Monitoring Policy Making at the United Nations |
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What Was New What's New
Week of March 10 - 14, 2008
Iraq Security Council Empire? Social and Economic Policy NGOs Nations and States UN Reform
UN Finance Secretary General International Justice
Iraq
Armed Humanitarianism (March 5, 2008)
This ISN Security Watch article addresses the relationship between private security companies (PSCs) and humanitarian organizations working in Iraq. This growing affiliation results from three factors: “the dangers facing humanitarian aid workers, the discourse on the use and morality of armed private security services and finally, the tendency of government agencies to rely upon NGOs and private contractors to implement their programs." Despite this alliance, many NGOs oppose the use of PSCs to further humanitarian aid because of the controversy surrounding private security firms and their lack of accountability.Iraq Will Not Be A Qaedistan (March 7, 2008)
The Bush administration emphasizes the power of Al-Qaeda and the possibility of it taking over Iraq as a justification for continuing the occupation. Less powerful than groups like the Taliban, Al-Qaeda is a “non-territorial global entity which has never tried to implement an Islamic state, even in Afghanistan, where it found sanctuary in 1990s.” The ethnicities of Al-Qaeda members are diverse and fragmented; therefore, Al-Qaeda does not have the local support needed to gain power in Iraq or Afghanistan. (International Herald Tribune)Top Iraq Contractor Skirts US Taxes Offshore (March 6, 2008)
“With an estimated $16 billion in contracts, Kellogg Brown & Root is by far the largest contractor in Iraq, with eight times the work of its nearest competitor.” In 2002, KBR, a former subsidiary of Halliburton Corporation, signed a lucrative secret contract to rebuild the Iraqi oil industry with the Department of Defense, one year before the Iraq war even started and only two years after Vice President Dick Cheney resigned as the chief executive of Halliburton. (Boston Globe)Security Council
Peacekeeping Grows Yet International Support Uneven – UN Official (March 11, 2008)
UN Member states have not adequately supported the increase in UN peacekeeping operations, says Jean-Marie Guéhenno, Under Secretary General for Peacekeeping. Guéhenno notes that progress in conflict areas such as Congo, Liberia and Timor Leste will be lost without more troops, logistics and technical support from UN members. Guéhenno indicates that the propensity of the Security Council to mandate complex peacekeeping operations without pledging material support undermines the credibility of the United Nations. The UN currently manages 20 operations with over 130,000 peacekeeping personnel. (UN News)Climate Change May Spark Conflict with Russia, EU Told (March 10, 2008)
This Guardian article summarizes a European Union policy paper that highlights the link between global warming and the rising competition for natural resources. Impending climate change may create conflicts between Europe and Russia as untapped resources become available. The Arctic is an example: as polar icecaps melt, Europe and Russia will attempt to control new waterways and mineral resources, “changing geostrategic dynamics in the region.”Kosovo: Once Again a Political Pawn (March 11, 2008)
This article states that since unilaterally declaring independence, Kosovo has become a “bargaining chip in a series of overlapping games for political power.” Russia has used the issue of Kosovo to secure lucrative oil and gas deals with Belgrade. Similarly, Serbia encourages partition for Serb speaking parts of Kosovo, yet uses the “Kosovo problem” to gain concessions from the European Union. The article concludes that: “all of these games are conducted at the expense of the Albanian and Serbian citizens of Kosovo, who would certainly trade them for some kind of hope for their future.” (Guardian)Report of the Secretary General on Lebanon (February 22, 2008)
Ban Ki-moon remains concerned about the deteriorating security situation in Lebanon. The Secretary General states that Israel has failed to withdraw from Lebanon as required by Security Council Resolution 1701 and Israel conducts “provocative” air drills over Lebanese territory. Ban also notes that the failure to elect a President in Lebanon has created an acute political crisis, preventing UN peacekeepers (UNIFIL) from disarming militia groups. The report concludes that these factors undermine the credibility of the United Nations and the ability of UNIFIL to fulfill its peacekeeping mandate.UN Council Should Act on Eritrea-Ethiopia – Ban (March 6, 2008)
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has urged the Security Council to address the border dispute between Ethiopia and Eritrea. The two countries disagree over the town of Badme, which an independent UN border commission awarded to Eritrea. Ethiopia has been able to disregard this delimitation, however, due to its close strategic relationship with the US. Ban notes that failure to address the “underlying causes” of the conflict could lead to renewed war between the two countries. (AlertNet)Iran Sanctions Vote Signals a Global Rift (March 5, 2008)
Despite a 14-0 vote in the Security Council, UN member states disagreed over extending sanctions against Iran. The Christian Science Monitor reports that South Africa, Vietnam, Indonesia and Libya insisted that the case against Iran was unproven and that the country needed more time to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency. In response to the sanctions, Iran stated that the decision was the work “of a few powers to advance their own agenda.”Empire?
