Monitoring Policy Making at the United Nations |
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What Was New What's New
Week of April 28 - May 2, 2008
Iraq Security Council Empire? Social and Economic Policy Globalization NGOs Nations and States Secretary General
Iraq
UNHCR Iraq Situation: Supplementary Appeal 2008 (January 2, 2008)
According to this report by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), more than 4 million Iraqis are currently displaced from their homes, including 2.2 million inside of Iraq and up to 2 million refugees. Neighboring countries are restricting Iraqis right of entrance and those already resettled are unable to gain the residency status to work. Although UNHCR is implementing changes to reduce assistance wait times, Iraqi refugees must often wait up to two months after registering with to receive any help.The New Walls of Baghdad (April 21, 2008)
By modeling their military strategies on the French occupation of Algeria, the US and Israel believe they can “get right what the French did not.” However, the two countries have failed to learn the most important lesson: “that they could have negotiated a withdrawal far earlier and spared all this bloodshed and violence.” The US mimics Israeli policies in Iraq by creating hundreds of checkpoints and using twelve-foot-tall concrete walls, separating Sunnis and Shias into enclaves surrounded by razor wire. (Foreign Policy in Focus)Sectarian Conflict: Who's to Blame? (April 2008)
US forces incite sectarian violence amongst different ethnic and religious groups in Iraq, in order to gain support for a continued presence. In a survey conducted by the Iraq Center for Research and Strategic Studies, the largest percentage of Iraqis polled said they see themselves as “just Muslim rather than Sunni or Shia.” The National Foundation Congress, a group of Iraqi citizens denouncing sectarianism in Iraq, claims national unity can occur but only when the US announces a timetable for withdrawal. (Guernica)Letter to the Security Council on MNF Detention Practices in Iraq (April 28, 2008)
This Human Rights Watch (HRW) letter to UN Security Council members expresses concern that the Council-mandated Multinational Force is holding a large number of detainees in Iraq for lengthy periods without judicial review. HRW calls on the Security Council to “insist” that MNF practices conform to international human rights law.Security Council
Europe, Israel and Palestine: Endgame (April 2008)
The European Union (EU) misses an opportunity to act as an independent mediator in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Author George Joffé argues that the EU defers to US policy in the Middle East, believing that Europe needs US military support to ward off the perceived threat of “global terrorism.” As a result, the EU excludes Hamas from constructive peace talks, and perpetuates a humanitarian crisis in Gaza by denying finance to the democratically elected Hamas government. (FRIDE)DRC Mining Contract Review: Oversight and State of Play (April 2008)
In March 2008, the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) published a review claiming that it would renegotiate the exploitative mining contracts signed during the civil war (1996-2006). However, this renegotiation process remains secretive, with the DRC government excluding NGOs from participating in the negotiations. This report urges the DRC to distribute money from natural resources to local communities, and to publicize government income from rich multi-national corporations. (A Fair Share of Congo)Haiti: Empty Stomachs, Stormy Politics (April 21, 2008)
The increase in world food prices undermines the progress of the UN stabilization force in Haiti (MINUSTAH), states openDemocracy. Food prices have increased by 40 percent in Haiti since 2007, causing riots and the removal of Prime Minister Jacques-Édouard Alexis. The author argues that neo-liberal policies are to blame for the food price rise, and suggests that Haiti invest in domestic agriculture as a long-term solution to the food crisis, rather than importing food from the US.Report of the Secretary General on Small Arms (April 17, 2008)
Security Council members fail to reduce small arms flows, says Ban Ki-moon. Despite UN arms embargos, small arms remain widely available in countries like Somalia and Sudan. Ban urges member states to share data on the sale and flow of these weapons, and recommends that the Security Council incorporate embargo-monitoring units to peacekeeping missions and create an international mechanism to trace arms transactions.The Arctic Oil Rush (May 2008)
Russia and the US compete for vast oil reserves in the Arctic, according to Vanity Fair. Although the UN currently prohibits oil exploration in the area under the Law of the Sea Convention, both countries claim territorial rights to the region stating that their continental shelf extends to the polar ice cap. The author warns that drilling for oil in the Arctic will speed up global warming, destroy fragile ecosystems, and threaten the existence of indigenous populations in the Arctic.Empire?
