MetaFilter posts tagged with un

They're paying attention

peachfuzz — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:52:11 -0800

Raquel Rolnik is the U.N.'s new Special Rappoteur on the Right to Adequate Housing. So far, she has investigated forced evictions in Phnom Penh and housing destroyed by rising sea levels in the Maldives. This week, she's investigating whether limited access to affordable housing is a human rights violation in the U.S. In the first ever fact-finding mission in the U.S., Rolnik has interviewed survivors of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, talked to those pushed out of public housing in New York, and visited a reservation in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. Today, she is taking a look at foreclosures in Los Angeles, with visits to Chicago and Washington, DC left to go. Follow her travels here.

Game of chicken

KokuRyu — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:27:29 -0800

KFC 'colonel' dupes UN security The incident last Thursday apparently was part of a publicity stunt by KFC, which is seeking to promote its grilled alternative to its signature fried chicken. It had dispatched the Sanders look-alike, identified by KFC as Robert Thompson, and also wrote to Mr. Ban. The UN could take legal action against the company, whose letter, signed by KFC president Roger Eaton, asked that the secretary general register the "Grilled Nation" of grilled chicken eaters as the 193rd UN member state.

The Flickr Page of the UN Refugee Agency

Kattullus — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 12:23:33 -0800

The United Nations Refugee Agency has a Flickr page with nearly 3000 photos neatly sorted into over 150 sets, most often by country, though sometimes by other themes, such as photos taken by refugee children, life in a refugee camp and mixed migration. There are also news sets, sorted by month. Some of the countries featured are ones that many associate with humanitarian disasters, Timor-Leste, Iraq and The Democratic Republic of Congo, but there are also photosets from countries that few associate with refugees, Panama, Hungary and France.

Isla del encanto?

krikkit261 — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:43:48 -0800

With all the dust that's been* riled up by Obama's nomination of Sonia Sotomayor (previously), everyone is suddenly taking an interest in Puerto Rico. A basic question that may come up is why we're there in the first place. Understanding that, we can see how the complicated relationship has played out between Puerto Rico, the US, and, most recently, the United Nations. Although the UN has urged the US to take steps towards establishing Puerto Rico's sovereignty, referendums held on the island have overwhelmingly preferred the status quo and the US has been indifferent at best. But independence activists, after a twenty-year decline, may be on the rise. The island's current governor, Luis Fortuño, is pro-statehood. But the whole issue has taken a back seat since plans have been made to fire 30,000 government workers, privatize some public services, and sell some the the government's US$3.2 billion debt. Still recovering from the 2006 economic crisis that some say never ended and struggling with a 15% unemployment rate, Puerto Rico's future is cloudy. * Warning: Youtube link with butchered Spanish.

"So Say We All"

zarq — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 12:07:01 -0800

Fantasy Meets Reality. The very best works of science fiction illuminate controversial current events and the intricacies of human nature. So, it's no surprise that the United Nations Public Information Department and the Sci Fi (SyFy?) Channel co-hosted a panel yesterday evening on "humanitarian concerns" at the UN, with the creators and actors of Battlestar Galactica -- a show which regularly explores those themes. A 2-hour video webcast is archived here. (RealPlayer video). Entertainment Weekly has an additional write-up. SciFi.com will eventually have a transcript up of the event. The first link in this post is a review by the television critic of the NJ Star-Ledger. More on why the UN decided to host the panel. Topics discussed last night include human rights; terrorism; children and armed conflict; and reconciliation and dialogue among civilizations and faiths. The panel was moderated by Whoopi Goldberg, with Mary McDonnell, Edward James Olmos, Ron Moore and David Eick participating.

Peace: Still a Man's Thang

terranova — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 18:02:11 -0800

In 2001, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 1325 on Women's Role on Peace-Building and Security, calling for increased participation by women in conflict resolution and peace negotiations. Eight years later, "in terms of signing the peace documents and being at the peace table and involved in the peace-making operations, 1.3 percent of all the signatures in the world on these peacekeeping documents have been rendered by women." (Stephen Lewis, former UN special envoy), and as of 2007, women constituted only 1% of peacekeeping military personnel. Could increasing women's participation also help reduce sexual exploitation and abuse by UN peacekeepers?

