Monthly Archives: June 2010
Talking UNIFEM and the “Gender Entity” at the UN
I thought folks might be interested in another one of my talk radio day interviews at the UN. I sat down with Moae Doraid, deputy executive director of UNIFEM. We talk about the role of UNIFEM in the constellation of UN programs and agencies advocating for women and about a new effort underway at the UN to bring all of these gender and women-focused agencies under the same management structure.
UNHCR: 2009 “Worst Year” In Decades For Voluntary Repatriation
Ahead of World Refugee Day on June 20th, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) released its 2009 Global Trends report, which reviews statistics concerning “persons of concern” to the UNHCR: refugees, Internally Displaced People (IDPs), returnees, asylum-seekers and stateless persons.
Worsening Ethnic Violence in Southern Kyrgyzstan
We’re heading into the fifth day of ethnic violence in Southern Kyrgyzstan, and it just keeps getting worse. There are said to be as many as 100,000 ethnic Uzbek refugees fleeing Kyrgyzstan for the Uzbek border. Uzbekistan’s border guards are alternating between helping them cross and sending them back. The city of Osh is in flames in many areas, and the remaining ethnic Uzbeks are starting to use the word genocide to describe their situation. The global media is starting to call this a war.
UN Plaza: Ambassadors, Under Secretaries General, and Diplomats on Bloggingheads
Last week I took my trusty bloggingheads video camera to the United Nations to film a series of interviews. I scored some big time hits with various ambassadors and under-secretaries general and more. (Full list here) Enjoy!
Women Deliver 2010 – A Call To Action (video)
As Women Deliver wrapped up its third and final day, a tangible sense of excitement and accomplishment was running through the conference center’s halls. The day began with actress and advocate Ashley Judd moderating a panel of courageous young people who were making a difference in their countries. From the young Afghan woman, Maihan Wali, captain of her country’s national basketball team, to the 20 year-old Ugandan activist Esther Namataka, each panelist shared their journey as change makers during what was arguably one of the most emotion-ridden Women Deliver plenaries.
What the Iran Security Council Sanctions Do?
The Security Council adopted a sanctions resolution on Iran, with a vote of 12 -2, with one abstention. The outliers, as expected, were Brazil and Turkey which recently negotiated a fuel swap deal with Iran. Apparently the P-5 found that deal insufficient, so they imposed a new round of sanctions today. According to a release from the United States Mission to the UN, this is what the resolution specifically targets:
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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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