Rikomatic: "Nobel Prize Laureates support UN Human Rights Council"

Steve Clemons: "Bolton has Been Trying to Kill the Human Rights Council from the Beginning"

Paper Chase: "US Rejects Proposed UN Human Rights Council Reform"

Thomas Paine's Corner: "Human Rights Hypocrisy"

Opinio Juris: "U.S. Will Oppose New U.N. Human Rights Council"

TEXT:

We the undersigned Nobel Peace Prize Laureates and representatives of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate organizations urge the creation of a representative and effective UN Human Rights Council.

In virtually every armed conflict since the formation of the United Nations, gross human rights violations have preceded armed conflict. The stripping of rights and recognition of a people sets the stage for genocide and ethnic cleansing. In all continents, human rights violations have provided powerful fuel for the escalation of violence.

The body entrusted with setting and maintaining the international standards for human rights among the UN Member States is the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. While the Commission has a proud history, beginning with the issuance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, today it has become ineffective. In some instances, it has been led and influenced by gross human rights violators themselves, resulting in the decline in credibility of one of the pillars of the United Nations.

We support the bold remedy and new Human Rights Council proposed by Secretary General Kofi Annan last year, and endorsed by world leaders at the September 2005 World Summit.

The new Council as described in the recent text submitted by the President of the General Assembly will be more responsive to human rights violations and fairer in its review of human rights practices. It will also preserve and build on the strengths of the existing Commission on Human Rights.

We are approaching a critical point in history where we can reinvigorate the UN's role in the promotion and protection of fundamental human rights. Please join us in our support for this important initiative.

Sincerely,

Minister Jose Ramos-Horta, Timor Leste, 1996 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
President Jimmy Carter, United States of America, 2002 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, South Africa, 1984 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
President Oscar Arias Sanchez, Costa Rica, 1987 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo, Timor Leste, 1996 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, United States of America, 1970 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
President Kim Dae-jung, Republic of Korea, 2000 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
Mr. Adolfo Perez Esquivel, Argentina, 1980 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
MP John Hume, United Kingdom, 1998 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
Mrs. Mairead Maguire, United Kingdom, 1976 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
MP David Trimble, United Kingdom, 1998 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
Ms. Jody Williams, United States of America, 1997 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary

Daily Kos (DemFromCT): "Combining two favorite topics of mine (bird flu and polling), here's a bird flu poll, courtesy of Harvard School of Public Health. Some of the interesting findings: "More than half of Americans (57%) report that they are concerned about the potential spread of bird flu in the United States (Figures available here in .ppt). However, only 15% are very concerned at the moment." Meanwhile, H5N1 is becoming endemic in Europe. This means that the poultry may be exposed again and again to the virus, as has already happened in Hong Kong. The longer term approach may be a better vaccine for poultry and humans; short term, culling and other methods must be used. But senior flu researcher Robert Webster in this paper warns against killing migratory birds: "...culling migratory birds is not acceptable to any international authority (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations [FAO], the World Organization for Animal Health [OIE], the World Health Organization [WHO]). The idea of culling migratory birds must be strongly discouraged, for it could have unknown ecologic consequences."

Political Animal: "So why isn't anyone interested in doing much about the Sudanese-sponsored genocide in Darfur? Well, China and Russia both want Sudan's oil and the United States wants Sudan's intelligence. And nobody's much interested in sending their kids to Africa to die in someone else's war. But will the U.S. do the right thing anyway, two years after Colin Powell admitted that the war in Darfur was genocide? UN ambassador John Bolton has been making the right noises lately, but Mark Leon Goldberg of the American Prospect says that the most immediate way to demonstrate seriousness on this issue is to support sanctions against Salah Abdala Gosh."

TPM Cafe: "The U.S. just released this announcement, stating that it will vote against the resolution establishing the new Human Rights Council in the General Assembly. "We are very disappointed with the draft that was produced last Thursday. We don't think it's acceptable," Bolton said. "We'll be calling around today and we're making it plain to delegations that we want to reopen the negotiations." So the U.S. wants another do-over. The HRC as it stands now is a serious disappointment - there seems to be little disagreement over that - but Bolton has already wasted countless opportunities to make it right. Does the administration really think Bolton can save the day after eight straight months of diplomatic ineptitude?"

Congo Watch: "Press Release: United Nations via Scoop 23 February 2006: "Secretary-General Kofi Annan today welcomed the new Constitution and electoral laws of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where the United Nations is helping to organize one of the biggest polls in which it has ever participated. "These steps mark important milestones in the history of the Democratic Republic of the Congo," Mr. Annan said in a statement released by his spokesman."