Are we still the world?

infini — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 23:02:32 -0800

From A-lister to Aid worker: Does celebrity diplomacy really work? Rock stars," asked Homer Simpson, with his customary sagacity, "is there anything they don't know?" Only these days, of course, it's not just rockers but movie stars and businessmen – and indeed anyone with an above-average public profile – who, for one reason or another, are intent on telling the rest of us how the world should be changed for the better. Or at least, that's how it seems. So much so that a conference of eminent professors of international relations assembled recently in The Hague to explore the modern phenomenon of what they call "celebrity diplomacy", amid fears that it has reached the point where superstar lobbyists are damaging the traditional workings of international diplomacy and global politics.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights 60th Anniversary

Fiasco da Gama — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:44:32 -0800

Sixty years ago on December 10, fifty eight nations created the UN Declaration of Human Rights. There are extensive commentaries, and critical alternatives. Most of all there are predecessors. Do you know your rights? Previously, previously.

Remaking the case for humanitarian intervention abroad.

allkindsoftime — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 19:20:25 -0800

From The Economist (remember who they endorsed recently?): What Congo Means for Obama.

We admire your work

cimbrog — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 06:42:04 -0800

We know the NSA is watching. They have corporate buddies to help them out. But now they've found a true ideological soul mate - China While there are significant hurdles to be overcome for Q6/17's plans to become a reality, it doesn't make people feel any better when they are using justifications like this. [Via]

Saved and Depoliticised at One Stroke

geoff. — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 10:06:13 -0800

"The most startling features of Kosovo, now that the cleansing of the Serbian minority is on hold, are the poverty of the province ... and the pitiful economy that keeps it locked in."

Once a supplier of farm produce to other parts of Yugoslavia, Kosovo now brings in almost all its food, along with fuel and building materials. Its leading ‘export’ is scrap metal, a harvest of rundown plant from the Milosevic era and Nato bomb damage. Kosovo’s trade gap is dramatic: imports account for 90 per cent of legal cross-border trade ... The ambiguous status of the territory has been a large disincentive to foreign investors. Who can tell where their capital will be tied up or their taxes levied ten years from now? In a largely autonomous part of Serbia? A protectorate run by a handful of jaded international bodies? Or Europe’s latest sovereign state?

A Changing Neighborhood

Kronos_to_Earth — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 14:14:49 -0800

Before and after sattellite photos (along with much more information) of the effects of climate change over the past 30 years are available through UNEP's (the United Nations Environment Programme) Atlas of Our Changing Environment (Via)

Mugabe Attempts to Beat Zimbabwe into Submission

shivohum — Thu, 08 May 2008 06:59:57 -0800

"'If voters fail to return Mr. Mugabe to office...Prepare to be a war correspondent.' Mugabe's party in Zimbabwe spasms into mass repression and political violence to prevent Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change from winning power. The African Union dithers, as does the UN (as it gives Zimbabwe leadership positions). Many Chinese rationalize their government's weapon shipment. According to the government-published Herald, everything's just fine. What are the options?

World Governments & Accountability

Rykey — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 11:05:46 -0800

Social Watch monitors the progress of efforts, articulated in numerous international agreements (1 2 3), to end poverty and increase equality worldwide. By coordinating the reports of a network of citizens' organizations, Social Watch aims to keep tabs on progress toward specific initiatives in each country, lobbying national governments as appropriate. Search by country for a snapshot of social and economic progress. Browse various measures of stability and meaningful development. Lots more, including meaty, well-documented reports and statistics, and holy crapola, nice graphics.

Victor Bout, the Merchant of Death, has been caught.

krautland — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 16:05:26 -0800

NYT Article The man who served as inspiration for the 2005 Nicolas Cage's 2005 flick "Lord of War," arms trafficer Victor Bout, has been arrested in Thailand. "the world’s most efficient postman" is said to have owned his own fleet of aircraft to ferry small arms into embargoed conflict zones. old articles about him: The Embargo Buster: Fueling Bloody Civil Wars, Arms and the Man (NYT Mag).

I for one welcome our new "Controllers"

monospace — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 12:00:21 -0800

It's official. The aliens are coming. In 2017. Turns out they might like The Beatles after all. The UN is on the case. The Hindus are going to be especially upset.

