Monitoring Policy Making at the United Nations |
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What Was New What's New
Week of April 7 - 11, 2008
Iraq Security Council Empire? Social and Economic Policy NGOs Nations and States UN Reform International Justice
Iraq
Secret US Plan for Military Future in Iraq (April 8, 2008)
According to a classified draft document leaked to the Guardian, the Bush administration intends to maintain military operations in Iraq for an indefinite period of time. The agreement between the US and Iraqi government, will allow the US to "detain individuals when necessary and contains no limits on numbers of US forces, the weapons they are able to deploy, their legal status or powers over Iraqi citizens." The document seeks to replace the current UN multinational force mandate and faces strong opposition in the US Congress and from the Iraqi Parliament.Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Relations: "Iraq after the Surge: Political Prospects" (April 2, 2008)
Nir Rosen, a journalist living in Baghdad, testified before the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations that Iraqis do not see "American soldiers as peacekeepers or policemen there to 'help' the Iraqi people." Iraqi civilians join US-funded militias in order to benefit financially and gain territory in Baghdad, not to express their solidarity with the US occupying forces. Rosen claims that clashes within the country are not on the basis of ethnic or religious differences, but rather between those collaborating with US forces and those fighting against the occupation. (Senate Committee on Foreign Relations)Intervention in Iraq, 1958-1959 (April 2008)
From 1958 to 1959, US preemptive intervention in Iraq seemed likely amid policy fears that it would become a "Soviet satellite." Parallel to 2003, the US in the 1950s suffered from national insecurity, conservative media propaganda and oil greed. President Eisenhower, however, knew enough "about the military, about occupations and about diplomacy" to understand the consequences of invading Iraq and therefore intervention was avoided. (Middle East Institute)Security Council
Horn of Africa War Possible if UN leaves - Ban (April 9, 2008)
Ban Ki-moon warns that there may be renewed war between Ethiopia and Eritrea if UN peacekeeping troops withdraw from a buffer zone separating the two countries. Eritrea blocked fuel and food supplies to peacekeepers, claiming that the UN failed to enforce an independent commission finding which granted large parts of the contentious border area to Eritrea. Ethiopia is able to ignore the UN delimitation due to its close relationship with the US. (Reuters)Report of the Secretary General on the Relationship between the UN and Regional Organizations (April 7, 2008)
Ban Ki-moon recommends that the UN Security Council and the African Union (AU) improve their cooperation in matters of peace and security. AU peacekeeping missions have increased in number and autonomy, which has led to an overlap between the two organizations in peacekeeping operations. Ban suggests that the Council clarifies the legal relationship between the UN and regional organizations governing the use of force within international relations.Asia Has Interests in Myanmar (April 7, 2008)
Several UN Member States have an interest in preventing democratic reform in Myanmar, says the Jakarta Post. The editorial notes that China supports the military rulers in exchange for natural gas and the construction of a pipeline from Myanmar into its Yunnan province. Furthermore, India and Thailand offer the junta financial support, hoping to gain favorable trade deals in the country's rich natural resources. The author concludes that free from any effective pressure, "the Myanmarese military regime can continue to thumb its nose at the world."Tyranny in Tar (January 31, 2008)
This article by, David Kretzmer, Professor of International Law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, suggests that Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories is a "judicial hypocrisy." The Israeli Supreme Court rules that Israeli military activity is lawful inside Palestinian territories only if it benefits the local Palestinian population. However, Kretzner notes that the military uses this legal framework to expand settlement activity in Palestine - by seizing real estate and land, placing severe restrictions on the local population, and constructing a highway in Gaza solely for the use of Israeli citizens. (Haaretz)Reform of the Security Council (April 2008)
This Center for UN Reform Education article reviews Security Council reform proposals from 1991-2008. The article notes that UN member states such as Italy and Pakistan cite the need for consensus to stall the reform process, and prevent regional rivals from gaining seats at the Council. Furthermore, previous efforts to increase the openness of the Council have backfired, as permanent members move the decision-making process to informal closed meeting rooms adjacent to the Security Council chambers.Empire?