Selected summary of United Nations related news and events

IAEA: Iran Wants to Expand Uranium Program

World Court Opens Landmark Bosnian Genocide Case Against Serbia

U.N. May Upgrade Darfur Peace Force

Empowering Women is Key to Development, Frechette Tells UN Commission

PAKISTAN: UN Presents Post-Quake Recovery Plan

"Pointing out that Islam and the West are not inherently contradictory or monolithic, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan in Doha, Qatar, today called for replacing the loud shouts of extremists with the calm voice of reason.

The crisis over the recent publication of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad is being fueled by extremism, Mr. Annan told the second meeting of the High-Level Group for the Alliance of Civilization, an initiative set up last year to bridge divides between Islam and the West and to overcome prejudice, misconceptions and polarization.

But he cautioned against crediting extremists with representing widely held views. "Those who shout loudest, or act in the most provocative ways, are not necessarily typical of the group on whose behalf they claim to speak," he said. "I think one can safely say that most non-Muslims in western societies have no desire to offend the Muslim community, and that most Muslims, even when offended, do not believe that violence or destruction is the right way to react." [More]

Jan Eliasson

"Seeking to dramatically bolster the protection of human rights around the world, the President of the United Nations General Assembly today unveiled (pdf) the draft blueprint for a new Human Rights Council with higher status and greater accountability than the much-criticized Human Rights Commission that meets yearly in Geneva.

"While we will build on the positive achievements and best practices of the Commission, some of the elements we are considering will make the Human Rights Council a truly new and different body - a fresh start," Jan Eliasson of Sweden said in introducing the draft resolution for the body, which was called for by world leaders at the September 2005 summit in New York." [Read more]

Also see:

New UN rights Council Put Forward

A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary

Peek: "Number one of the eight Millennium Development Goals that all 191 United Nations member states have agreed to try to achieve by the year 2015 is to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. In addition to the security concern noted above, there's an ethical imperative. Is there a belief system on Earth that doesn't essentially tell you that you're connected to every other human and that your soul suffers as theirs does?"

Coalition for Darfur: "Darfur: Benn Calls for UN Action - From SAPA-AFP: "Britain's International Development Secretary Hilary Benn has called for the United Nations (UN) to take over peacekeeping duties in the conflict-torn Sudanese region of Darfur."

Logical Voice: "News 24 brings us news that Jean Bertrand Aristide, the former leader of Haiti, ousted with the complicity of the US, is planning on returning to his home country soon: "In an interview with the broadcaster, Aristide said a date for his return to his country from South Africa would be announced as soon as the necessary consultations have taken place. He said newly elected president Rene Preval would consult with the United Nations, other Caribbean states and South Africa about his return."

Matthew Yglesias: "Israel and NATO - A little while ago, someone floated to me the idea that NATO membership should be extended to Israel as a means of, among other things, coping with the Iran issue. This struck me as a pretty good idea marred by a serious flaw -- Article V of the North Atlantic Treaty commits member states more-or-less unconditionally to defend each other's borders, but Israel doesn't have borders. Or, rather, it has several sets of borders. On the one hand, there's the 1948 cease-fire line that constitutes its official borders in the eyes of the UN. On the other hand, there are the de facto borders it controls, including the Gaza Strip, the West Bank , the Golan Heights , and the Sheba Farms area."

Stygius: "Sketchy reports are out that Ratko Mladic has been arrested in Belgrade. Or is he negotiating a surrender? Is it all just BS? Serbia 's government is denying. The United Nations is denying. A London Times profile of Mladic."

Brothers Judd: "NOW YOU'RE TALKIN!: Gorkha Rifles earmarks for United Nations Mission in Sudan: "1/5 Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force), an elite infantry battalion of the Indian Army, earmarked for the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) on Tuesday. India is contributing two Infantry Battalions to this mission in addition to certain support elements. The Force Commander in the Mission is also an Indian General, Lieutenant General J.S. Lidder. It is for the first time in any UN Mission that an entire battalion has been earmarked as the Force Reserve Air Mobile Battalion. Incidentally, this is the third foray of the battalion info the African continent, the first two having been during World War I and World War II. This highly decorated battalion has been awarded 23 Battle Honours and four Victoria Crosses in the pre- dependence period and the Battle Honours of Zojila, Kargil and Sehjra and Theatre Honours of Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab in the post independence period amongst many other awards and decorations." Welcome to the Axis of Good."

Security Council

"The chairmen of the three anti-terrorism committees briefed the Security Council today on recent measures undertaken to tackle the global scourge, with one chair highlighting the danger of non-State actors gaining access to weapons of mass destruction, and another saying that closer ties with Interpol had increased effectiveness.

