Written by: Audrey McGrory As negotiations between Russia and NATO have intensified following the heightened risk of Russian invasion into its neighbor and former Soviet republic, Ukraine, Russia’s advancements elsewhere—namely in Africa—are also worth monitoring. In another example of Russia testing the West in their diplomatic capabilities, the country’s movements in Africa are interesting, though…
Tag: united nations
By Outlawing Six Palestinian Human Rights Groups, Israel Undermines the UN
Written by: Julian Cooper On October 22nd, Israel’s Justice Ministry outlawed six human rights organizations by declaring them to be affiliates of “terrorism.” Among these six organizations was a relief group for Palestinian children, a legal support group for Palestinian prisoners and a women’s rights group. The other three organizations, all based in the West…
Xenophobic Policies in the Name of Gratitude: Refugee Experiences with the Conservative Austrian Government
Written by: Emily Janicik According to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), “A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war or violence. A refugee has a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular…
COP25 Provides Final Opportunity For Climate Change Prevention
Written by: Allison Lee The COP25 annual gathering (2019 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) officially commenced on December 2 in Madrid, Spain. The twelve-day conference consisted of over 25,000 delegates from about 200 countries and aimed to solidify plans for limiting emissions and preventing global warming. Organizing the conference was no easy feat….
International Human Trafficking Laws: Why The Time For Change is Now
Written by: Abby Ivancevich Human trafficking affects over 20 million people worldwide. The UN defines human trafficking as “the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons by improper means (such as force, abduction, fraud, or coercion) for an improper purpose including forced labor or sexual exploitation.” As an evolved society, we often choose to…
With the JCPOA Crumbling, US-Iran Relations Remain in Doubt
Written by: Riley Fink The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was agreed to in 2015 by Iran, Germany, and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council — China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. This historic deal aimed to curb Iran’s nuclear program. Specifically, Iran was to dramatically…
Refusal to Pay UN Dues: A Danger to US Hegemony
Written by: Cormac O’Harrow Since helping charter the United Nations in 1945, the United States has refused to pay its dues only a handful of times, most notably during the 1980’s when President Reagan boycotted the addition of newly formed nations after centuries of colonization. Now, President Trump, in line with his ‘American First’ nationalist…
Two Steps Forward, One Step Back for Climate Change
Written by: Wilson Horn It came as a shock to the world when in the summer of 2017, President Trump announced the United States’ plan to withdraw from the United Nations’ Paris Accords. This agreement hoped to mitigate the effects of climate change by binding the world’s greatest economic powers — and polluters — to…
State-Sponsored Atrocities in the Philippines Unlikely to End Any Time Soon
Written by: Connor Touhey Due to the behavior of President Rodrigo Duterte, the Philippines has gained international attention for all the wrong reasons over the past year and a half. For some, Duterte might be best known for his aggressive outbursts. He called the American ambassador to his nation a “gay son of a bitch”…
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