Nonviolent Action and Pro-Democracy Struggles (January 24, 2008)
Non-violent civil insurrection offers an "ethical challenge" to US interventionism. From Iran to Nicaragua, the CIA has engineered coups against governments whose politics differ from US interests in the name of democracy promotion. Yet, there are compelling examples of peaceful grassroots movements that have toppled US-compliant authoritarian regimes, like the activists that brought down Marcos in the Phillipines and Suharto in Indonesia. (Foreign Policy in Focus)European Missile Defense: the America-Russia-Iran Knot (March 31, 2008)
A new arms race is afoot between the US, Iran and Russia, argues this openDemocracy article. The US plans to install a radar system on Czech soil to monitor potential Iranian missiles. Russia believes, however, that the US intends to use the system to oversee its arsenal instead. Even if Iran did possess missile stores, the US radars would fail to register long-range ballistics without homing devices. The author claims therefore, the US boasts its military might to rattle Russia and provoke Iran.Social and Economic Policy
The Clean Energy Scam (March 27, 2008)
This article argues that biofuels do not counter global warming, but actually worsen the process. Brazil's agriculture industry, in search of arable land to accommodate biofuel production, is rapidly encroaching on the Amazon. However, cutting down forests - the world's natural carbon storehouses - releases huge amounts of carbon into the biosphere. Sadly, with many governments subsidizing biofuel production, deforestation will continue unabated, leading to higher food prices, and more carbon emission. (Time)Food Prices Threaten Global Security - UN (April 9, 2008)
John Holmes, UN Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, warns that rising food prices threaten global security and political stability. Violent food riots and protests against steep price rises of staple foods are already happening around the world. In Egypt, a doubling of basic food prices led to two days of violent rioting in April 2008. (Guardian)A Challenge of Economic Statecraft (April 2, 2008)
In this speech, World Bank President Robert Zoellick proposes a "New Deal for Global Food Policy," which should not only focus on malnutrition and access to food, but also take into account broader development issues. Zoellick says the World Bank could push for a "Green Revolution" in sub-Saharan Africa or boost investment in agribusinesses. His plans reflect an endless trust in global market solutions, without acknowledging how these forces may be responsible for the global food crisis the World Bank proposes to solve. (World Bank)USA 2008: The Great Depression (April 1, 2008)
This Independent article notes that a record high number of US citizens - 28 million - rely on food stamps to feed themselves and their families. According to the author, this constitutes a "sure sign the world's richest country faces economic crisis." Though the global hike in food prices disproportionately affects poor countries, this article shows that rich countries, such as the US, are not immune.NGOs
UN Mine Action Team Still in Business (April 8, 2008)
UN member states have reduced but not eliminated landmines, in line with the 1997 Ottawa Convention. Signatories of the treaty have worked with 14 UN agencies to rid the world of landmines, which has decreased land mine casualties from 25,000 a year in the 1990s to between 5,600 and 12,000 in 2006. Yet, 24 countries have not fulfilled their obligations. The UNA-USA Council of Organizations urges that these countries cooperate and that all UN members sign a new treaty to ban cluster munitions in the wake of the 2006 Lebanon War. (UNA-USA)Civil Society Actors in International Law and World Politics: Definition, Conceptual Framework, Problems (January 2008)
This paper argues that NGOs powerfully shape global politics. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, NGOs have increased in activity because governments inadequately deal with global problems like human rights violations and climate change. As entities distinct from governments, NGOs can mobilize and expand support for causes across borders. The author cites the Coalition for an International Criminal Court as a powerful example of how a global NGO network has reshaped international law. (International Journal of Civil Society Law)Somewhere in Between: Conceptualizing Civil Society (December 2007)
This paper describes how scholars from Aristotle to Marx have struggled to define civil society, and concludes that it is a vague concept. The author broadly describes civil society as a social form that harbors diverse interests distinct from, but shaped by, "state" and "market" influence. While some NGOs and citizen groups oppose government and business involvement in their activities, others cooperate closely with such actors. Regardless of their attitude to state and business, the article concludes that civil society creates an area for free public debate. (International Journal of Not-for-Profit Law)Nations and States
Wanted - Home for Small Island People (April 4, 2008)
During the Bangkok Climate Change Talks, the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) warned that rising sea levels are threatening the very existence of their countries. The Pacific island nation Tuvalu, forced to find a new home for its population in the next couple of years, has made a deal with New Zealand to accept 17 Tuvaluans on its territory each year. At the Bangkok conference, the SIDS have urged donor countries to provide them with aid to overcome the threats of climate change, hoping to escape the fate of the Tuvaluans. (Inter Press Service)Indigenous Movements in the Americas: From Demand for Recognition to Building Autonomies (February 26, 2008)
Indigenous peoples in Latin America are demanding autonomy, in addition to constitutional recognition. Since the 1990s, several Latin American governments have recognized the rights of indigenous peoples in their legislation, but they have not ceded any real political power. Indigenous movements now seek to construct their own independent political regimes. The author points out that they will only succeed if the Latin American nation-state undergoes serious changes. (CIP Americas Policy Program)The Case for Fewer but Stronger Currencies (February 19, 2006)
Many economists argue that smaller countries benefit from replacing their national currency with the dollar as it stimulates foreign investment, GDP growth and economic stability. However, critics argue that some countries, such as Mexico, have already overcome inflation without adopting a foreign currency. They also point out that unlike the eurozone, where countries have a seat in the European Central Bank, dollarized countries lack any influence over US monetary policymaking. (New York Times)Currencies of the World
This table ranks all the countries of the world and their respective currencies. Table
UN Reform
Remarks to the General Assembly Thematic Debate "Toward a Common Understanding of Management Reform" (April 8, 2008)
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon emphasized the urgent need for UN management reform, as the organization has to take on more responsibilities with fewer resources. Ban talked about speeding up the UN's recruitment process and improving the selection of top managers. To increase the accountability of individual managers and their decisions, UN staff will be able to assess the Secretary General's "Compacts" with senior managers, which lists their responsibilities. (UN News)International Justice
The Challenge of Justice in Negotiating Peace (June 2007)
This paper, written for the conference "Building a Future on Peace and Justice," studies the peace process in Liberia and Sierra Leone and makes recommendations for other post-conflict situations. In Sierra Leone, the initial granting of amnesty to war crimes suspects did not prevent the Special Court for Sierra Leone from prosecuting indicted suspects later on. In Liberia, the arrest of Charles Taylor actually simplified the peace process. These examples show that peace and justice are not necessarily mutually exclusive.
