A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary
Beautiful Horizons: “The United Nations has just adopted the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, the International Federation for Human Rights and the International Commission of Jurists are all hailing the document in a joint announcement. They are also urging all nations to ratify the document.”
Brian Barder: “Blair’s great failure lay in not having insisted from the outset, as an absolute and immutable condition of UK participation in the use of force against Iraq, that military action must have the prior approval of the Security Council in a new and explicit resolution. To go ahead without it was a plain breach of our international law obligations: it was, and is, an illegal war and its authors are war criminals. It’s no good Blair arguing that we couldn’t get UN approval because France would have vetoed any resolution that would have granted it: that’s a disgraceful lie, as anyone who takes the trouble to read the transcript of the relevant Chirac television interview must realise.”
Cuanas: “In an indispensible article, from National Review, Michael Ledeen warns that we had better do something Iran very soon: While most media attention has been devoted to the “diplomatic” United Nations visit of Iran’s brand new terrorist president, Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nezhad, the fascinating turmoil within Iran, both inside the mullahcracy and between the mullahs and the Iranian people, has gone largely unreported.”
Dean’s World: “The United States is in sharp contrast with Britain, where laws against self-defense combined with the toughest firearm restrictions of any democracy coincide with a rapidly rising crime rate: “In a United Nations study of crime in 18 developed nations published in July, England and Wales led the Western world’s crime league, with nearly 55 crimes per 100 people.” Given these facts, it’s clear that the anti-defense Left is basing their ideas on wishes and dreams, not reality.”
Insecurity Forum: “We are living in a world that is growing smaller, and in a period when the agenda of peace and human security is assuming increasing priority. Beginning from the early years of the post-cold war era, and more prominently since the fateful events of “9/11″, the agenda of human security has increasingly assumed an urgency of global proportions. It is quite clear that research on peace and security is now subject to broad national, regional and international debate. Besides several Seminars and Conferences held such as this one by EADI, discussions are under way in major international forums, such as the African Union, the United Nations and other forums to find lasting solutions to conflicts.”
Thomas Paine’s Corner: “Bush and his minions lied to Congress to launch the invasion, defied the UN and international law, and, according to John Pike of GlobalSecurities.org, are establishing 12 of what the Pentagon propagandists call “enduring bases” in Iraq…. The US government needs to respect international law, treaties, human rights, and the autonomy of sovereign nations, and to participate fairly in the UN.”
Window Washer: “The United Nations 2005 World Summit came to a close Friday, leaving many disappointed that little was achieved in regards to the Millennium Development Goals. But activists pledge not to be disheartened by this failure of world leaders to take action against poverty. Read IPS coverage of the summit that, despite its shortcomings, likely will set the stage for future international relations and development.”