Annan: ‘Bold Steps’ Needed for Syria Peace
Kofi Annan, the U.N.-Arab League envoy to Syria, has called on the country’s government to take bold steps to prove its commitment to restoring peace during a visit to Damascus. Annan arrived in the...
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Syria Simmers Amid U.N. Security Council Deadlock
Victims of the massacre at Houla. Credit: Freedom House 2/CC By 2.0The United States and its Western allies appear increasingly inclined to push for regime change in Syria, although the latest round of...
View ArticleU.S.: Obama Resists Growing Pressure to Intervene in Syria
While reports of two mass killings in Syria by pro-regime forces in the past week have increased pressure on President Barack Obama to intervene more directly in support of the opposition, his...
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Syria Escapes Threatened Sanctions by Third Double Veto at U.N.
Bashar Ja’afari (left), Permanent Representative of Syria to the UN, converses with Vitaly I. Churkin, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN, prior to the vote. Credit: UN...
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A Divided Security Council Leads Syria into U.N. Dead End
Russian Ambassador Vitaly I. Churkin briefs correspondents following the Security Council’s unanimous decision to extend the mandate of the UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) for 30 days. Credit:...
View ArticleIntervention in Eastern Congo a Rising Priority for Activists
As the situation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continues to deteriorate in the wake of an armed rebellion that began in April, some activists have strengthened calls for foreign...
View ArticleTo Press for Peace in Kivus, Donors Should Hold Aid, Report Says
Major donors to Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) should withhold aid to both governments until they comply with prior agreements to pacify the DRC’s mineral-rich Kivu provinces,...
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Africa’s Claims for Security Council Seats Still in Limbo
After 20 long years of negotiations on a proposed expansion of the Security Council, African countries continue to be left out in the cold – even as African leaders complain that the international...
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Violence Against Civilians Peaks in Central African Republic
The armed group Séléka recently reinforced its position in the northern provinces of the Central African Republic, notably in the northwest city of Paoua. Credit: Simon Davis/UK DFID/CC by 2.0As Michel...
View ArticleUK Publishes Legal Backing for Syria Strike
The British government has published internal legal advice which it said showed it was legally entitled to take military action against Syria, even if the United Nations Security Council blocked such...
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Ticking Diplomatic Clock a Cover for Israeli Assaults on Gaza
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon speaks to journalists on the hostilities in Gaza Jul. 28, reiterating his call for an immediate, unconditional humanitarian ceasefire in the conflict. Credit: UN...
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Will Climate Change Denialism Help the Russian Economy?
July 2014 floods in Russia but authorities turning blind eye to climate change. Credit: takemake.ruBy Mikhail MatveevMOSCOW, Aug 30 2014 (IPS)The recent call from Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev...
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OPINION: Sanctions and Retaliations: Simply Unconscionable
Independence Square in Kiev. In the aftermath of the revolution Ukraine now faces a difficult path to EU integration. Credit: Natalia Kravchuk/IPS.By Somar WijayadasaNEW YORK, Sep 4 2014 (IPS)The...
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Opinion: Europe Under Merkel’s (Informal) Leadership
In this column, Emma Bonino, a former Italian foreign minister and former European Commissioner, argues that German Chancellor Angela Merkel is the de facto representative of Europe in the world today,...
View ArticleSituation in Besieged Yarmouk Camp ‘One of the Most Severe Ever’
By Josh ButlerUNITED NATIONS, Apr 7 2015 (IPS)The head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees has described the situation inside the Syrian refugee camp of Yarmouk, under attack by...
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Security Council, in Historic First, Discusses Gay, Lesbian Rights
Advocates hope a historic U.N. Security Council meeting on LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) rights could bring greater equality. Credit: BigstockBy Thalif DeenUNITED NATIONS, Aug 24 2015...
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U.N. Military Sanctions on Syria May Face Veto by Arms Supplier
A man stands amid the rubble of a house following an airstrike in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on Apr. 15, 2013. Credit: Freedom House/CC-BY-2.0By Thalif DeenUNITED NATIONS, Aug 25 2015 (IPS)The...
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… And All of a Sudden Syria!
By Baher KamalMADRID, Jan 5 2016 (IPS)The “big five” – i.e., the most military powerful states on earth (US, UK, France, Russia and China) have just agreed that it would be about time to end the Syrian...
View ArticleSecurity Council Vote on Israeli Settlements Postponed Indefinitely
The UN Security Council has indefinitely postponed a vote on a draft resolution demanding an end to Israeli settlements. Hours before the Security Council was scheduled to vote, Egypt pulled the...
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Trump’s UN Pick: “UN Could Benefit from a Fresh Set of Eyes”
Samantha Power, outgoing Permanent Representative of the United States of America to the UN, addressing the council after a controversial vote on Israeli Settlements in December 2016. Credit: UN...
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Security Council Remains Grounded by Political Manipulation
By Thalif DeenUNITED NATIONS, Dec 20 2011 (IPS) When Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin briefed reporters recently, he offered some biting criticisms of the growing political manipulation of the most...
View ArticleOp-Ed: How Gender Values Point the Way for a More Effective U.N.
If war is still a man's game, what is particular to women that they bring of value to the peace table? And what would be the implications for the U.N.'s work if this was clearly articulated and...
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Somalia’s Rich Maritime Resources Being Plundered, Report Says
Three years of deployment of naval fleets by some of the major powers has failed to stamp out the modestly-equipped, ransom-seeking pirates. Credit: Surface Warrior/CC By 2.0By Thalif DeenUNITED...
View ArticleNorth Korea’s Pivot
By John FefferWASHINGTON, Mar 1 2012 (IPS) After three years of frozen relations between North Korea and the United States, the two longstanding adversaries are on the verge of a thaw. In what has been...
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“Small Five” Challenge “Big Five” Over Veto Powers
The Security Council meets to consider the maintenance of international peace and security, but political wrangling often prevents swift action. Credit: UN Photo/Paulo FilgueirasBy Thalif DeenUNITED...
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Security Council ‘Unfit for Purpose’, Says Amnesty International
By Isabelle de GraveUNITED NATIONS, May 24 2012 (IPS) Amnesty International delivered a scathing condemnation of global and national leadership in its 2012 global human rights report on Tuesday,...
View Article“Big Five” Crushes “Small Five” Over Veto Powers
By Thalif DeenUNITED NATIONS, May 25 2012 (IPS) At the height of the Cold War, a Peruvian diplomat, Dr. Victor Andres Belaunde, publicly expressed scepticism about the ability of small countries to...
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