Global Development By The Numbers

StrikeTheViol — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 19:26:22 -0800

The new UN Human Development Report is out. Lots of interesting stuff on climate change. But for me, nothing beats the Human Development Index, a number that means different things to different people.

Scientists are getting a bit nervous.

salvia — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 11:23:23 -0800

In what it calls "the final wake-up call to the international community," a UN report (press release, website, 21 MB PDF) warns that damage to the environment is reaching a "point of no return" and now threatens "humanity's very survival." Oh, c'mon, tell us what you really think.

Ahimsa

infini — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 09:35:20 -0800

On June 15th, 2007, the UN unanimously adopted a resolution declaring October 2 to be the "International Day of Non-Violence." October 2 is also Gandhi Jayanti, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi,a national holiday in India in honor of the man called the "Father of the Nation". Previously on Mefi, Gandhi's heirs - five champions of non violence and Everything you wanted to know about Gandhi. As an aside, Mahatma Gandhi and the ruling Gandhi family of India are neither related nor from the same caste or community. This little known fact causes much confusion outside of India - Indira Gandhi, nee Nehru - was a Kashmiri Pandit, and married a Parsi gentleman called Feroze Gandhi. MK Gandhi was from the state of Gujurat and belonged to bania or vysa caste.

Allí, ese 16 de marzo, Bush, Blair y Aznar decidieron sustituir al Consejo de Seguridad de Naciones Unidas y usurparon sus funciones para declarar por su cuenta y riesgo la guerra contra Irak.

amberglow — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 19:50:52 -0800

Bush and Aznar pre-Iraq Invasion-- Transcript of their private conversations in Crawford, Feb 22, 2003: "Quedan dos semanas. En dos semanas estaremos militarmente listos. Estaremos en Bagdad a finales de marzo", le dijo a Aznar. ("2 weeks. In 2 weeks we will be ready militarily. We'll be in Baghdad by the end of March", he told Aznar.) Consider this historical documentation. Full transcript here, and audio clips in first link. PB. Me parece muy bien. Chirac conoce perfectamente la realidad. Sus servicios de inteligencia se lo han explicado. Los árabes le están transmitiendo a Chirac un mensaje muy claro: Sadam Hussein debe irse. El problema es que Chirac se cree Mister Arab y en realidad les está haciendo la vida imposible. Pero yo no quiero tener ninguna rivalidad con Chirac. (Bush: Chirac knows the reality perfectly. Your intelligence services have told it. The Arabs are sending a very clear message to Chirac--Saddam must go. The problem is that Chirac thinks he's Mister Arab and the reality is that he's in a dream world(?). But i don't want to have any rivalry with Chirac. )

Path to Freedom?

crawfishpopsicle — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 10:13:15 -0800

The fight to free Burma has been making noise lately. Protests are picking up in Burma, international activists are putting pressure on the UN to step in, and Jim Carrey has joined as yet another celebrity to try to bring public attention to the effort. Burma is an amazing place and the Burmese people are some of the warmest, most hospitable, beautiful, and silliest people I have ever encountered. The people of Burma deserve a better world. Is the tide shifting? Will this be a turning point for Burma? I hope so.

SPOILER: NYC wins.

goodnewsfortheinsane — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 15:58:57 -0800

Estimated cocaine consumption based on waste-water analysis (expressed as cocaine lines* per day per 1000 Inhabitants, age 15-64) *1 line was here assumed to be equivalent to 100 milligram of cocaine. --page 272

This, and much more, in the UN 2007 World Drug Report (pdf). HTML homepage.

Gordon Brown speaks about global poverty at the UN.

teleskiving — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 12:50:37 -0800

"It is time to call it what it is: a development emergency which needs emergency action". Gordon Brown speaks to the UN about global poverty. Link goes to full text of speech, video is available from the same page.

Thomas Barnett draws a new map for Whirled Peas

MapGuy — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 13:42:25 -0800

TED does it again. See you in Monterey. What happens when the war machine goes improv?

Kurt Waldheim, R.I.P.

taosbat — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 14:56:40 -0800

Kurt Waldheim dies at 88: Wehrmacht lieutenant, Fourth Secretary-General of the United Nations, President of Austria. R.I.P.