Peter Burian, Chairman of the so-called "1540" Committee named after its Security Council resolution, warned that "all States were vulnerable to being used by non-State actors who might want to gain access to weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery." [Read more]

Also see:

UN Action Against Terrorism

A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary

Informed Comment: "Bringing the United Nations Back In - There will be anti-War protests in the coming month, as the 3-year anniversary of the Anglo-American invasion of Iraq approaches. I think it is time to demand a timetable for US withdrawal from Iraq. I suspect a majority of Iraqi parliamentarians want that. The Sunni Arabs demand it. The Sadrists demand it. It is time. Saying that the guerrillas would take advantage of a timetable, given the carnage we saw on Monday is frankly silly. They are taking advantage of the current situation. We have to create a new situation, with which they might be happier so that they stop blowing things up. Staying this course is untenable. But that step will not necessarily resolve the crisis. I think the peace movement has a real opportunity here to make a push for much heavier United Nations involvement in Iraq. I say, let's make up placards calling on Kofi Annan to get involved, and calling on Bush to let the UN come in in a big way, with proper protection."

Democracy Arsenal: "I spent this weekend at a conference organized by the Stanley Foundation on UN Reform. Stanley is deeply valued at the UN for convening in-depth, substantive sessions that are small enough to allow participants to engage and actually reach decisions. David Shorr, an occasional guest-blogger here, has masterminded these UN events in recent years. This weekend he and Stanley Foundation President Dick Stanley focused on the nuts and bolts of how to streamline the thousands of UN mandates that have accumulated over the years. They convened a group including a dozen UN ambassadors from major countries (none with mustaches), a handful of their deputies, a few top Secretariat and US government officials, one academic and one blogger. For me it was a chance to delve back into reform issues 5 years after completing negotiations at the US Mission to the UN to reform the organization's financial system in 2001. Here are 10 reasons why the weekend left me somewhat heartened on prospects for UN reform..."

Netsquared: "I'm having time over this long weekend to catch up on some of my favorite podcasts, including UNICEF's podcast. In a February 6th program, they announced the launch of the UNICEF vodcast. Here's what UNICEF's Chief of the Internet, Broadcast and Image Section, Stephen Cassidy, had to say about why they chose to use this new tool: "UNICEF wants to be part of that group of people who are participating in this new technology. We think early adopters will be people that we want to talk with and that they will spread the word in a broader community. We want the world to be interested in the health, education, equality and protection of the world's children. As part of delivering that message, we're seeking every possible platform, every single mountaintop from which to call our message, and the vodcast is the latest way that we can accomplish that goal."

Moderate Voice: "Finally: "President Bush on Friday called for doubling the number of international troops in the war-ravaged Darfur region of Sudan and a bigger role for NATO in the peacekeeping effort. After private talks with world leaders, including U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, Bush decided to call for an additional 7,000 or more troops to be placed under U.N. command, along with the 7,000 African Union troops already there, because such an expansion would be the quickest way to intervene in the bloody conflict, the officials said." However, given the administration's very pessimistic view on the UN's effectiveness, does this mean anything at all? Cynical? Sure, but that's what we're dealing with right now in this region. Worldwide pessimism Truly, how many people have to die before we make a serious march towards curing the situation in this region? Let's hope this policy can make a difference."

Washington Note: "Interestingly, a name that appears on every serious list as a potential successor to Kofi Annan, whose term ends on December 31st of this year, is Prince Zeid Raed al-Hussein of Jordan . Richard Holbrooke identifies Prince Zeid as a "dark horse" candidate for the UN Secretary General job, but he has a major ally working quietly (believe it or not) on his behalf: U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton."

Selected summary of United Nations related news and events

Bird Flu Could Hobble Africa's AIDS Fight-UN

Eleven Million at Risk in E.Africa Drought-UN

World Water Crisis Worsened by Corruption,
Repression: UN Report

UN Ozone Experts Meeting in Otago

UNICEF Gives N$160 Million for Aids Battle

Five Former Afghan Jehadi Commanders
to Surrender Arms to UN-Supported Unit

"The United Nations released an emergency grant of P2.6 million and dispatched a disaster assessment and coordination team with medicine and supplies for up to 10,000 people, the Philippine mission at the U.N. said in a statement." LINK

"President Bush on Friday called for doubling the number of international troops in the war-ravaged Darfur region of Sudan and a bigger role for NATO in the peacekeeping effort.... After private talks with world leaders, including U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, Bush decided to call for an additional 7,000 or more troops to be placed under U.N. command, along with the 7,000 African Union troops already there, because such an expansion would be the quickest way to intervene in the bloody conflict, the officials said." [Read more]

"The head of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) today supported Haiti's Provisional Electoral Council's declaration that former President Rene Preval was the winner of last week's presidential elections and stressed that the Council's decision had not been influenced by the mission." [More]

A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary

Agonist: "CSM - Amid new escalation in fighting in the troubled Darfur region of Sudan, with rebels shooting down a government helicopter Tuesday, there's fresh pressure on the international community to step in to help stop the three-year-old conflict. It comes as consensus is hardening in Western capitals and at the United Nations that the 7,000 African troops now in Darfur, as part of a force supplied by the African Union, are inadequate. Because of limited training, equipment, and marching orders, the AU troops have been unable to contain the fighting, provide safety for civilians, or adequately protect humanitarian aid groups operating in the desert region, which is the size of Texas."

