Author Archives: Matthew Cordell 
Displacement on the Rise
The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, created by the Norwegian Refugee Council at the request of the UN, has published a disturbing report (pdf full report, pdf fact sheet) no Read more
Plugging the Leak Update
Bad news: the cap didn’t work. The 40-foot-tall, 98-ton, iron cap that BP was hoping to use to clog the leak over the weekend has become clogged itself, by “deep-sea crystals…a slushy mix of gas and water, and been tossed aside.
As Yahoo notes, the cap took two weeks to build and 3 days to put into place. During that time 85,000 barrels of oil have spilled into the Gulf.
I’m Sure Mom Likes Stale Chocolates…
…but wouldn’t she really prefer to save a life in Africa this Mother’s Day?
Both UNICEF and the Nothing But Nets offer some pretty compelling ways to send love in your mother’s name this Sunday. Trust me, she’ll be proud.
Michael Mann-hunt Continues
If Virginia (Professor Michael Mann’s former haunt) and Penn State (Professor Michael Mann’s current home) face off again next year, I already know who I’ Read more
Plugging the Leak
The BBC is reporting a possible short-term solution that BP is cooking up to stem the oil geyser in the Gulf of Mexico — a rusty metal box. The 40-foot-tall, 98-ton iron cap — being built by Wild Well Control…no joke — will be lowered onto the leaky valve and the oil will be funneled up to a ship on the surface, hopefully as soon as the end of the week.
Climate Science is Complicated
According to Reuters, a week of clear skies over Europe has given scientists another rare glimpse into the effects of aviation on the Earth’s climate. Given that there are roughly 100,000 flights every day, getting control samples is usually impossible.
Let Slip the Dogs of Data
Stat-heads perk up. The World Bank just released its 2010 World Development Indicators in a format that will surely please. Or, rather, they released it in any format you please.
For instance, in honor of Earth Day, you might want to check out CO2 emissions in pure kilotons per country. Table or map? Map? Ok.
Climate Change Could Trigger More Eyjafjallajökulls
Good news for those of you living around Eyjafjallajökull…and bad news for the rest of us. The good news is that the flash floods, like those created when a 200m-thick block of ice sitting on top of secondary eruptions was instantaneously liquefied, will become less likely as those blocks of ice continue to melt due to climate change. Read more
Suicide Bombers Hit Pakistani Refugees
The AP is reporting a craven attack by two “burqa-clad” suicide bombers on a group of refugees who had fled the fighting in Northwest Pakistan near the Afghan border. The refugees were lined up to register for relief supplies, including food. So far, 41 are reported dead.
Raise a Glass to the Peanut
I was just struck by two items lying dormant in my reader (thanks for letting me down magic sort). Read more
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Iran; Syria; Internet Governance; Libya; and more
UN atomic watchdog chief Yukiya Amano and top aides will travelto Tehran on Sunday for talks with Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator, a few days before Iran and world powers meet in Baghdad to discuss the broader nuclear dispute. News of the rare visit came as Western diplomats said the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Iran were making headway towards a framework deal on how to tackle concerns about Iran’s atomic activity.
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Sudan/South Sudan; State of the World Economy debate; International Day against Homophobia; and more
The U.N. Security Council has called on Sudan and South Sudan to reach an agreement on the status of the disputed, oil-rich Abyei border region and extended the U.N. security force’s mission there by six months. The council passed a resolution Thursday calling the situation a serious security threat and demanding the creation of a jointly administered Abyei police force.
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The top United Nations refugee official today voiced his alarm at new inflows of refugees into Rwanda and Uganda, fleeing fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). More than 8,200 refugees have crossed from DRC into Rwanda since 27 April, according to staff of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). These are in addition to the 55,000 Congolese refugees that Rwanda is already hosting.
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Syria: U.N.-Arab League mediator Kofi Annan is urging Syria’s government to accept U.N. conditions for expanding the distribution of humanitarian aid to roughly 1 million Syrians in need of assistance, the United Nations said today. Meanwhile, three vehicles belonging to … Read more
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Sustainable Future Symposium; ICT for Development; IAEA/Iran; Global Financial Transaction Tax; and more
Partnerships and development cooperation among countries will play a key role in accelerating sustainable development, the Secretary-General of the UN Sustainable Development Conference (Rio+20), Sha Zukang said today, stressing that assistance will need to focus on helping developing countries find longer-term solutions to eradicate poverty and transition into a green economy.The two-day Australia High-Level Symposium, “Shaping a Sustainable Future – Partners in Development Cooperation,” which began today, seeks to facilitate an informal dialogue on development cooperation among high-level policymakers, multilateral and civil society organizations, philanthropic foundations and the private sector.
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DR Congo; South Sudan; UNHCR and OIC; and more
Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Ivan Šimonovic, today voiced concern over the human rights situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which has experienced a recent upsurge in violence. Mr. Šimonovic said he was “appalled” by the heightened levels of recent violence triggered by defections in the Congolese armed forces, including former members of certain militia groups, and welcomed joint efforts between the peacekeepers of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DR Congo (MONUSCO), humanitarian actors and the authorities to protect civilians and respond to human rights violations.
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Asia-Pacific Human Development Report; Syria; Horn of Africa; UNRWA
Countries in the Asia-Pacific region must find ways to continue to grow economically and lift millions out of poverty while also responding to climate change and environmental concerns, according to UN report released today, which stresses that new methods of production are needed to meet this goal.UNDP’s Asia-Pacific Human Development Report 2012 argues that policies and actions in the region will have a global impact as it is home to more than half of the world’s population and half of the planet’s megacities.
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SG on Rio/Post-2015 Development; Syria; Middle East; Global Fund; and more
Appealing for flexibility in reaching agreement on a final outcome document, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon today, emphasized the need for Member States to agree on launching a process to establish Sustainable Development Goals ahead of the Rio+20 conference while also announcing the appointment of three co-chairs to his High-Level Panel on Post-2015 Development Planning. We should agree on launching a process to establish Sustainable Development Goals that build on the Millennium Development Goals … find better ways to measure progress that goes beyond Gross Domestic Product …and advance action to improve people’s lives through decent work, social protection and the empowerment of women and young people,” the UN chief said in his address to the UN General Assembly.
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Syria; Guinea-Bissau; UNAIDS; Afghanistan; and more
Amid concerns from the international community over the prospects of a “full civil war” in Syria, the Joint Special Envoy Kofi Annan, said today that the ongoing levels of violence and human rights abuses in the Middle Eastern country are unacceptable and the UN observer mission is possibly the only remaining chance to stabilize it.
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Peacebuilding; South Sudan; Indigenous Issues; Rwanda
The United Nations is determined to do everything possible to assist societies torn by war from sliding back into conflict, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told an audience in the United States capital today, adding that while there have been setbacks, peacebuilding remains a crucial element of the world body’s efforts.In a speech to the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D. C., Mr. Ban highlighted the work of the UN’s 16 peacekeeping operations and 15 political missions in the area of peacebuilding – a core mandate of the Organization.
