Yearly Archives: 2009
Two out of the ten finalists for AP Female Athlete of the Year are…Horses
Over at the Huffington Post Dispatch god-father Peter Daou offers his prediction that 2010 will be a horrible year for women. He writes, “Another decade closes, another decade dawns, another thing you can bet on in the years to come: women across this planet will be disrespected, beaten, abused, violated, oppressed. Simply for being born female.”
The Power of Engagement at United Nations
There was a flurry of activity at the United Nations last week on the human rights front. For the past three months the “Third Committee” of the General Assembly, which includes under its purview human rights issues, has been considering a number of items. These ranged from country-specific resolutions against Iran, Myanmar and North Korea to thematic issues like from discrimination, torture and human rights treaties.
Members of U.S. Congress Invoke their Faith to Oppose Ugandan anti-Gay law
Five Republican members of Congress penned a letter to Ugandan President Yoweri Mouseveni urging him to do everything within his constitutional authority to stop legislation that would criminalize homosexuality, sometimes under the penalty of death, from being enacted in Uganda. The signatories, Representatives Chris Smith, Frank Wolf, Joe Pitts, Trent Franks and Anh “Joseph” Cao are conservative, members of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission and self-proclaimed “men of faith.”
Pakistan, India, and Nuclear Winter
Scientific American has a cheery article on up their website right now, estimating the global impact of a nuclear war between India and Pakistan. The result: sunlight is reduced, the planet cools, and the growing season shortens. Drought ensues. The ozone layer erodes. Global agriculture is decimated.
Ban Ki Moon’s Reaction to Copenhagen Accord
This just came in over my transom. Ban Ki Moon’s official statement on the Copenhagen Accord, issued yesterday afternoon.
The Secretary-General welcomes the outcome of the 15th meeting of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the 5th Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol. He thanks the Government of Denmark for hosting the conference and leading the negotiations to a successful conclusions with substantive outcomes.
UN Plaza: Interview with Patrick Meier of iRevolution
In this edition of UN Plaza, I speak with Patrick Meier of Tufts University and the blog iRevolution. Patrick is also co-author of the UN Foundation and Vodafone Foundation Technology Partnership report New Technologies in Emergencies and Conflicts. In the clip
-
-
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.
-
-
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.”
-
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.
-