Ethiopundit: "Deepening poverty shatters families in Ethiopia: "Ethiopia has the world's largest population of orphaned children, with 4.6 million having lost parents to AIDS and other diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria, according to a 2004 study by the United Nations and Ethiopia's labor and social affairs ministry." God and fate have not betrayed Ethiopians but her rulers have. As Rural Ethiopians Struggle, Child Labor Can Mean Survival: [WaPo] "Ethiopia has one of the highest rates of child labor in the world, according to the United Nations' International Labor Organization and the African Network for the Prevention of and Protection Against Child Abuse and Neglect."

Effect Measure: "You can add Austria, Germany and Iran to the list of countries where swans are dying of H5N1 infection. They join reports of dead swans in Italy and Greece and elsewhere. The birds seem very susceptible and because of their large size their carcasses are especially visible. The virus is penetrating rapidly into the heart of the EU. It is by now generally assumed the virus is traveling via wild migratory birds, but a piece today in The Scientist and another in Nature suggests there is still some question. Migratory birds were certainly the thought behind our recent post where we called the Nigerian cases another stop on "the Qinghai Express." But scientists within the UN's Food and Agriculture Organiazation are now saying the disease was almost certainly stewing away in the country for weeks before its official detection, something echoed by local residents."

Jonestream: "UN Calls for £400m to End Congo's 'Forgotten Crisis'" - "Britain will pledge £60m in humanitarian aid to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) today in response to an appeal by the United Nations for £400m to end the 'forgotten crisis' in the central African country before it holds elections. With 216,000 lives lost to conflict and poverty in the past six months, Hilary Benn, the International Development Secretary, said the money was crucial to alleviate hunger and disease, and for long-term development in the country where fighting continues in the north and east despite a peace deal."

Paper Chase: "Thirteen UN staff members operating in Eritrea have been detained by the Eritrean government but have not been charged by officials with any crime. A significant number of the remainder of the civilian UN mission in Eritrea, tasked with monitoring the border conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia, have reportedly gone into hiding, fearing detention or arrest. The UN has protested the detentions to the Eritrean government, but the only response has been a statement by the Eritrean Minister of Information saying that Eritrea would not allow the UN to harbor 'fugitives' from Eritrea. JURIST's Paper Chase has continuing coverage of the United Nations. BBC News has more."

Powerblog: "Wired News passes along this article by Christ Kohler, "U.N. Game Wins Hearts and Minds." The story gives a brief overview and history of the video game created by the United Nations World Food Programme, Food Force. Check out my review of Food Force here. I conclude that the game is good as far as it goes: "Larger structural issues about the WFP and the UN remain outside the scope of the game, but nevertheless are reflected in the game's guiding ethos and makeup. We can only hope that the WFP's stated commitment to the independence of those it helps is manifested by policies that actually give those in need economic freedom and the hope of development. Addressing the root causes of poverty can be the only real long-term solution to poverty, hunger, and the devastation brought about by natural disasters."

Selected summary of United Nations related news and events

Secretary-General Kofi Annan meets with President
Bush at the White House © UN/Eskinder Debebe

Annan seeks U.S. help for Darfur peacekeeping

Iran Says 135 Swans Died of Bird Flu

UN Security Council Calls on Haitians to Refrain from Electoral Violence

Lebanese Rally Draws 500,000 to Mark Hariri's Death

UN Forecasts Continuing Drought in Horn Of Africa

Kyoto 2012 Greenhouse Gas Goals Still in Reach: UN

A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary

Flap's Blog: [AP] "Russia and France immediately called on Iran to halt its work and fulfill the demands of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency, according to a joint statement posted on the Kremlin's Web site." More bloviating from Russia and France. They MAY vote for economic sanctions against Iran when these issues come before the United Nations Security Council but cannot be counted upon for more... The ball continues in the Mullah's court. Iran must STAND DOWN or suffer the consequences. Iran WILL NOT develop or possess nuclear weapons."

Eccentric Star: "Cartoon Protests Continue; Protest Violence Also Condemned - "U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan condemned the drawings as "insensitive and rather offensive," but he called for dialogue. "Right now there's megaphone diplomacy," Annan told Denmark's national broadcaster DR. "And I think we should turn off the megaphones and begin to talk quietly to each other."

