United Nations News
Track how the United Nations influences global issues such as climate, human rights, and peacekeeping, with reporting and commentary.
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- News
Senators Slam Obama for Misleading Other Countries to Pass UN Climate Treaty
Republican lawmakers have asked the Obama administration to be more “forthright” with the international community about the limits of his authority to implement a United Nations climate treaty without Senate approval. “We are concerned the administration has not been forthright in acknowledging the legal limitations of the president’s domestic climate actions,” Republicans on the Senate…Michael Bastasch -
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Rejection of UN Nuke Ban Not Enough, Administration Must Do More to Maintain Arsenal
Although last month the Obama administration led a misguided effort in the United Nations Security Council to pass a resolution on nuclear weapons testing, it apparently understands the downside of supporting a treaty to ban nuclear weapons. In an Oct. 14 statement, the Obama administration rejected a U.N. effort to “declare a ban on nuclear…Michaela Dodge -
- Opinion
Here’s Why It’s Wrong That America Refused to Defend Its Embargo on Cuba at the UN
For the first time ever, the United States abstained from voting on a United Nations resolution condemning America’s embargo on Cuba. This breaks decades of bipartisan support for U.S. law on the international stage. It shows just how far the Obama administration is willing to take its misguided and ill-informed Cuba policy. For the past…Ana Quintana -
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Planned Parenthood’s 100th (Un)Birthday Is No Cause to Celebrate
As this month marks Planned Parenthood’s 100th anniversary, we should pause and consider its destructive legacy. Founded by eugenicist Margaret Sanger in 1916, what is now known as the Planned Parenthood Federation of America began as a small birth control clinic in New York City. Sanger was motivated by her belief that artificial birth control…Melanie Israel -
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Obama’s Use of UN to Advance Partisan Agenda Hurts the Organization Long Term
President Barack Obama gave his eighth and final address to the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday morning. The tone was reminiscent of past speeches in a number of ways, both good and bad. The rhetoric was soaring in parts and it was well delivered. However, his characterization of the world and his successes tended toward…Brett Schaefer -
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The US Should Halt UN Aid for Hamas
Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security service, has arrested two aid workers this summer and charged them with funneling funds to Hamas, the terrorist group that controls the Gaza Strip, according to reports. A substantial amount of these funds were provided by the U.S. government for charitable, humanitarian, and development purposes. But, if these charges are…Brett Schaefer -
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Obama Seeks to Circumvent Congressional Opposition by Advancing Nuclear Agenda at UN
President Barack Obama has supported a ban on nuclear testing since his earliest days in office, but has been unable to rally support for ratification of a nuclear test ban treaty in the U.S. Senate. Frustrated with this opposition and facing the end of his second term, The Washington Post reports, Obama will bypass Congress and seek a United…Brett Schaefer -
- Opinion
The UN Funds Repressive Regimes at the Expense of US Taxpayers
A new report shows how the U.S. contributes more money to the U.N. than it spends on shipbuilding for the Navy, yet there is a huge disparity in what it receives back compared to many repressive countries. The United Nations recently released a report detailing the countries of registration of the recipient vendors of $17.6…Brett Schaefer -
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Administration Defends UN-Funded, Anti-Israel Textbooks for Palestinians
U.S. taxpayers provide nearly $400 million a year to a United Nations program that critics say sends anti-Semitic, anti-Israel textbooks to schools for Palestinian refugees. An elementary school textbook calls the 1948 establishment of Israel a “disaster,” and a high school text tells of the “End of Days” when “Muslims fight the Jews,” among other…Fred Lucas -
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LGBT Groups Seek to Entrench Agenda at the UN
The U.N. Human Rights Council, which was created in 2006 to replace the notoriously corrupt and ineffective Commission on Human Rights, has proven disappointing in fulfilling its twofold mandate of promoting the human rights enumerated in international law and holding governments accountable when they violate individuals’ fundamental freedoms. Its meetings in Geneva are often a…Grace Melton -
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US Law Should Now Prohibit Funding to UN Climate Change Convention
On Dec. 18, 2015, the Palestinian Authority deposited its instrument of accession to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). In accordance with Article 23(2) of the treaty, the Palestinians officially became the 197th party to the UNFCCC on March 17, 2016—ninety days after depositing their instrument of accession. As was the case when…Brett Schaefer -
- Opinion
What’s Behind New UN Sanctions on North Korea
After nearly two months of debate, the U.N. Security Council unanimously approved a new resolution (2270) to punish North Korea for its most recent violations of previous U.N. resolutions. The document augments earlier U.N. measures against Pyongyang, reflecting growing international concern and resolve to confront the regime’s defiance and expanding nuclear and missile capabilities. The…Bruce Klingner -
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How UN Conferences Have Created a False Climate Narrative
Last week in Paris, I had the pleasure of speaking at an event hosted by the Heartland Institute, the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) and Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT). The conference, entitled “A Day of Examining the Data” brought climatologists to talk about the state of climate science and economists to talk about the…Nicolas Loris -
- Opinion
7 Disputes Being Debated This Week at the UN Climate Conference in Paris
Week one of the U.N. climate conference in Paris (COP21) concluded with the adoption of a draft “outcome.” This was the must-have first step if the U.N. is to have a chance of adopting a full treaty this week. The draft is riddled with unresolved and divisive issues. For instance, it contains multiple versions of…Craig Rucker -
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Happy Birthday, United Nations! 70 Years Is Enough.
Did it escape your attention that last month was the 70th birthday of the United Nations? Did you miss the opportunity to celebrate by following Elyx on an “exciting 70-day (virtual) trip around the world to shine light on the U.N.’s work”? What? You’re not familiar with Elyx, the United Nations’ first “digital ambassador”? Allow me to…Clifford May -
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When It Comes to Prosperity and Poverty, the UN Still Doesn’t Get It
The announcement last week that Angus Deaton of Princeton University won the 2015 Nobel Prize in economics offers an opportunity to celebrate the gains the world has made, and to reflect on how we can do better. Unfortunately, the United Nations has not taken that opportunity. Deaton’s research focuses on the use of data from…Ted Bromund -
- Opinion
Palestinian President’s UN Speech Falls Flat
After weeks of hinting that he would “drop a bombshell” at the United Nations, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday threatened to stop abiding by the 1993 Oslo Accords, which have set the framework for Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations for more than two decades. In his speech to the U.N. General Assembly, Abbas complained that…James Phillips -
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Obama Puts Positive Spin on Disastrous Foreign Policy in UN Speech
President Obama’s seventh speech to the United Nations was well-received on Monday. This is hardly surprising, as his policies have been a broad embrace of priorities and tactics that have long been championed by the majority of the world’s governments. As stated by Peter Wittig, Germany’s ambassador to the United States and formerly Germany’s permanent…Brett Schaefer -
- Opinion
What’s Wrong With the UN’s New 169 Goals
The United Nations is quite proud of its Millennium Development Goals—the criteria it uses to measure the success of economic development programs. In a 2013 report, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon “modestly” stated that “Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have been the most successful global anti-poverty push in history.” Of course, this is vastly overstated. In…Brett Schaefer -
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5 Reasons Lawmakers Should Ignore the UN Vote and Reject Iran Deal
The United Nations Security Council unanimously voted Monday morning to support the Iran nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. President Obama did so despite strong opposition from Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., and Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., chairman and ranking member, respectively, of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Rep. Ed Royce, R-Calif.,…Michaela Dodge