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October 2006

FAO: World Hunger Increasing

Peter Daou - October 31, 2006 - 4:41pm

Faologo.gif "Ten years after the 1996 World Food Summit (WFS) in Rome, which promised to reduce the number of undernourished people by half by 2015, there were more hungry people in the developing countries today - 820 million - than there were in 1996.... The report listed a series of steps which, it said, was needed to eradicate hunger in the years ahead. They included: focussing programmes and investments on "hotspots" of poverty and undernourishment; enhancing the productivity of smallholder agriculture; creating the right conditions for private investment, including transparency and good governance; making world trade work for the poor, with safety nets put in place for vulnerable groups; and a rapid increase in the level of Official Development Assistance (ODA) to 0.7 percent of GDP, as promised." More

The Pitfalls of Purchasing Power Parity

Mark Leon Goldberg - October 31, 2006 - 2:49pm

The next installment of UNF Insights explores some problems associated with using what economists call "Purchasing Power Parity" (PPP) to assess what each member state must pay in dues to the United Nations. Readers of The Economist might recognize the term from the magazine's periodic "Big Mac Index," which uses the price of a McDonalds hamburger to compare economies around the world. In short, PPP is a way to measure comparative standards of living by comparing the price of a "basket of goods" in one place (i.e. a Big Mac in Bengal) to the same "basket of goods" elsewhere (i.e. a Big Mac in Bologna.)

When applied to the price of a hamburger, PPP gives harmless anecdotal evidence about the relative strength of economies. But if used to calculate UN dues - as some key member states have argued - it would have debilitating consequences for UN operations. To find out why, click here for my short essay on the topic.

Annan: Disarming Hizbollah is a 'Key Element'

Peter Daou - October 31, 2006 - 11:52am

"While acknowledging that progress has been made over the past two years in reducing foreign influence in Lebanon, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Monday that disarming Hizbollah is a "key element" in ensuring a permanent end to hostilities, and warned that much remains to be done to restore stability and peace." More

UN: Global Warming Gases on Rise Again

Peter Daou - October 30, 2006 - 12:50pm

"The industrialized world's emissions of greenhouse gases are growing again, despite efforts under the Kyoto Protocol to cap them and stave off global warming, the United Nations reported Monday.

Emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases declined in the 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet bloc and the shutdown of polluting factories and power plants in eastern Europe. But now those economies are rebounding, contributing to a 2.4 percent rise in emissions by 41 industrialized nations between 2000 and 2004." More

Pronk: Government Still Seeking Military Solution in Darfur

Peter Daou - October 30, 2006 - 11:37am

DARFUR.jpg "In his briefing to the United Nations Security Council on Friday, the UN's top official in Sudan, Jan Pronk, highlighted the government's gross violations of the Darfur Peace Agreement and stressed that Sudan was still looking for a military solution to the deepening crisis.

Pronk added that his ongoing criticism of the Sudanese government's decision to seek a military solution, having signed a ceasefire agreement, had prompted his expulsion from his position of UN Special Representative for the Secretary-General in Sudan." More

UN Humanitarian Chief: Killings Out of Control in Iraq

Peter Daou - October 29, 2006 - 11:52am

"The United Nations humanitarian chief said Friday that sectarian killings are "out of control" in Iraq, with about 100 deaths a day and civilians fleeing neighborhoods and towns because of the cycle of Sunni-Shiite reprisal attacks.

Women Under Attack in Iraq, Afghanistan

Peter Daou - October 27, 2006 - 12:51pm

"Women are facing increasing violence in Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia, especially when they speak out publicly to defend women's rights, a senior U.N. official told the U.N. Security Council. Noeleen Heyzer, executive director of the U.N. Development Fund for Women, called on for fresh efforts to ensure the safety of women in countries emerging from conflicts, to provide them with jobs, and ensure that they receive justice, including compensation for rape." More

What Does Your Congressional Candidate Think About the UN?

Peter Daou - October 27, 2006 - 12:18pm

cong_survey.jpg

From the Better World Campaign: A majority of Americans believe in a strong United Nations and continue to support active engagement with the UN, according to a recent poll released by the Better World Campaign.

So what does your 2006 Congressional candidate think about the UN?

The Better World Campaign asked all 2006 Congressional candidates about their positions on U.S. funding for the United Nations, for UN peacekeeping, for repairing the out-dated and unsafe UN headquarters, and more.

Click here to view the survey.

UN Expert Sees U.S. Interrogation Law Setting Dangerous Standard

Peter Daou - October 27, 2006 - 12:02pm

Washington Post: "Washington's new law allowing tough interrogation techniques and military trials for terrorism suspects risks setting a dangerous standard for other countries to follow, a United Nations rights expert said on Friday.

Security Council Highlights Women's Role in Peace Process

Peter Daou - October 27, 2006 - 11:28am

"Highlighting the role played by women in promoting peace in countries emerging from conflict, the United Nations Security Council today stressed it was essential to promote the full participation of women in helping rebuild such societies and also encouraged more female involvement in UN peacekeeping operations." More