Coalition for Darfur: "Darfur: UN Hails Progress - From AFP: "The United Nations said Monday the humanitarian situation in Sudan 's Darfur region had improved in 2005 but stressed that hundreds of thousands of people were left out of reach of aid. "The humanitarian situation is under control, in spite of insecurity in some areas, and most of the sectors are being covered with humanitarian operations," senior UN humanitarian affairs officer Mike McDonagh told reporters. He said the World Food Programme and its dozens of partner aid organisations had distributed 439,000 tons of food last week in the conflict-stricken region last year of western Sudan."

Liquid List: "Nicholas Kristof, absolutely indispensable when writing about international issues, again hits his now-familiar refrain on Darfur . One good bit -- among a whole column of good stuff -- is this succinct paragraph of all that President Bush could do but isn't doing yet: "Here are some grown-up steps Mr. Bush could take: He could enforce a no-fly zone to stop air attacks on civilians in Darfur, lobby Arab leaders to become involved, call President Hu Jintao and ask China to stop protecting Sudan, invite Darfur refugees to a photo op at the White House, attend a coming donor conference for Darfur, visit Darfur or the refugee camps next door in Chad, push France and other allies for a NATO bridging force to provide protection until United Nations troops arrive, offer to support the United Nations force with American military airlift and logistical support... make a major speech about Darfur, and arrange for Colin Powell to be appointed a United Nations special envoy to seek peace among Darfur's tribal sheiks."

Washington Note: "I just posted this piece regarding John Bolton's fortress strategy against the New York Times' UN-watcher Warren Hoge. There is something wrong when the recess-appointed Bolton thinks it's great to speak at the Jesse Helms Center but won't give the time of day to the New York Times. But that's the way TWN thought he would behave all along."

"A United Nations inquiry has called for the immediate closure of America's Guantanamo Bay detention centre and the prosecution of officers and politicians "up to the highest level" who are accused of torturing detainees.

The UN Human Rights Commission report, due to be published this week, concludes that Washington should put the 520 detainees on trial or release them.

It calls for the United States to halt all "practices amounting to torture", including the force-feeding of inmates who go on hunger strike.

The report wants the Bush administration to ensure that all allegations of torture are investigated by US criminal courts, and that "all perpetrators up to the highest level of military and political command are brought to justice". [Read more]

UPDATE (2.16.06): "The report was based on interviews with former detainees, lawyers, public documents, media reports and a questionnaire filled out by the U.S. government. It found that interrogation techniques authorized by the Department of Defense, "particularly if used simultaneously, amount to degrading treatment in violation of ... the Convention against Torture." CNN

"The United Nations and the European Commission are seeking $681-million to meet the needs of 30-million vulnerable people in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha) said on Monday.

UN under-secretary general for humanitarian affairs Jan Egeland was quoted as saying each day more than 1 200 people in DRC die from the lingering effects of civil war: malnutrition, disease and displacement.

"We must end this tyranny of silence," he said. "We can -- we must -- do more to alleviate such extreme suffering. Now is the time to act," he said." [Full Story]

© UNICEF/Pirozzi

"Global efforts to tackle AIDS are neglecting the 15 million children who have lost at least one parent to the disease, experts told an international conference on HIV on Thursday.

In sub-Saharan Africa alone an estimated 18 million children will have lost one or both parents to AIDS by 2010 - an increase of six million in just four years, according to U.N. forecasts.

"Despite progress in some areas, children are still the missing face of AIDS in the global response to the pandemic," said Ann Veneman, executive director of the U.N. children's fund UNICEF. "The world must act now, urgently and decisively, to ensure that the next generation is AIDS-free." [Read more]

See also:

World Not Doing Nearly Enough to Protect Children Affected by AIDS

Global Partners Forum Seeks to Build Support for Children Affected by HIV/AIDS

UNICEF: Unite for Children Against AIDS

A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary

Regime Change Iran: "The United Nations wants Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and five of his relatives and aides, including his younger brother, for questioning in the murder of Lebanon's former premier, Rafiq al-Hariri. (Assad has tried to negotiate immunity for himself and his brother in exchange for handing over the others - but the U.N. wouldn't play.)"

TPM Cafe (Michael Levi): "Inspecting Iran - Are inspections a technical or a political process? That question comes to mind as Iran prepares to resume its uranium enrichment activities, after the IAEA Board of Governors reported its case to the UN Security Council this past weekend. Until now, Iran's enrichment activities had been suspended under an agreement with Britain, France, and Germany; the suspension had also been requested by the IAEA itself. Now, as Iran restarts its work, the IAEA will resume routine but spare inspections, monitoring Iranian installations for unauthorized production or diversion of nuclear material."

