I talk to Erin Kenny of the United Nations Population Fund about her work as a gender-based violence expert at the United Nations.
Watch Live from the UN: Gender Based Violence Specialist Erin Kenny in Activism & Non-Profit | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com
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Live From the UN: Sexual Violence Expert Erin Kenny
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World Oceans Day is coming to a body of water near you
The UN has designated June 8, this coming Monday, the first ever “World Oceans Day,” a day dedicated to celebrating and protecting, well, the world’s oceans. Our friends at Citizens for Global Solutions, UNA-USA, and the Better World Campaign are taking this opportunity to push for U.S. ratification of that long-overdue no-brainer of a treaty, the UN Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
We’ve blogged about the Law of the Sea treaty before, making the rather uncontroversial argument that signing a treaty that will increase the United States’ ocean territory, protect marine life, enhance research opportunities, and make international shipping lanes freer and safer — and that is supported by Republicans and Democrats, oil executives and environmentalists, for crying out loud — should be one of those things that fits into U.S. priorities quite obviously. Add to this the fact that nations that are a party to UNCLOS are rapidly gobbling up the remaining (and globally warming) Arctic ocean territory, and that the U.S. risks being left on the sidelines if it doesn’t sign its name soon, and you have the ingredients of something that clearly should have been signed yesterday.
Unfortunately, the Law of the Sea has been held up for far too long by a handful of Senators with objections that, with any scrutiny whatsoever, turn out to amount to no more than myths. On the plus side, though, the Foreign Relations Committee’s chairman, John Kerry, has stressed that UNCLOS will be a priority for the committee this year. But it is unlikely that the Senate would adopt any major treaty without strong presidential leadership.
So, via CGS, click here today or Monday to send a message to President Obama urging him to support ratification of this important but neglected treaty.
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And green technology groweth…
Good news for acolytes of renewable energy (like us):
Green energy overtook fossil fuels in attracting investment for power generation for the first time last year, according to figures released today by the United Nations.
Wind, solar and other clean technologies attracted $140bn (£85bn) compared with $110bn for gas and coal for electrical power generation, with more than a third of the green cash destined for Britain and the rest of Europe.
The biggest growth for renewable investment came from China, India and other developing countries, which are fast catching up on the West in switching out of fossil fuels to improve energy security and tackle climate change. [emphasis mine]
One problem is that the world still needs to spend $750 billion on renewable energy in the next two years. Another is that overall, investments around the world are, um, not doing so well in the current economic climate. But still, that green techology is already generating more investment than their dirty predecessors — and that China and India, so often thrown around as the ones slowing the fight against global warming, are going green more rapidly — is a development that few could have predicted 15, 10, even 5 years ago.
(image from flickr user thinkpanama under a Creative Commons license)
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The ‘Virgil Goode Position’ eschewed in Obama’s speech
In his speech yesterday, Obama referenced Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison, who is the first and only Muslim member of Congress. Ellison was elected in 2006. As is standard procedure, Members of Congress often choose to take a symbolic oath of office by placing their hand on a bible. Well, when he took office, Ellison — being Muslim — thought it more appropriate to take his symbolic oath on the Koran. And deeper still, he used Thomas Jefferson’s Koran. Nothing wrong with that, right?
Well, some dark forces of American body politic took this to be an insidious display of anti- Americanism. Leading the charge was former Virginia Congressman Virgil Goode, who wrote in a letter to his constituents.
“The Muslim Representative from Minnesota was elected by the voters of that district and if American citizens don’t wake up and adopt the Virgil Goode position on immigration, there will likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Koran.”
Just imagine if Goode had his way and Ellison was prevented from taking his oath of office on the Koran. How would Obama have explained that to his audience in Egypt and to Muslims around the world? Deeper still, how would this kind of bigotry have affected American strategic interests in the Middle East and beyond?
For the record, in 2008 Goode was narrowly defeated by Tom Perriello, who is a distinctly internationally minded member of congress and former director of Avaaz.org.
UPDATE: Reader M.B. writes: Keith Ellison isn’t the only Muslim in Congress, Andre Carson is as well although I don’t know if he was also sworn in on a Koran. He was elected in a special election to replace his grandmother, Julia Carson, in March 2008.
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Live from the UN: Canada’s Deputy Perm Rep Henri-Paul Normandin
Mark discusses Canada’s role at the UN, Security Council reform, and the Stanley Cup finals with Canada’s Deputy Perm Rep.
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Live from the UN: The Millennium Campaign’s Anita Sharma
Mark talks to the Millennium Campaign’s Anita Sharma about the progress of the G20 committment to “social protection” of the poorest countries.
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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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