Over the past year, the United States has done much to reestablish its standing in the world. Yesterday, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton made another monumental stride forward by announcing our nation’s renewed commitment to ensuring that women worldwide have access to safe and effective reproductive health care.
The U.S. Interpol liaison office issued a statement last night explaining a recent executive order that grants Interpol, the International Criminal Police Organization, certain diplomatic privileges here in the United States.
The head of the UN Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) briefed the Security Council yesterday. Neil MacFarquhar suggests that Eide may have been implicitely critical of the U.S. military surge in his remarks, which stressed the need for Afghan civilian capacity building. This is a snippet of what Eide told the Council. (Full remarks here.)
Senator Chris Dodd announced today that he will not be running for re-election as U.S. Senator from Connecticut. Dodd was first elected to the Senate in 1980, and in during his 30 year career on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee he emerged as one of the more thoughtful voices of constructive U.S.
Today UNEP and Puma announced the launch of Play for Life, a campaign designed to promote the International Year of Diversity (2010). The campaign will include the 12 teams that Puma sponsors in Africa, including 4 World Cup qualifiers -- Algeria, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, and Gabon. Cameroon captain Samuel Eto'o will take a leading role.
Somalia has long been one of the most dangerous places in the world for UN-affiliated aid workers. Beyond the general lawlessness of the place is the fact that one of the main insurgent groups, al Shabaab, has specificily targeted aid workers and UN agencies as enemies.
UNICEF just published a success story on female education in India, and it’s inspiring. It profiles thirteen-year-old Arfa Khatun, who refused when her parents tried to commit her to marriage, and her parents accepted that refusal. That’s pretty amazing, especially in West Bengal, where almost half of marriages involve girls under 18.