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Blog Roundup #87

A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary Flap's Blog: [AP] "Russia and France immediately called on Iran to halt its work and fulfill the demands of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency, according to a joint statement posted on the Kremlin's Web site." More bloviating from Russia and France. They MAY vote for economic sanctions against Iran when these issues come before the United Nations Security Council but cannot be counted upon for more... The ball continues in the Mullah's court. Iran must STAND DOWN or suffer the consequences. Iran WILL NOT develop or possess nuclear weapons." Eccentric Star: "Cartoon Protests Continue; Protest Violence Also Condemned - "U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan condemned the drawings as "insensitive and rather offensive," but he called for dialogue. "Right now there's megaphone diplomacy," Annan told Denmark's national broadcaster DR. "And I think we should turn off the megaphones and begin to talk quietly to each other."

UN Inquiry Demands Immediate Closure of Guantanamo

"A United Nations inquiry has called for the immediate closure of America's Guantanamo Bay detention centre and the prosecution of officers and politicians "up to the highest level" who are accused of torturing detainees.

1,200 a Day in DRC Die From Lingering Effects of Civil War

"The United Nations and the European Commission are seeking $681-million to meet the needs of 30-million vulnerable people in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha) said on Monday.

AIDS Orphans are Being Forgotten, Says UN

040682F.jpg © UNICEF/Pirozzi "Global efforts to tackle AIDS are neglecting the 15 million children who have lost at least one parent to the disease, experts told an international conference on HIV on Thursday. In sub-Saharan Africa alone an estimated 18 million children will have lost one or both parents to AIDS by 2010 - an increase of six million in just four years, according to U.N. forecasts. "Despite progress in some areas, children are still the missing face of AIDS in the global response to the pandemic," said Ann Veneman, executive director of the U.N. children's fund UNICEF. "The world must act now, urgently and decisively, to ensure that the next generation is AIDS-free." [Read more] See also: World Not Doing Nearly Enough to Protect Children Affected by AIDS Global Partners Forum Seeks to Build Support for Children Affected by HIV/AIDS UNICEF: Unite for Children Against AIDS

Blog Roundup #86

A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary Regime Change Iran: "The United Nations wants Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and five of his relatives and aides, including his younger brother, for questioning in the murder of Lebanon's former premier, Rafiq al-Hariri. (Assad has tried to negotiate immunity for himself and his brother in exchange for handing over the others - but the U.N. wouldn't play.)" TPM Cafe (Michael Levi): "Inspecting Iran - Are inspections a technical or a political process? That question comes to mind as Iran prepares to resume its uranium enrichment activities, after the IAEA Board of Governors reported its case to the UN Security Council this past weekend. Until now, Iran's enrichment activities had been suspended under an agreement with Britain, France, and Germany; the suspension had also been requested by the IAEA itself. Now, as Iran restarts its work, the IAEA will resume routine but spare inspections, monitoring Iranian installations for unauthorized production or diversion of nuclear material."

UNICEF: Urgent Action Needed in Drought-Stricken Horn of Africa

hp_esaro_bannon6780.jpg © UNICEF Somalia/2006/Bannon At a supplementary feeding centre in Isdoorto, Somalia, a child waits in line with her mother for Unimix, a highly fortified food. "UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman is calling for immediate action in the drought-stricken Horn of Africa to keep children from dying. More than 8 million people across Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia and Djibouti are affected by the drought. The severe crisis is threatening the lives of 1.5 million children under the age of five. "This is an area of Africa that often suffers from drought and, when drought occurs, it impacts the nutrition of children so we are concerned that children will suffer from malnutrition," said Ms. Veneman. "They are more susceptible to disease and in these situations previously, we've seen mortality rates for children increase so we want to get into the area early so we can address the needs particularly of the children." [Read more]

Calm Urged on Cartoon Dispute

"Responding to an increasing number of violent attacks in many parts of the world over cartoon caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed, the Secretary-General of the United Nations joined today with senior officials from the Islamic world and Europe in calling for calm and dialogue among communities of different faiths. In a joint statement, Kofi Annan, along with the head of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and the European Union's (EU) senior representative for foreign and security policy, said there should be a "spirit of friendship and mutual respect" not only between countries but also between believers of different religions." [More]

Blog Roundup #85

A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary Moondancer: "U.N. delegates drafting a treaty to protect the rights of the world's 600 million disabled have resolved many of their differences and are on track to complete the document in August, the diplomat leading the negotiations said on Friday. "It should be possible to conclude drafting at our next meeting in August," New Zealand Ambassador Don MacKay told a news conference after a three-week drafting session. "We have made real progress and there are relatively few unresolved issues," he said. "But it is more than just dotting the i's and crossing the t's." A U.N. committee that includes all 191 U.N. member-nations has been working since 2001 on a treaty to promote and protect the rights of the disabled." Stygius: "Steve Clemons' long-anticipated project, an online watch page on UN Ambassador John Bolton, is now active. Bolton Watch is being hosted by TPMCafe, and Steve's first post is up: "As a friend of mine inside the State Department recently told me, I have a slew of friends inside the Department and in the nooks and crannies of Bolton's world who want Bolton Watch to play a constructive role in helping Condoleezza Rice to supervise him." Coalition for Darfur: "Darfur: Sudan Reiterates Resistance to U.N. Force - From Reuters: "Sudan on Monday softened its resistance to admitting U.N. troops to its violent Darfur region, but demanded the world body consult the government before any deployment is agreed. Sudan initially refused the deployment of U.N. troops in Darfur to stop the rape, killing and looting described by Washington as genocide, and an African Union force was dispatched instead in 2004. But donors have slowed their funding for the almost 7,000-strong AU force, prompting U.N. chief Kofi Annan to say a U.N. takeover of the AU mission is inevitable."

Annan Urges End to Violence Over Controversial Cartoons

"Reacting attacks sparked by a furor over controversial cartoons first published in a Danish newspaper, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said that while he shares the distress of offended Muslims, they must not respond with violence. "The Secretary-General is alarmed by the threats and violence, including the attacks on embassies that have occurred in Syria and Lebanon and other countries over the past few days," his spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said in a statement issued in New York. Noting that Mr. Annan shares the distress felt by many Muslims at the publication of caricatures considered insulting to their religion, "he wishes to emphasize that such resentment cannot justify violence, least of all when directed at people who have no responsibility for, or control over, the publications in question." [Link]