Terrorism News: "The former U.N. weapons inspector who said Iraq disarmed long before the U.S. invasion in 2003 is warning Americans to prepare for a war with Iran. "We just don't know when, but it's going to happen," Scott Ritter said to a crowd of about 150 at the James A. Little Theater last Sunday night. Ritter described how the U.S. government might justify war with Iran in a scenario similar to the buildup to the Iraq invasion. He also argued that Iran wants a nuclear energy program, and not nuclear weapons. But the Bush administration, he said, refuses to believe Iran is telling the truth. He predicted the matter will wind up before the U.N. Security Council, which will determine there is no evidence of a weapons program. Then, he said, John Bolton, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, "will deliver a speech that has already been written. It says America cannot allow Iran to threaten the United States and we must unilaterally defend ourselves." How do I know this? I've talked to Bolton's speechwriter," Ritter said."

Counterterrorism Blog: "The Treasury Department's OFAC designation today of leaders and entities affiliated with the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) is an important step in at least tracking and identifying the leaders of lesser-known al Qaeda affiliates. It will have little real economic impact because the group does not have assets in the United States, but if the measure is extended to the UN, it could make it more difficult for the group to operate."

Screenshots: "Imam Ahmed Abu- Laban, the Danish Muslim cleric accused of instigating the world wide protests over offensive caricature depicting Prophet Mohammed, says the escalating violence is no longer about the cartoon, but a reaction to the West's view of Islam. Imam Abu- Laban leads a mosque in Copenhagen. This contrasts starkly with the Kofi Annan-anchored joint effort by the United Nations, the European Union and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) that appeals for an end to violence around the Muslim world that has now escalated into a global crisis. In Iraq, the Shiite Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani condemned the Muslim inciters, says a Washington Post editorial. These pictures from London streets are distressing and alarming. When is there a closure?"

© UNICEF Somalia/2006/Bannon
At a supplementary feeding centre in Isdoorto, Somalia,
a child waits in line with her mother for Unimix,
a highly fortified food.

"UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman is calling for immediate action in the drought-stricken Horn of Africa to keep children from dying. More than 8 million people across Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia and Djibouti are affected by the drought. The severe crisis is threatening the lives of 1.5 million children under the age of five.

"This is an area of Africa that often suffers from drought and, when drought occurs, it impacts the nutrition of children so we are concerned that children will suffer from malnutrition," said Ms. Veneman. "They are more susceptible to disease and in these situations previously, we've seen mortality rates for children increase so we want to get into the area early so we can address the needs particularly of the children." [Read more]

"Responding to an increasing number of violent attacks in many parts of the world over cartoon caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed, the Secretary-General of the United Nations joined today with senior officials from the Islamic world and Europe in calling for calm and dialogue among communities of different faiths.

In a joint statement, Kofi Annan, along with the head of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and the European Union's (EU) senior representative for foreign and security policy, said there should be a "spirit of friendship and mutual respect" not only between countries but also between believers of different religions." [More]

A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary

Moondancer: "U.N. delegates drafting a treaty to protect the rights of the world's 600 million disabled have resolved many of their differences and are on track to complete the document in August, the diplomat leading the negotiations said on Friday. "It should be possible to conclude drafting at our next meeting in August," New Zealand Ambassador Don MacKay told a news conference after a three-week drafting session. "We have made real progress and there are relatively few unresolved issues," he said. "But it is more than just dotting the i's and crossing the t's." A U.N. committee that includes all 191 U.N. member-nations has been working since 2001 on a treaty to promote and protect the rights of the disabled."

Stygius: "Steve Clemons' long-anticipated project, an online watch page on UN Ambassador John Bolton, is now active. Bolton Watch is being hosted by TPMCafe, and Steve's first post is up: "As a friend of mine inside the State Department recently told me, I have a slew of friends inside the Department and in the nooks and crannies of Bolton's world who want Bolton Watch to play a constructive role in helping Condoleezza Rice to supervise him."

Coalition for Darfur: "Darfur: Sudan Reiterates Resistance to U.N. Force - From Reuters: "Sudan on Monday softened its resistance to admitting U.N. troops to its violent Darfur region, but demanded the world body consult the government before any deployment is agreed. Sudan initially refused the deployment of U.N. troops in Darfur to stop the rape, killing and looting described by Washington as genocide, and an African Union force was dispatched instead in 2004. But donors have slowed their funding for the almost 7,000-strong AU force, prompting U.N. chief Kofi Annan to say a U.N. takeover of the AU mission is inevitable."

