Global Security

"The International Atomic Energy Agency's board of governors are debating when to refer Iran to the U.N. Security Council amid threats by the Islamic state to start enriching uranium if its nuclear activities are reported to the council." [Read more] Also see: UN Watchdog Weighs Sending Iran to Security Council Iran Nuclear Row 'Not a Crisis' In Focus: IAEA and Iran UPDATE: Bloggers comment here, here, and here, here.

"With the international spotlight shining on Tehran's atomic ambitions, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has appealed for a long-term and visionary approach to the problem of nuclear arms proliferation. "Today's headlines concern Iran - rightly so, for basic treaty obligations and commitments are at stake," he said in London on Tuesday evening, stressing that for signatories of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the right to develop nuclear energy is conditional on the obligation not to build or acquire nuclear weapons, and to comply with standards set and monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

"The United States and Europe, after hours of negotiations on Iran, won support from Russia and China early Tuesday to refer Iran's nuclear activities to the United Nations Security Council this week, but with a promise that the Council would not act on the question for at least a month." [Full story]

WaPo: "Iran threatened on Friday to block U.N. inspections of its nuclear facilities and end all voluntary cooperation with the nuclear watchdog if it is referred to the U.N. Security Council as the long confrontation over Iran's nuclear program moved closer to crisis level." More from the NYT: "For two years, the United States has repeatedly declared that after many instances of Iran failing to disclose its nuclear activities to international inspectors, its conduct should be subject to condemnation or sanctions at the Security Council. But until this week, the United States' major European allies have declined to endorse that step. Only after allowing the Europeans to negotiate with Iran and to offer possible incentives for suspending its activities, and encouraging Russia to make a separate offer to operate a joint uranium enrichment program on Russian soil, has the United States brought these partners around to more overt pressure." UPDATE - From Alertnet: "U.S. President George W. Bush said on Friday he would not prejudge what the U.N. Security Council would do with Iran, asked about whether he expected sanctions to be imposed if Iran is brought before the Council over its nuclear program."

"Iran said it was ready to remove U.N. seals at some atomic research and development sites on Monday, a move that would raise the stakes in Tehran's dispute with the West over its nuclear programme. European Union and U.S. officials say that, if Iran goes ahead with the move, diplomatic efforts to settle the issue would be endangered and that could lead to Tehran being referred to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Mohamed ElBaradei told Sky Television in an interview to be broadcast on Monday the world was "running out of patience with Iran"." [Read more] Also see: 2005 in Review: A Notable Nuclear Year

"Long an advocate of completing a treaty against all forms of terrorism by the end of this year, Secretary-General Kofi Annan voiced disappointment over the failure of the General Assembly's committee on legal affairs to reach agreement on a draft comprehensive convention. Finalizing the treaty has been elusive. A major sticking point has been the issue of exempting armed resistance groups involved in struggles against colonial domination and foreign occupation, on which General Assembly President Jan Eliasson said several key countries had taken hard positions." More

Alertnet: "The U.S.-led invasion of Iraq has turned the country into a new hub of terrorism worse than Afghanistan under Taliban, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on Monday."

"Drug cartels are increasingly using West Africa as a hub for smuggling, working with criminal networks from the region who market cannabis, cocaine and heroin in Europe and North America, according to the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). "If you look at recent seizures of cocaine, the biggest are all linked to groups with operations on the West African coast," Antonio Mazzitelli, head of UNODC's regional office for West and Central Africa, said." [More]

"U.N. diplomats have revised their blueprint for reforming the world body to include a definition of terrorism, indicating nations are moving toward consensus on a contentious global issue. World leaders are to consider the plan at their summit in September and, if approved, the definition could break the impasse over a comprehensive treaty against terrorism." [More]