United Nations

U.N. Remains Barred From Visiting U.S. Prisons Amid Abuse Charges

July 23, 2015 Thalif Deen, www.ipsnews.net Educate! Mass Incarceration, Prison, Torture, United Nations

By Thalif Deen in IPS News - When U.S. President Barack Obama visited the El Reno Correctional Facility in Oklahoma last week to check on living conditions of prisoners incarcerated there, no one in authority could prevent him from visiting the prison. Obama, the first sitting president to visit a federal penitentiary, said “in too many places, black boys and black men, and Latino boys and Latino men experience being treated different under the law.” The visit itself was described as “unprecedented” and “historic.” But the United Nations has not been as lucky as the U.S. president was. Several U.N. officials, armed with mandates from the Geneva-based Human Rights Council, have been barred from U.S. penitentiaries which are routinely accused of being steeped in a culture of violence.

US Only Country Opposing Israel’s Accountability

July 10, 2015 Ben Norton, www.mondoweiss.net Educate! Israel, Palestine, United Nations, usa

By Ben Norton in Mondoweiss - The US was the only country in the world to oppose a resolution calling for Israel to be held accountable for war crimes, at the 29th regular session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), held from 15 June to 3 July 2015. 41 nations voted for the measure, including Germany, France, Japan, Brazil, China, and more. Just five nations abstained—the most high-profile of which was India, which is presently run by a right-wing Hindu nationalist government that spends billions on Israeli weapons. This vote came just weeks after the release of the UN Human Rights Council report on the 2014 Gaza war, which documents possible war crimes by Israel, including the deliberate targeting of besieged Palestinian civilians.

Spaniards Continue Protesting As New ‘Gag Law’ Takes Effect

July 10, 2015 Ashoka Jegroo, www.wagingnonviolence.org Resist! Freedom of Expression, Human Rights, Journalism, Spain, United Nations

By Ashoka Jegroo in Waging Non-Violence - Spain’s controversial new “Public Security Law,” known as “La Ley Mordaza,” or the “gag law,” officially went into effect on July 1 following protests around the country by thousands of protesters. The law, which has been the target of much criticism from journalists, lawyers associations, the opposition Socialist Party, UN experts and human rights groups, criminalizes and penalizes many common acts of protest like protesting outside of government buildings, disrupting public events, photographing or being openly disrespectful to police officers, trying to stop an eviction, and using social media to make calls for a protest. Those who break this new law face fines ranging from 100 euros ($111) to 600,000 euros ($665,139) and may also face up to one year in jail for some offenses.

The Case Against Manifest Destiny And For Non-Intervention

June 3, 2015 Dr. Cesar Chelala, www.mideast-times.com Educate! Imperialism, United Nations, Wars and Militarism

By Dr. Cesar Chelala in Middle East Times- The disastrous consequences of the recent aggressions against Iraq , Afghanistan , Syria , Yemen and Ukraine , to name just a few, show the urgent need to revive the principle of non-intervention into another state. This principle of international law includes, but is not limited to, the prohibition of the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, according to Article 2.4 of the Charter of the United Nations. The Swiss legal philosopher Emmerich de Vattel is credited with being the first to formulate the principle of non-intervention in his Droit de gens ou principles de la loi naturelle (The Law of Nations) published in 1758. Essentially, the principle establishes the right of territorial sovereignty possessed by each nation. The scope of the principle, however, has been subject to debate.

UN Experts Warn Of Serious Threats From Secret Trade Deals

June 3, 2015 UN Commission on Human Rights, www.ohchr.org Educate! Finance and the Economy, Free Trade, TPP, United Nations

By UN Commission on Human Rights - While trade and investment agreements can create new economic opportunities, we draw attention to the potential detrimental impact these treaties and agreements may have on the enjoyment of human rights as enshrined in legally binding instruments, whether civil, cultural, economic, political or social. Our concerns relate to the rights to life, food, water and sanitation, health, housing, education, science and culture, improved labour standards, an independent judiciary, a clean environment and the right not to be subjected to forced resettlement. We believe the problem has been aggravated by the “chilling effect” that intrusive ISDS awards have had, when States have been penalized for adopting regulations, for example to protect the environment, food security, access to generic and essential medicines, and reduction of smoking, as required under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, or raising the minimum wage.

