The first, big step towards North Korean disarmament was confirmed by IAEA inspectors today. The plutonium producing facility in Yongbyon is now closed—the result of a diplomatic breakthrough acheived through the Six Party talks in February.
So what does this mean? For one, it shows just how impractical refusing to negotiate with one's enemies can be. From December 2002 to February 2007 -- when direct diplomacy was shunned -- the North Korean government is estimated to have produced enough plutonium for ten nuclear weapons (and of course, actually detonated a nuclear weapon last October.) But more to the point, the recent progress shows that Security Council unanimity, combined with focused regional diplomacy and direct bilateral engagement with the United States can achieve desirable non-proliferation outcomes.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has announced that it's reached an agreement with Iranian authorities to allow new inspections and safeguards.
...[I]nspectors will visit the heavy water research reactor at Arak by the end of this month and will also finalize the safeguards approach at the fuel enrichment plant in Natanz early next month, the IAEA said in a press statement issued at its headquarters in Vienna.More
From the White House:
President Bush will meet with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the White House on July 17. The President looks forward to discussing with Secretary-General Ban the many important issues on which the United Nations is engaged, including human rights, international peace and security, humanitarian and development assistance, and U.N. reform. They will also discuss other topics of mutual concern, including international support for Iraq and Afghanistan, and the Darfur crisis in Sudan.
Earlier this week UN Dispatch offered a critique of Megadeth's title track to their new album "United Abominations." The piece got some attention from heavy metal discussion boards, and on the website of Megadeth's record label front man Dave Mustaine responds to our criticisms. "I would rather feel right and be wrong with the semantics or facts in the song...than to feel wrong and be right," writes Mustaine in a lengthy post.
Good for Mustaine to admit he misrepresented facts about the United Nations in his song, even if he still feels them to be true. (There is a word for this by the way.)
Also, to his credit, Mustaine sees the silver lining of this little spat:
"Bottom line is I am stoked to see you all having this discussion about things that matter to us all. What a victory...I dig it when [fans] get to have discussions like this because we all win; we all learn something."We dig it too. Promoting thoughtful discussions about the United Nations and multilateral diplomacy is what this site is all about.
The global treaty to protect the rights of the estimated 650 million disabled people worldwide could take effect by early next year after Qatar became the 100th country to sign the pact.
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities will enter into force 30 days after the 20th country ratifies the treaty, but so far only Jamaica has taken the step of ratification. The UN Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities estimates that the next 19 ratifications could be reached by as early as the end of this year.More
Senator Biden's post now in the Delegates' Lounge will be the last installment of our Post on Peace series, dedicated to a discussion on conflict and its causes broadly defined. Over the last few months, we have hosted commentary by two other legislators, Congressman Donald Payne and Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey; academics Stephen Schlesinger, John Prendergast, and Susan Rice; UN officials like the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, the former Head of the UNFPA, and two representatives from the UN peacekeeping mission in Liberia (link and link); a former U.S. Perm Rep to the UN; and, of course, Mark Goldberg's comprehensive Keeping the Peace series.
It's time to take the banner down, but you can always find the posts in our archives. We hope you've enjoyed the series and will continue to visit UN Dispatch for commentary on conflict and all other matters related to multilateralism and diplomacy.
Without much fanfare, there has been a recent flury of progress toward actual, verifiable North Korean nuclear disarmament. In the latest development, the IAEA announced this morning that a team should be on the ground by Saturday, July 14 to oversee the shutdown of the plutonium producing Yongbyon facility.
So what does this mean for the wider non-proliferation debate? It would seem that Security Council sanctions, backed by regional diplomacy and direct bi-lateral engagement with the United States can coax a country away from its nuclear ambitions.
The United Nations Population Fund has chosen "Men as Partners in Maternal Health" as the theme of World Population Day.
UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid says, "Men are equal partners in making the new life that the women will deliver." She added, "Experience shows that male involvement can make a substantial difference when it comes to preserving the health and lives of women and children."
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour has called on nations to ensure that strategies to achieve anti-poverty goals be grounded in internationally recognized human rights.
She cited sobering statistics on child mortality, saying it remains "deeply troubling" in parts of Africa, while the number of people dying of HIV and AIDS worldwide increased to 2.9 million in 2006. In addition, sub-Saharan Africa is presently not on track to achieve any of the global anti-poverty targets, known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), she noted."The disturbing midpoint snapshot must serve as a call to action on behalf of us all...Despite progress in some areas and in some parts of the world, it appears that governments are not honouring the commitments they have made." More