Monthly Archives: January 2010
Why the Sudden Criticisms of Susan Rice?
There’s been some recent criticism of Ambassador Rice suggesting that she is somehow neglecting her duties at the UN.
What the Gates Foundation’s $10 Billion Pledge Means For Vaccine Development and Delivery
This morning at the World Economic Forum, Bill and Melinda Gates announced a new $10 billion, 10-year commitment to support vaccine development and delivery. They called for the 2010s to be the “Decade of Vaccines” and asked other donors to step up their own commitments to vaccines.
In Praise of the Save Darfur Movement
Laura Rozen reports that the Save Darfur Coalition president Jerry Fowler is stepping down. At the end, she quotes something I wrote a few months ago about what I believe to be some of the strengths and limitations of the Save Darfur movement. Here’s what I wrote:
Agriculture, Hunger, and Globalization
Global concern over hunger is on the rise, and agriculture is getting a lot of attention in a lot of ways. Most recently, Mauritius wants to lease farmland in Mozambique, multinationals are supporting small farmers, and the countries best at fighting hunger support either privatization or increased government control over commodity prices.
UN Removes Sanctions on Five Ex-Taliban Leaders
The urgency and relevance of the ongoing debate over negotiations with the Taliban was underlined on Wednesday when the UN removed sanctions imposed in 2001 on five former Taliban leaders.
President Hamid Karzai has said Taliban who are not part of al-Qaeda or other terrorist groups “are welcome to come back to their country, lay down arms, and resume life,” and plans to seek international support for a new reintegration plan at the intergovernmental conference on Thursday.
Former UN Afghanistan Head Calls for Political Solution to Conflict
In a keynote speech delivered at a major civil society conference in London Tuesday, former Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Afghanistan Lakhdar Brahimi reflected on the past eight years of international engagement in Afghanistan and called for a new peace process to bring an end to the long-running conflict.
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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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