Yearly Archives: 2008
Child Suicide Bomber in Afghanistan
Disturbing news out of Afghanistan, where British officials say three of their marines were killed by a 13-year-old suicide bomber. From the UN News Center.
The United Nations envoy to Afghanistan has strongly condemned a suicide bombing, “allegedly” using a 13-year-old boy, against British forces in the south of the violence-wracked nation.The attack, which killed three marines, “again demonstrates the Taliban”s total disrespect for human rights,” Kai Eide, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, said in a statement issued today…
…Taliban militia sent a young boy to carry out the bombing against British troops operating in the Sangin district of Afghanistan”s southern Helmand province on Friday.
“Such unscrupulous use of children cannot be justified under any circumstances. Forcing or coercing children directly into such action is wholly unacceptable by anyone”s standards,” said Mr. Eide.
Bottom of the Ninth in Poznan
by John Anthony, Energy and Climate Communications Director, UN Foundation, writing from the UN climate summit in Poznan, Poland
It’s the bottom of the ninth inning for the UN climate change talks here in Poznan, Poland. What that equates to are issues – the clean development mechanism, (CDM) (which awards credits for funding clean energy and preventative deforestation projects,) adaptation, deforestation and other negotiating tracks all reporting out the language they have been hammering out in parallel during the past two weeks, to the full COP – The Conference of Parties (signatories) to the UN’s Framework Convention on Climate Change – a product of the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. To compare the process to the U.S. legislative landscape, envision a bill moving through the subcommittee, full committee, and full floor consideration process.
Negotiations at this stage dragged on until 4 a.m Saturday morning last year in Bali, and even then there was no agreement, and discussions were postponed several hours so weary delegates could sleep and make decisions with a clearer head. That could easily be the case here in Poznan, as a good bit of next year’s penultimate negotiations, and decisions, in Copenhagen hinge on how much of the issue agenda can be agreed to, and set, here in Poznan tonight.
Majorities in Muslim Countries Voice Support for the UN
A recent poll conducted by WorldPublicOpinion.org found that people in Muslim countries in many respects have both a higher impression of and greater expectations for the United Nations than one might instinctively assume.
Asked about a number of options for giving the United Nations greater powers, nearly all receive strong support. Publics in all nations polled favor the UN Security Council having its own standing peacekeeping force (on average 64%), having the authority to go into countries to investigate human rights violations (average 63%), and having the right to authorize military force to stop a country from supporting terrorist groups (average 76%), or to prevent severe human rights violations such as genocide (average 77%)…
Publics in five out of the six nations asked favor giving the United Nations the power to regulate the international arms trade (average 59%) and favor the UN Security Council having the right to authorize military force to prevent a country that does not have nuclear weapons from acquiring them (average 63%), to prevent a country that does not have nuclear weapons from producing nuclear fuel (average 57%), and to restore by force a democratic government that has been overthrown (average 57%).
Further, publics in all seven nations asked endorse the controversial view that the UN has a ‘responsibility to protect’ populations from severe human rights violations, “even against the will of their own government” (on average 64%). When Muslim publics are asked “Would you like to see the UN do more, do less or do about the same as it has been doing to promote human rights principles?” majorities in six out of seven publics want the UN to do more (on average 63%).
The one area where populations of Muslim nations remain skeptical, as might be suspected, is in their views of the United States’ relationship with the UN, which they view as one of hegemony, if not outright dominance.
Still, the fact that many Muslim voices accord with popular opinion here in the United States is surely one that the UN can use to its best advantage.
Gore on Ban, Barack, and Bali
by John Anthony, Energy and Climate Communications Director, UN Foundation, writing from the UN climate summit in Poznan, Poland
Al Gore just concluded his address to the conference, wrapping up by parroting the Obama campaign’s slogan “Yes we can,” as it relates to the prospects of achieving a new emissions reduction treaty.
Here are some of the highlights:
- China is ready to act – nobody in the present Congress is saying China is the obstacle
- Praised Secretary General Ban Ki-moon for his proposed Green New Deal, to both develop and implement clean energy technology, but also foster sustainable forms of development and lift global markets out of their recession.
- Praised Brazil’s pledges to avoid deforestation, and the integration of forest protections into framework
- Highlighted state and local action in the U.S. as reasons for optimism.
- Cheered grassroots activism, which has led to the cancellation of dozens of planned coal power plants.
- Cited two recent Supreme Court decisions which indicate that global warming is a threat to public health, and that carbon dioxide must be regulated by the EPA.
After hitting on political, legal, and grassroots themes, Gore then turned his attention to the recent president election results in the U.S.
Al Gore in Poznan
Here is a bootleg clip of Al Gore speaking today at the UN Climate Change Conference in Poznan, Poland. Early in the speech, he blasts “sclerotic” political systems in the developed world and says “we have to overcome the paralysis that has prevented us from acting and focus clearly and unblinkingly on this crisis, rather than spending so much time on Paris Hilton and O.J. Simpson and Anna Nicole Smith.” As always, he fires up the crowd. Check it out.
Poznan Update: Finger-pointing, Energy Efficiency, and Trust
by John Anthony, Energy and Climate Communications Director, UN Foundation, writing from the UN climate summit in Poznan, Poland
One thing that is not talked about enough at the UN climate negotiations is just how fundamentally complex a transition the world is attempting to make with regard to reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
There’s plenty of finger pointing: China and India this, and Brazil that. And too often, the United States this and that.
China and India rightly point to the industrialized world’s “historical” or sheer volume of emissions since the early 20th century. They are both in periods of rapid industrialization which, though greatly polluting their air and water, and recently, in China’s case, surpassing the level of the U.S. emissions, are also achieving vast improvements in quality of life for millions upon millions of their people.
Another point of great contention is “per capita emissions.” China is now emitting more than the U.S., but they also have more than four times the population. So the two nations are comparable when it comes to how much carbon they put in the atmosphere, but not even close when it comes to “carbon intensity.”
And that is one new area which holds promise as a component to a potential deal – agreeing to commit to energy efficiency gains, which are largely attainable with existing technologies.
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The SC; HRC; DPRK; South Sudan
The SC: The Security Council today held its last consultations under the Council Presidency of ROK. Tomorrow, Russia will take over the rotating Presidency of the Security Council for March under Ambassador Vitaly Churkin.
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The SG; Mali; Middle East; Palestine
The SG: At the Fifth Global Forum of the UN Alliance of Civilizations in Vienna, Austria today, the SG emphasized the role of youth in ensuring a “prosperous, equitable and peaceful future.”
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The SG; DRC; HRC; Palestinian Prisoner
The SG: In Ethiopia over the weekend, the SG is now in the United Arab Emirates. Today he met with Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashed Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, where the two discussed developments in the region, including Syria, Iran, Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan, and in the Middle East Peace Process.
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