Getting Smart About Cuba (March 7, 2008)
This article from Foreign Policy in Focus explains why the retirement of Fidel Castro broke neither Communist rule nor US opinion towards Cuba. US misperceptions of Cuba persist due to a multimillion dollar “embargo industry” which beams anti-Castro propaganda and employs thousands. In Cuba, the Castro regime has brought leaps in public services, including the largest medical school in the world. Cuba also provided a core disaster relief team when Hurricane Katrina struck – all unacknowledged. Civil liberties are poor in Cuba but propaganda attacks hamper reform. If the US expects change, it should cull the “embargo industry.”Vision for 2020 (February 1997)
This report from United States Space Command defines US policy on weapons in space. Both China and Russia supported a UN ban on space weaponry to prevent a costly arms race. Yet, the US voted against such a draft resolution and withdrew from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. The report reveals a unilateral strategy within US policy “dominating the space dimension of military operations to protect US interests and investment” and “denying” access to “adversaries.”Social and Economic Policy
The World Food Situation: New Driving Forces and Required Actions (December 2007)
In this report, Joachim von Braun evaluates the world food situation. According to von Braun, economic growth in poor countries contributes to an increased demand for “food, feed and fuel” which the slow-growing supply cannot meet. The author argues for the immediate elimination of trade barriers by rich countries, so that poor countries can access the market and even benefit from the rising food prices. In addition, poor countries need social safety nets with a specific focus on early childhood malnutrition to help avert a crisis of general malnutrition. (International Food Policy Research Institute)The False Promise of Biofuels (September 2007)
This report argues that biofuels are not the “magic elixir” in the quest for renewable energy sources. Rather, the author points to serious consequences of biofuel production, frequently overlooked as policymakers eagerly jump on the bandwagon. The report calls for moving from a focus on production, to a focus on consumption. There are no alternative energy sources to satisfy the rich world’s high per capita energy consumption, so we will have to consume less. “The big question is whether this will be forced on us by economic chaos from depletion of our non-renewable resources, or by our adapting to this inevitability in a thoughtful and organized manner.” (International Forum on Globalization)The Currency Transaction Tax: Rate and Revenue Estimates (October 2007)
In this paper, economist Rodney Schmidt proposes a Currency Transaction Tax (CTT) rate of 0.005 percent. According to Schmidt, this rate “is high enough to raise lots of money but low enough to avoid changing fundamental market behavior.” The paper does not deal with whether the tax would still be high enough to discourage harmful currency speculation - one of the original elements of the CTT. But the tax would raise at least $33 billion a year. The United Nations Development Programme estimates that $40 billion per year,for ten years, would eradicate the worst forms of poverty. (North-South Institute)NGOs
A Long Look Ahead: NGOs, Networks, and Future Social Evolution (2002)
The “information age” has revolutionized the structure of society. The internet empowers individuals to collaborate, spread information and mobilize support rapidly. NGOs are at the cutting edge of this new organizational structure because they use “social networks” to build diffuse support for transnational causes. Environmental movements use information technology to disseminate climate change statistics and organize protest across borders. The author argues that if democratic societies are to advance, they must incorporate “social networks” or face a “David and Goliath” scenario. (RAND Corporation)Nations and States
Kazakhstan’s Search for Its Identity (March 11, 2008)
When Kazakhstan gained independence in 1991, only 40 percent of the population consisted of ethnic Kazakhs. During communism, Stalin sent millions of people from other parts of the Soviet Union to concentration camps in Kazakhstan. Afterwards, those who survived contributed to a multicultural society in the region. This BBC article argues that Kazakhstan needs nation-building as well as a “unifying identity.” Schools are at the heart of this, spreading the Kazakh language as a means of solving the “national identity crisis.” Simultaneously, people are trying to unite through a common tribal history before Russian Tsars imposed their influence. This, however, jeopardizes the integration of non-Kazakhs in the society, fears historian Nurbulat Masanov.How a Tiny West African Country Became the World’s First Narco State (March 9, 2008)