California Yankee: "The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog reported Iran to the U.N. Security Council in a resolution expressing concern that Iran's nuclear program may not be "exclusively for peaceful purposes." This long overdue action could eventually lead to sanctions to Iran, but not, according to the BBC, until a new report is delivered by Mohammad El Baradei at the next IAEA meeting on 6 March. Russia and China agreed to support the resolution on condition it did not contain any immediate threat of sanctions against Iran. I am very pleased to see that this has finally gotten to the U.N. Security Council, but I fear we will eventually regret agreeing to Egypt's demand that the resolution include support for the creation of a nuclear weapons-free zone in the Middle East. linking the issues of Iran's atomic ambitions and Israel's nuclear weapons status will make preventing Iran's acquisition of nuclear weapons even more difficult."

Democracy Arsenal (Michael Signer): "Security and Peace Institute's conference on Latin America -- Final Live-Blog (VII) - The final address is by Jose Antonio Ocampo, the Under-Secretary General for Economic and Social Affairs at the UN. He stresses that the UN has to be firmly committed to democracy in the region. He stresses that democracy has to be robust, responsive, and carefully tended. Corruption, paramilitary tendencies, and other bad political practices (like blackmail) have to be immediately rooted out. His remarks emphasize the lesson I've gotten out of this entire conference is this: Latin America has come an incredible way in the last 15 years."

Mental Meanderings: "Kofi Annan's tenure as UN Secretary General comes to an end this December, but who will replace him? It's Asia's 'turn' (despite the fact that, according to some New York friends in the know, Bill Clinton is rumoured to be angling for the job), so who are the possible successors? In UN terms Asia is much broader than we imagine, by the way, and includes much of the Arab world. The Washington Post has been thinking about this lately and 'shortlists' the following..."

"Reacting attacks sparked by a furor over controversial cartoons first published in a Danish newspaper, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said that while he shares the distress of offended Muslims, they must not respond with violence.

"The Secretary-General is alarmed by the threats and violence, including the attacks on embassies that have occurred in Syria and Lebanon and other countries over the past few days," his spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said in a statement issued in New York.

Noting that Mr. Annan shares the distress felt by many Muslims at the publication of caricatures considered insulting to their religion, "he wishes to emphasize that such resentment cannot justify violence, least of all when directed at people who have no responsibility for, or control over, the publications in question." [Link]

"The United Nations nuclear watchdog has voted to report Iran to the Security Council over its nuclear activities.

Twenty-seven states out of 35 on the IAEA board backed the move, with three against and five abstentions.

The decision follows days of intensive diplomacy and could lead to possible UN sanctions against Iran.

An Iranian official said Tehran would resume full-scale enrichment of uranium and Russia's compromise offer to enrich uranium on its own soil was in doubt." [Read More]

"Eastern European countries, which disproportionately produce greenhouse gas emissions, have taken a small but very significant step in tackling the problem thanks to a United Nations-backed project, a new report released today says.

With only 6 per cent of the world's population, the countries of Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) produce approximately 12 per cent of all greenhouse gases." [Read more]

"The International Atomic Energy Agency's board of governors are debating when to refer Iran to the U.N. Security Council amid threats by the Islamic state to start enriching uranium if its nuclear activities are reported to the council." [Read more]

Also see:

UN Watchdog Weighs Sending Iran to Security Council

Iran Nuclear Row 'Not a Crisis'

In Focus: IAEA and Iran

UPDATE: Bloggers comment here, here, and here, here.

A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary

Huffington Post (Michelle Pilecki): "US Media Ignore UN Study on Iraq 'Peace-Building' Methods Backfiring - The United States is avoiding widely recognised peace-building processes that involve external military powers quickly creating a basic security environment and then allowing domestic peace- and nation-building efforts to succeed," says the Inter Press Service News Agency, reporting on a new book, Security Sector Reform and Post-Conflict Peacebuilding, published by the United Nations University Press: "Instead of stabilizing places like Iraq, international efforts to centralize power are creating a more fragile security environment than ever before," the press release quotes co-editor Albrecht Schnabel, senior research fellow at swisspeace Swiss Peace Foundation, and a lecturer at the Institute of Political Science, University of Bern. "[A]lmost three years after the toppling of Saddam Hussein, Iraq is characterized by chaos, violence and disintegration. The methods used to rebuild Iraq's security sector are simply making matters worse."

Free Thinking: "The late Sergio Vieira de Mello said that intolerance is dangerous because it usually hides behind dishonesty and a false pretext. According to him, the best way of securing the rule of law is through human rights."

Dan McDermott: "AP - Polio has been stamped out in Egypt and Niger, leaving just four nations in the world where the deadly disease is endemic, the U.N. health agency said Wednesday."

Global Voices: "South Asia, Bangladesh - Unheard Voices on a Unicef study that indicates there aren't enough toilets for children in schools."

Murky View: "The BBC has an excellent service called BBC Monitoring that gathers information in over 100 languages around the world and translates them into English. Unfortunately, it's not free, but they do include information from those sources in many articles. Yesterday I ran across this article on Iranian bloggers who are discussing the nuclear issue between Iran and the West. As the tension mounts and the issue is sent to the UN Security Council. It is interesting, and I believe incredibly important, to hear what Iranians have to say on the issue. They are, after all, the ones who would be suffering most if a military strike were to proceed against Iran."

