United Nations (UN)
1,342 Articles
Why Trump’s Aid Cuts to Syria, Gaza and West Bank Heighten Risk to U.S.
The Trump administration recently announced, in a cascade of shortsighted decisions, that it will cut at least $700 million in aid to Syria and to the West Bank and Gaza, some…
U.N. Peace Operations Should Get Off the Counter-Terror Bandwagon
There has been too little discussion of the enormous risks that counter-terrorism involvement in U.N. peace operations poses for U.N. efforts to maintain and build peace.
Exclusive: U.N. Human Rights Experts Meet With Facebook on “Overly Broad” Definitions of Terrorist Content
In a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, U.N. Special Rapporteur Fionnuala Ní Aoláin says networks guidelines on removing content and users need more precision and rigor…
The Trump Administration’s Brazen Duplicity in its “Human Rights Agenda”
The State Department says it will now “pursue a robust human rights agenda" in the General Assembly and Security Council rather than the UN Human Rights Council. Ambassador Harper…
The Unchanging Reality of the UN Sex Abuse Scandal
The UN has not been doing enough to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse by its peacekeepers and there is only so much the UN can do on its own to stop the problem. These are…
Squandered Opportunity?—Despite New Agreement, South Sudan’s Civil War Continues
Although the pact reached in late June to bring an end to South Sudan's civil war is certainty a positive development, it is by no means assured that the agreement will last.
Lip Service Paid to Human Rights During UN Counterterrorism Week
Last week was counterterrorism week at United Nations headquarters in New York. Conference rooms and the General Assembly hall were abuzz as national intelligence and security…
Protecting Civilians in Cyberspace: Ideas for the Road Ahead
Distinctions between offline and online conflicts are blurring as tools and tactics deployed in cyberspace trigger real world consequences. In Mexico, for example, commercial spyware…
In Saudi Arabia, Countering Terrorism Becomes Chimera for Rights Abuses
Saudi Arabia’s drive to counter terrorism has become a convenient chimera to support crackdowns on legitimate public dissent and political or social activism of any kind, and…
Advocating for a Separate Designation Criterion on Starvation
On May 24, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2417 (2018) on conflict-related food insecurity. In many ways, the resolution is a welcome first step in drawing…
Self-Defense Against Self-Defense, In Syria And Beyond
For many years, the United States and some of its allies have taken the view that one state (say, one of them) may use armed force on the territory of another state (say, Pakistan…
United Kingdom Att’y General’s Speech on International Law and Cyber: Key Highlights
On Wednesday, the United Kingdom’s Attorney General, Jeremy Wright, QC MP, gave a speech at Chatham House on the role of international law in cyberspace. It is the first official…