Behind TV Analysts, Pentagon’s Hidden Hand (April 20, 2008)
New York Times reveals that the Pentagon groomed a ‘media Trojan horse’ of retired military generals to appear as “objective” specialists in mass media and shape public perceptions in favor of the administration’s terrorism policy. Many of these “analysts,” which Fox News, NBC and CNN employed, worked as lobbyists for military contractors and held positions at defense firms that sought Pentagon contracts. This article argues that an “implicit trade of privileged access for favorable coverage” between military analysts and Department of Defense has destroyed the dividing line between government and journalism.Oil for War (March 10, 2008)
Great powers can no longer secure energy resources through military means as the side “with the most guns goes bankrupt,” this essay claims. Iran has negotiated lucrative energy contracts with Iraq, whilst the US spends US$1 billion a week in fuel costs to secure Iraq’s oil reserves. China and Russia project global influence through economic alliances that keep them out of the battlefield. This American Conservative analysis concludes that the US can either “chase its own fuel tail,” or adapt to a world where markets trump militarism.The R2P Controversy (March 2008)
This Development & Cooperation debate showcases an ardent proponent and a fierce critic of the “Responsibility to Protect” (R2P) doctrine. Ramesh Thakur argues that R2P offers a sound basis for deriving the rules of multilateral action in a world that, he believes, can never free itself of military intervention. Such thinking contributes to a “new militarism” because violence can never achieve humanitarian goals, urges Mary Ellen O’Connell. Rather than legitimize “doing good” by violent means, O’ Connell suggests that the UN adopt a responsibility to do no harm.The Future of American Power (May 2008)
The US will remain a dominant power if only Washington would “accept some pain now for great gain later,” argues wishfully the editor of Foreign Affairs, Fareed Zakaria. In contrast to the British Empire, the US is not suffering from irreversible economic deterioration, asserts Zakaria. Rather, it faces a political challenge. The rise of China, Europe and India undermines the US role as the global source of innovation. Zakaria argues that the US can avoid this challenge through policy adjustments, like greater funding for scientific training.Australia's Hidden Empire (March 6, 2008)
This New Statesman article argues that Australia has copied the tactics of US Westward expansion and created an “imperial network,” which stretches “from the Aboriginal slums of Sydney to the ancient hinterlands of the continent and across the Arafura Sea and the South Pacific.” As US settlers massacred Native Americans, Australian rulers decimated an Aboriginal population and subsumed their land. More recently, the government has forced access to oil off the coast of East Timor, outside Australian jurisdiction, and entrenched its military in areas of interest, from Papua New Guinea to Iraq.Social and Economic Policy
Public Action to Remedy Hunger (August 2, 1990)
Nobel Laureate and development economist Amartya Sen attacks the defeatist notion that “nothing can be done” about world hunger. Democratic processes and uncensored press can hold governments accountable for failing to prevent starvation. Also, Sen argues, economic institutions and social movements must be part of any integrated approach to end hunger. Rather than seeing the public as “the long-suffering patient,” Sen argues that public action can eradicate large-scale starvation. (Hunger Project)Monsanto's Harvest of Fear (May 2008)
Monsanto, originally a chemical giant with a dubious environmental and public health record, has recast itself as an “agricultural company” with a mission to “make the world a better place for future generations.” Monsanto claims that its genetically modified (GM) seeds can improve crop productivity, “alleviate poverty, and feed the hungry.” This article discusses the company’s aggressive efforts to maintain its monopoly in the global seed market and consequently, its enormous control over world food supply. (Vanity Fair)The World’s Food Insecurity (April 24, 2008)
In comparing the world food crisis of 2008 to that of 1973-74, the author finds many similarities, “despite all the supposed progress of the globalized world economy.” Governments never implemented many of the proposals for ending hunger offered in the early seventies, such as a World Food Bank and an International Fund for Agricultural Development. According to the author, the fact that a food crisis can reoccur over three decades later, reflects badly on the global governance institutions. In addition, the author points to two elements that can worsen 2008’s food crisis: climate change and the effect of financial speculation on food prices. (openDemocracy)Globalization
Spreading the Benefits of Globalization (March 26, 2008)