Arms Control Wonk: "Arms Control Wonk.com has a copy of the latest report by Olli Heinonen, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Safeguards, on Iran's implementation of its safeguards agreement. I will post the full text a little later. Agence France Presse and Associated Press both emphasized the revalation that Iran received a 15 page document from the AQ Khan network that detailed how to cast metal into uranium spheres."

Daily Kos: "ABC News is reporting that Iran is preparing for nuclear enrichment and blocking UN efforts to investigate: "The United Nations (UN) nuclear watchdog has confirmed Iran has begun preparing for nuclear enrichment, which can make fuel for bombs, and continues to hinder a probe of unanswered questions about Iran's atomic aims..." There is little doubt that a nuclear Iran is the largest threat that the world now faces--the most pressing foreign policy issue facing us today."

Daniel Drezner: "The U.S. scored two multilateral victories yesterday. First, the Quartet (the United States, European Union, Russian Federation, and the United Nations) issued a statement on the Palestinian elections: "[T]he Quartet concluded that it was inevitable that future assistance to any new government would be reviewed by donors against that government's commitment to the principles of nonviolence, recognition of Israel, and acceptance of previous agreements and obligations, including the Roadmap. The Quartet calls upon the newly elected PLC to support the formation of a government committed to these principles as well as the rule of law, tolerance, reform and sound fiscal management. Meanwhile, the permanent five members of the Security Council and the European Union adopted a common position on what to do with Iran for now. Kevin Sullivan and Dafna Linzer explain in the Washington Post: "The five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council -- the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China -- along with Germany, agreed Monday night to report Iran to the Security Council over its nuclear program."

Democracy Arsenal: "With all the pressing issues in the news - Iraq, Iran, Hamas, North Korea - it's not surprising that what's happening inside Darfur has moved to the side. But the next few weeks will be critical - the mandate for the underfunded and beleaguered 5000-troop protection force headed by the African Union is due to expire by March 31, and things in Darfur are only getting worse. During the past year, there has been a lot of well-intentioned international activity to help Darfur - but the killing isn't stopping. As John Prendergast recently told the New York Times, "Darfur is in a free fall." Kofi Annan agrees. "People in many parts of Darfur," he wrote last week, "continue to be killed, raped and driven from their homes by the thousands." With the United States assuming the presidency of the UN Security Council tomorrow, the Bush Administration has an opportunity to press for a new and more meaningful policy to stop the killing. As Kenneth Bacon writes in today's New York Times (and others have echoed), the United States should use the next 28 days to save Darfur. ... This is a huge test for John Bolton. It will be his only chance to sit in the Presidency chair -- his recess appointment as Ambassador expires in January 2007 - and therefore his moment to deliver something."

Ethan Zuckerman: "Abdul Badrakhan, the deputy editor of Al Hayat, suggests that the current controversy over cartoons in a Danish newspaper is a good way to frame the issues of "Journalism at the Crossroads: Who Defines Professional Ethics?" For the average Dane, the freedom to express oneself is sacred. In the case of these cartoons (which portrayed the Prophet wearing a turban made of a bomb with a lit fuse), they're hurtful and offensive to Muslims. How can we consider an issue like this using the same yardstick? Martin Bell, a former foreign correspondent for the BBC and now an ambassador for UNICEF, frames his remarks in terms of war and peace. Observing that there are more journalists dead in Iraq in three years than in the entirity of the Vietnam War, he says, "Wars are increasingly difficult to report, and increasingly difficult to survive."

"With the international spotlight shining on Tehran's atomic ambitions, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has appealed for a long-term and visionary approach to the problem of nuclear arms proliferation.

"Today's headlines concern Iran - rightly so, for basic treaty obligations and commitments are at stake," he said in London on Tuesday evening, stressing that for signatories of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the right to develop nuclear energy is conditional on the obligation not to build or acquire nuclear weapons, and to comply with standards set and monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

"But when we step back from the headlines, it should be clear that we cannot continue to lurch from crisis to crisis, until the regime is buried beneath a cascade of nuclear proliferation," he told an audience at the United Nations Association of the United Kingdom at Central Hall in Westminster.

He lamented missed opportunities to strengthen the foundations of the NPT regime, by agreeing on more robust IAEA inspections, saying: 'We cannot afford any more such squandered chances." [Read more]

Also read:

Bush Highlights Concerns Over Iran in State of the Union Speech

Iran Nuclear Crisis Sent to Security Council

Iran Rejects Nuclear Pressure

Iran Condemns Nuclear 'Bullying'