The Netherlands and Switzerland combined.” The 60-90 million Indonesians who depend on forests for their livelihoods are literally “losing ground.”Alternative Financing for Development (February 7, 2008)
In this presentation at a conference on global development finance, the author criticizes development aid as being “part of a system that generates deepening inequality and dependence across and within countries.” The author uses Venezuela as an example of a new and improved approach to development, where the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA) promotes regional integration and political cooperation to help member countries develop without becoming dependent on donors in the North. (Pambazuka)Who Benefits from GM Crops? (January 2008)
Friends of the Earth opposes the way in which GM crops are widely promoted as “good for consumers, farmers and the environment.” In this report, the authors systematically assess the impact of GM crops around the world. The organization concludes that based on the available evidence in 2007, GM crops have had “neutral or negative environmental, social and economic impacts.”Nations and States
A Postmodern Declaration (February 19, 2008)
This Guardian article highlights the artificial nature of the new self-declared country Kosovo. The EU plans to appoint an International Civilian Representative with the ability to “correct or annul decisions by the Kosovo public authorities.” NATO has 16,000 troops on the ground and the new country shelters a US military camp. The author argues that this postmodern state will in practice be nothing more than a “US-EU protectorate.”Building a Failed State? (February 14, 2008)
International donors are providing money to UN agencies and NGOs in Afghanistan rather than giving financial aid to the public sector. This article argues that by promoting “small government,” donors are hindering the reconstruction of the country. At the same time donors force the country to rely on market mechanisms to access food by refusing grain subsidies, a move that could trigger starvation among the poor. The author adds that several rebuilding African countries also suffer from this “donor dogmatism” and are consequently unable to provide stability to their peoples. (Guardian)International Justice
UGANDA: Peace, Justice and the LRA (February 21, 2008)
The Ugandan government and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) have reached an agreement on war crimes trials, allowing for the national prosecution of the LRA leadership, rather than prosecution by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC may drop the issued indictments, but only if national proceedings measure up to international legal standards. The responses to this development are mixed. Human Rights Watch fears the Ugandan judiciary will need massive improvements first, while Amnesty International condemns the agreement, arguing that national prosecutions might well be a “sham.” (Integrated Regional Information Networks)