Increasingly, the public, economists and development analysts are questioning whether globalization has delivered on its “promised benefits.” Various reports show a trend of increased inequality in the world, between the North and the South, but also within both poor and rich nations. The author concludes that a tiny group at the top of global society reaps the rewards of globalization, while the vast majority of people miss out. He supports drastic re-distribution from the top down, such as increasing income tax for top earners, and eliminating income tax for those earning less than a given average national income. (World Economy & Development in Brief)NGOs
NGOs Withering Under Foreign Currency Shortages (April 24, 2008)
NGOs in Zimbabwe face collapse because they cannot withdraw funds from the Zimbabwe Reserve Bank (ZRB), where the government requires they hold all currency. Many NGO staff have not received wages since 2007 and healthcare charities cannot buy antiretroviral drugs for HIV/AIDS relief. Some fear that if the government-controlled ZRB continues to “financially throttle” NGOs, they will close en masse by the second half of 2008 amidst a humanitarian disaster. (Plus News)Wireless Technology for Social Change: Trends in Mobile Use by NGOs (2008)
This UN Foundation – Vodaphone Group Foundation Partnership paper publicizes a public-private initiative to sell mobile technology to poorer nations, and argues that “telecommunications can be a powerful tool for positive change in the world.” Yet empirical evidence in the report fails to show that mobile initiatives achieve development goals. NGOs in healthcare studies gathered data with mobile phones, but could rarely use the information in the field because they lacked technology for data storage and analysis. The case studies also focused on small mobile networks, which the authors acknowledged rarely reach the poorest areas. The report peppers the research with success stories of mobile initiatives in rich countries, like text message sex education in the UK.Nations and States
Uighurs Struggle in a World Reshaped by Chinese Influx (April 28, 2008)
To prevent the Uighur people – a Muslim ethnic group – from claiming separation, the Chinese government has taken measures to increase the Han population in the Chinese province Xinjiang. In a few decades, the Han population in the province grew from 6 to 40 percent. Attempting to defend their culture, more and more Uighurs are turning to Islam to confirm their identity. The government is responding by subjecting the Muslim population to religious restrictions such as the prohibition of bringing the Koran to university. (Christian Science Monitor)Climate a “Life and Death” Issue for Native Peoples (April 24, 2008)
During the 7th annual meeting of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, indigenous leaders urged UN member states to adopt the “Universal Declaration on the Rights of the Indigenous Peoples” into domestic law. The UN General Assembly passed this resolution in 2007, but as this body is unable to make resolutions legally binding, many indigenous communities still have no formal rights over their territory and resources. Consequently, governments and transnational corporations harm native peoples, making extensively use of their lands and forests. (Inter Press Service)Separatist Movements Seek Inspiration in Kosovo (February 22, 2008)
The independence of Kosovo has shown once more the lack of unanimity within the European Union. Six countries do not back the new European nation, fearing its self proclaimed autonomy will set a precedent for their own ethnic minorities. This article provides an overview of these countries and the struggle for autonomy of their respective minority groups. Spain was the first country to state it was not going to back Kosovo’s independence, fearing the example it would set for the Basque region. (Der Spiegel)Secretary General
The UN’s Acting Secretary General U Thant (November 10, 1961)
In 1961, U Thant succeeded Dag Hammarskjöld as UN Secretary General, after serious disagreements between Russia and the US on the number of assistant Secretary Generals. As the oldest son in a family of landowners, he quit university to support his family when his father died. He began a career in journalism and became speechwriter and secretary of his personal friend and Burmese Prime Minister U Nu. In 1952 he joined the UN delegation of Burma and before becoming Secretary General he held several posts at the UN. This article expects that, unlike his bold predecessor, U Thant will be a patient and efficient Secretary General. (Time)The Return of Dag (September 2005)
Following in his father’s footsteps, Dag Hammarskjöld, former UN Secretary General, embarked on a public service career, despite his literary vocation. Before joining the UN he was involved in Swedish politics as head of the finance ministry. As chief of the United Nations he was responsible for the first major deployment of troops in Congo, he introduced “preventive diplomacy” and he broadened the role of the Secretary General. (UN Special)