World To Review US Human Rights Record

May 11, 2015 Jamil Dakwar, www.aclu.org Educate! Human Rights, Immigration, police brutality, Racial Justice, United Nations, United States

Starting Monday, the United States' human rights record will be subject to international scrutiny by the U.N. Human Rights Council. It may just be the perfect catalyst for the Obama administration to make good on past and present wrongs that should never be associated with a liberal democracy predicated on respect for human rights. The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is part of a regular examination of the human rights records of all 193 U.N. member countries and will be the second review of its kind for the U.S. since 2010. The review comes at a critical time when the U.S. human rights record has been criticized for falling short of meeting international human rights standards. From racially biased policing and excessive use of force by law enforcement to the expansion of migrant family detention and from the lack of accountability for the CIA torture program to the use of armed drones abroad, the U.S. has a lot to answer for.

Thomas Drake Running For UN Privacy Rapporteur

May 9, 2015 Courage, www.couragefound.org Organize! Human Rights, Surveillance, United Nations

Courage Advisory Board member Thomas Drake is a candidate to be the next Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy for the United Nations. In 2006, Drake blew the whistle on the NSA’s fraudulent and abusive warrantless wiretapping. Courage wishes to congratulate Drake on his candidacy and fully supports his run. Drake has already taken a stand for privacy in the global sphere. In September 2013, he testified to the European Parliament’s Civil Liberties Committee on the threat that mass surveillance poses to privacy and human rights. In July 2014, he participated in the German Parliament’s formal surveillance inquiry, using his extensive knowledge as a former senior executive with the NSA.

Nonviolent Leader Arrested In The Maldives

March 2, 2015 Matt Mulberry, www.opendemocracy.net Educate! Climate Change, Terrorism, United Nations

The former President of the Maldives and global climate activist Mohamed ‘Anni’ Nasheed was arrested on February 22 on “terror” charges just days before he was to lead a mass demonstration against the current government. Both the UN and the EU have issued statements of concern over what now appears to be an escalation by entrenched power holders in the Maldives to stifle effective political opposition. Known to outsiders for its pristine beaches, clear turquoise waters, and five-star luxury resorts, the Maldives is a nation of about 340,000 people spread across an archipelago of 26 atolls located in the middle of the Indian Ocean, roughly 500 miles southwest of Sri Lanka. Its natural beauty is its biggest asset, given that nearly one-third of the country’s GDP is generated via tourism. But that beauty also has a way of obscuring the intense political struggles that have come to characterize everyday life for most Maldivians over the past 30 years.

UN Reveals ‘Credible & Reliable’ Evidence Of US Military Torture

February 27, 2015 Sarah Lazare, www.commondreams.org Educate! Afghanistan, Torture, United Nations, usa, Wars and Militarism

The United Nations revealed Wednesday it has "credible and reliable" evidence that people recently detained at U.S. military prisons in Afghanistan have faced torture and abuse. The UN's Assistance Mission and High Commissioner for Human Rights exposed the findings in a report based on interviews with 790 "conflict-related detainees" between February 2013 and December 2014. According to the investigation, two detainees "provided sufficiently credible and reliable accounts of torture in a U.S. facility in Maydan Wardak in September 2013 and a U.S. Special Forces facility at Baghlan in April 2013." The report states that the allegations of torture were investigated by "relevant authorities" but provided no information about the outcome of the alleged probes or the nature of the mistreatment.

U.S.-China Climate Deal Is Bad News

January 11, 2015 Walden Bello, www.fpif.org Educate! China, Climate Change, climate crisis, COP20, United Nations

What’s most damaging is the watering down of the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities” as a result of joint lobbying by chief U.S. negotiator Todd Stern and his Chinese counterpart, Xie Zhenhua. The new formulation, according to Solon, “will dilute more and more the historical responsibility for greenhouse gas emissions of developed and emerging economies.” The big losers are the poor underdeveloped countries. The big winners are China and the United States, which according to Solon now “have an agreement to erase their responsibility for the climate chaos they created.” In the past, the United States and China used each other’s intransigence as an excuse to avoid making cuts in their carbon emissions. But the world was becoming weary of this game, forcing the two to drop their pretense of opposing each other in favor of a show of cooperation.

