United Nations

Cars drive along an overpass beneath a giant electronic billboard showing a banner depicting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi next to words reading "together we can", placed atop a second newly-constructed bridge in the Nasr City district of Egypt's capital Cairo on January 15, 2021.

Biden’s Egypt Problem

With Egypt, President Joe Biden has inherited a worrying human rights situation in a country that’s strategically important to the United States and its allies.

Jul. 19, 2021 Philippe Nassif and Sara Salama

Senegalese soldiers of the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali MINUSMA (United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali) patrol on foot in the streets of Gao, on July 24, 2019.

Protecting Civilians in Mali – More UN Peacekeepers Is Only Part of the Solution

The United Nations secretary-general is expected to deliver a report to the Security Council today that will make recommendations for or against the deployment of additional peacekeepers…

Jul. 15, 2021 Seán Smith

Large ships and small boats at the Asia World deep sea port in downtown Yangon on March 16, 2016 in Yangon, Burma.

Beyond the Coup in Myanmar: The Tatmadaw Must Be Hit Where it Hurts – Its Wallet

It's time for the the world to cut off Myanmar junta's access to international markets, writes Chris Sidoti.

Jul. 14, 2021 Chris Sidoti

South Korean soldiers remove landmines inside of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on October 2, 2018 in Cheorwon, South Korea.

Undermining Norms? How the Antipersonnel Mine Ban Has Endured in US Policy

The Trump shift became more notable for what it did not lead to than for what it did. Now Biden has a chance to set US policy on the side of humanity.

Jul. 14, 2021 Naomi Egel and Adam Bower

Police run through the streets with large guns, covered faces, helmets, and camouflage gear near the police station of Petion Ville after Haitian president Jovenel Moïse was murdered on July 08, 2021 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Bystanders take video or pictures with phones. Small fires burn in the street.

An Appeal to President Biden: Change Course on Haiti Now

The brazen assassination of serving President Moïse reinforces the need for the US to back Haitians in crafting their own future.

Jul. 9, 2021 Pierre Espérance

Police fire water cannons at demonstrators. A cannon hits a demonstrator flinging them through the air. The air is orange and hazy.

Duque’s War in Colombia: High Stakes For UN, OAS, and Biden Administration as Human Rights Crisis Spins Out of Control

Amid widespread protests, continued US support for Duque will further erode implementation of the peace accords and spur deeper conflict.

Jun. 22, 2021 Camilo Pérez-Bustillo

Security Council meeting on peace and security in Africa, with a focus on countering terrorism and extremism in Africa.

Why UN Counterterrorism Needs Human Rights Oversight Now

There is clear evidence that the growth of U.N. counterterrorism activity has been accompanied by significant deterioration of human rights protections.

Jun. 22, 2021 Chris Rogers and Mutuma Ruteere

A displaced Syrian family breaks their fast together for the sunset "iftar" meal during Ramadan. They sit in the middle of the rubble of their destroyed home. May 4, 2020, Ariha, Idlib province

The UN Has Options Beyond the Security Council for Cross-Border Aid to Syria

Security Council approval for cross-border aid expires July 10. Can the UN continue aid operations without Council authorization?

Jun. 21, 2021 Rebecca Barber

Somali refugees who recently crossed the border from Somalia into southern Ethiopia gather between two food tents as they wait to be called to collect food aid at the Kobe refugee camp on July 19, 2011.

UN Global Counter Terrorism Strategy and Humanitarian Action: A Case for Saving Lives

Counterterrorism measures are increasingly restricting humanitarian action, negatively impacting aid delivery, and posing security and legal risks to humanitarian actors and their…

Jun. 18, 2021 David Andrés Viñas

Children walk out of a building during the handover of orphaned children, whose parents were suspected of belonging to the Islamic State group to a Russian delegation by Syrian Kurdish officials, at the headquarters of the department for foreign affairs of the semi-autonomous Kurdish administration in Syria's northeastern city of Qamishli on April 18, 2021.

Foreign ISIS Suspects, Families: Why a Single “R” Word Matters at the UN

Whether governments should repatriate ISIS suspects and family members is under heated debate at the United Nations as it renews its Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy (GCTS).

Jun. 17, 2021 Letta Tayler and Alison Huyghe

A gate with the United Nations seal in front of the UN headquarters in New York City.

Time for a Course Correction on Counterterrorism and Civic Space

A defining feature of the U.N. counterterrorism eco-system is its lack of openness to outside expertise and civil society voices.

Jun. 15, 2021 Katerina Hadzi-Miceva Evans and Nicholas Miller

A protester wearing a facemask as protection from the coronavirus takes part in a protest over the newly approved anti-terror law on July 4, 2020 in Quezon city, Metro Manila, Philippines. The protestor carries a sign reading, “Resist Terror Law! – Spark” and raises a fist in the air. Other protestors in the background also carry signs and wear face masks.

Opening Pandora’s Box: New “Threats” in the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy

How should the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy respond to “new threats” of “terrorism"?

Jun. 14, 2021 Marc Batac and Jordan Street