United Nations
UN: increasing support for moratorium on executions
During the December 16th vote, a large majority of the General Assembly Member States voted for the eighth time in favour of a resolution against executions, so that another step has been taken towards the global abolition of the death penalty. 123 countries voted in favour. When it was first… »
U.N. Secretary-General Warns Impact of Pandemic May Last for Decades
At the United Nations, Secretary-General António Guterres warned Thursday the world could be suffering negative effects from the pandemic for decades to come. Secretary-General António Guterres: “Let’s not fool ourselves. A vaccine cannot undo damage that will stretch across years, even decades, to come. Extreme poverty is rising. The threat… »
The Agorà degli Abitanti della Terra writes to the President of the UN Assembly
The Agorà degli Abitanti della Terra sent the following letter to VolKan Bozkir, President of the UN Assembly that will meet on 3 and 4 December to finally discuss the issue of the Covid-19 pandemic. For the global health,… »
Letter from the Agora of the Inhabitants of the Earth
Dear Madam, Dear Sir, We hereby take the liberty of drawing your attention and solicit your support – a signature – to the initiative of our international citizens’ association the Agora of the Inhabitants of the Earth, in favour of a common global public policy against the Covid-19. pandemic, free… »
‘No way’ to get vital humanitarian aid into Ethiopia’s Tigray region, UN warns
With telephone lines still cut and transport links disrupted, it is impossible for humanitarians to get vital supplies into Ethiopia’s Tigray region or assess evolving humanitarian needs, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has said. “With roads closed, food, health and other emergency supplies have currently… »
The unsustainability of hypocrisy
Every year the team at Reaching Critical Will, the disarmament arm of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom report on all international forums concerned with disarmament. At this time of year they follow the First Committee of the United Nations General Assembly which deals with “disarmament, global challenges… »
The Future We Want, The UN We Need
By Robert W. Sandford As we reflect on this week and celebrate the United Nations’ rise in the war-ravaged world some 75 years ago, humanity is again being asked to lay the foundation for a new world. As in 1945, we are… »
Libya: Bachelet Appoints Independent Fact-Finding Mission Experts
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said the deteriorating security situation in Libya and the absence of a functioning judicial system underscored the importance of the work of a team of independent experts to document human rights violations and abuses. The High Commissioner today announced the appointment of… »
Time Is Not on Our Side in Libya
By Vijay Prashad Ahmed, who lives in Tripoli, Libya, texts me that the city is quieter than before. The army of General Khalifa Haftar—who controls large parts of eastern Libya—has withdrawn from the southern part of the capital and is now holding fast in the city of Sirte and at… »
North Africa: Algeria – Open letter to Mr. António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations
Human rights activist Rabah Arkam has written a letter to United Nations Secretary General António Guterres regarding unacceptable human rights violations in Algeria. The activist’s objective is to call for an end to the wave of arrests resulting from the repressive policy and human rights violations by the Algerian regime. »