Palestinians Present Tougher Statehood Resolution To UN

December 30, 2014 Middle East Eye, www.middleeasteye.net Educate! Palestine, United Nations

Palestinian envoys have presented a more strongly-worded UN draft resolution on statehood that could come up for a vote at the Security Council later this week. The text, which was submitted by Security Council member Jordan on Monday, contains new provisions on declaring East Jerusalem the capital of a future Palestinian state, settling the issue of Palestinian prisoner releases, and halting Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. It also sets a 12-month deadline to reach a final peace agreement, and demands a full Israeli withdrawal from Palestinian lands by 2017. "Both our leaderships will be discussing, to find the best way and the best timing to vote on the Security Council resolution," Jordanian Ambassador Dina Kawar told reporters.

US Becoming Isolated In Support For Death Penalty

December 18, 2014 Natasja Sheriff, www.america.aljazeera.com Educate! Death Penalty, Human Rights, Torture, United Nations

The United Nations General Assembly is expected on Thursday to vote once again on a draft resolution calling for a moratorium on the death penalty, with the United States likely to become even more isolated in its support for capital punishment. The resolution was first adopted by the General Assembly in 2007; this is the fifth time member states will vote. On Nov. 21, 114 of the 193 U.N. member states voted “yes” on the draft resolution at a session of the Third Committee, which is responsible for social, humanitarian and cultural issues. Thirty-six countries opposed the resolution. The U.S. has repeatedly lodged “no” votes alongside countries with troubling human rights records — including China, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, the top four executing countries in 2013. The United States ranked fifth.

Thousands March For Climate Justice In Lima, Peru

December 11, 2014 Mariette Le Roux, www.rappler.com Resist! Climate Change, Peru, Protest, United Nations

Thousands of people marched in central Lima against the abuse of Earth's resources Wednesday, December 10, urging ministers haggling over a world climate deal to ensure a global switch to 100% clean energy by 2050. Students, environmentalists, workers, women's defenders, anti-poverty activists and indigenous groups joined the "People's Climate March" in the Peruvian capital, chanting "Water yes, gold no!" and "The water is ours!" The colorful line of festive demonstrators snaked its way through the city, accompanied by rhythmic drumming and brass bands. Police estimated the crowd at some 1,800 people, but Agence France-Presse witnessed many times that and organizers said some 15,000 turned out.

U.N. Urged To Ban Nuke Strikes Against Cities

December 10, 2014 Roger Hamilton-Martin, www.ipsnews.net Resist! Nuclear Weapons, United Nations, Wars and Militarism

Civil society groups are urging the U.N. General Assembly to pass a resolution declaring nuclear strikes on cities to be a clear-cut violation of international humanitarian law. At the Dec. 8-9 Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons, supporters of the proposed resolution argued that after Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it is undeniable that the explosion of a nuclear weapon on a populated area would engender destruction beyond acceptable human limits. “The maximalist demand of a complete ban on weapons, and the 'incremental steps' towards disarmament are both jammed. Will advancing IHL help both of these processes?" -- Jonathan Granoff

Human Rights Day: Demand Climate Justice

December 8, 2014 Mike D. Hays, www.dailykos.com Resist! Climate Change, COP20, United Nations

On Dec. 10, 350NYC, an affiliate of 350.org, is holding a rally near the United Nations to focus attention on climate negotiations in Peru. This International Human Rights Day demonstration, titled “Climate Justice is a Human Right,” will include speakers from Oxfam, Global Kids, the Rainforest Foundation, and an 11-year-old expected to break his vow of silence. In addition to the speakers, various art performances are planned from 4 to 6 p.m. One speaker will be Kevin Murungi, director of human rights and foreign policy programs at Global Kids, an organization that brings youth development and global education to schools in New York City and Washington, D.C.

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