Guinea-Bissau, the world’s 5th poorest country according to the UN’s development index, has become the first African “narco-state.” Ravaged by war in the 90s, Guinea-Bissau failed as a state and consequently became an ideal scene for drug traffickers. The rule of law barely exists, there are no prisons and the government remains corrupt. Colombian drugbarons take advantage of the country’s weakness, moving their usual drug trafficking channels from Latin America to the West African coast. (Guardian)Tax Havens of the World (March 4, 2008)
This article provides a list of countries labeled as tax havens by the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), taxresearch.org and the US Stop Tax Havens Abuse Act. The OECD marked Andorra, Liechtenstein and Monaco as “uncooperative” because they lack tax transparency. Many of the off-shore tax havens are small countries and “dependent territories” of the UK, the US, New Zealand and the Netherlands. (Reuters)UN Reform
United Nations and Transnational Corporations: A Deadly Association (April 4, 2007)
John Ruggie, UN Special Representative on transnational corporations and advisor to the Global Compact, stated in his February 2007 report to the Human Rights Council that transnational corporations “should not be placed under international law.” The author argues that Ruggie’s ideas are in line with the philosophy behind the Global Compact, which promotes weak voluntary guidelines rather than binding international regulation requiring companies to respect basic human rights and labor standards. The article criticizes Ruggie’s – and the UN’s – failure to acknowledge the “serious economic, political and social problems represented by the disproportionate power of large transnational corporations.” (Transnational Institute)UN Finance
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP): Sources of Income
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR): Income and Expenditure:
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA): Sources of Income:
Secretary General
UN’s Ban Ki-moon Emerges as Dogged Reformer (March 12, 2008)
This Christian Science Monitor article looks at UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s achievements during his first fifteen months in office. From the beginning, Ban has prioritized climate change, Darfur and UN Reform. Even though progress has been slow, the article indicates that the Secretary General has shown great persistence when it comes to these issues. In 2008, Ban is focusing partly on the problem of water in the world, urging that the UN address this matter before it causes calamities or war.International Justice
Representatives for Wanted Ugandan Rebels Visit International Criminal Court (March 10, 2008)
A delegation representing the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) visited the International Criminal Court to negotiate the dropping of charges. Though the LRA and the Ugandan government have finalized peace talks, LRA leader Joseph Kony said he would not sign a peace accord unless the ICC drops the case. Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo refused to meet with the delegation but the neutral Registry of the Court did meet them to discuss procedural details and help the LRA understand the case against them. The ICC judges can decide to drop the LRA case if the domestic legal process meets international legal standards. (International Herald Tribune)The Merchant of Death (November/December 2006)
This article exposes Viktor Bout as a ruthlessly efficient international entrepreneur, who has become successful by “exploiting cracks in the anarchy of globalization.” Though UN arms embargoes and various international laws theoretically ban his practices, there are no enforcement mechanisms to ensure compliance. Governments have been slow in adapting to globalization, and businessmen such as Bout were quick to seize the opportunities this sluggishness offered. For instance, Bout’s ability to move around aircraft, registering and reregistering them faster than governments and law enforcers can trace, is one of the reasons he has been so successful. “Perhaps the existence of the merchant of death says more about the world today than it does about the man himself.” (www.douglasfarah.com)Russian Charged with Trying to Sell Arms (March 7, 2008)
This New York Times article reports on the arrest of Viktor Bout, “one of the world’s most wanted arms traffickers,” in Bangkok. The arrest was the result of a US sting operation, with investigators posing as Colombian FARC rebels. The US has charged Bout with “conspiracy to provide material support to a terrorist organization” and is seeking his extradition from Thailand. Viktor Bout allegedly used his private fleet of Soviet-era planes and an array of companies to run a global “arms bazaar” selling weaponry to both sides during some of the bloodiest conflicts in history.
