UNITED NATIONS – Page 17 – IDN-InDepthNews

SYNDICATION, UNITED NATIONS2016-01-092023-07-12

Netanyahu Will Torpedo Obama’s Reported Bid To Head The UN

BERLIN (INPS | IDN) – In an unprecedented bid, U.S. President Barack Obama plans to succeed Ban Ki-moon as the United Nations Secretary-General and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has got wind of the plan, is determined to lead the effort in thwarting the bid, reports the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida, cited by The Jerusalem Post.

While Ban’s second term as the UN Secretary-General ends on December 31, Obama’s finishes in January 2017. The U.S. Presidential election is due on November 8, 2016.

SYNDICATION, UNITED NATIONS2016-01-072023-07-12

Kazakhstan Condemns North Korea, Urges Complete Ban On Nuke Tests

NEW YORK | ASTANA – As co-chair, along with Japan, of the Conference to facilitate entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), Kazakhstan has condemned North Korea’s hydrogen bomb test on January 6 and declared “such actions” of DPRK as “unacceptable” and “in violation of the UN Security Council resolutions 1718 (2006), 1874 (2009), 2087 (2013) and 2094 (2013)”.

In a statement, the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: “Kazakhstan believes the actions of DPRK seriously undermine the international community’s efforts along the path of nuclear disarmament and strengthening the non-proliferation regime and global security in general, as well as the efforts of the majority of the countries in the world to ensure the early entry into force of the CTBT.“

Kazakhstan, as a country whose people have directly experienced the deadly effects of nuclear weapons, voluntarily renounced the possession of a nuclear arsenal and initiated the adoption of a UN General Assembly resolution proclaiming August 29 as the International Day against Nuclear Tests, the statement added.

“We stand for the complete ban on nuclear tests in the world,” declared the statement, and call upon North Korea to abandon nuclear weapon ambitions and resume negotiations in the six-party format involving China, Russia, the United States, the Republic of Korea and Japan.

SYNDICATION, UNITED NATIONS2016-01-062023-07-12

UN Condemns North Korea For Violating Ban on Nuclear Testing

The United Nations condemned on January 6 the underground nuclear test announced by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon calling it “deeply troubling” and the UN Security Council vowing to immediately begin considering the “significant measures” it had vowed to take in the event of another nuclear test by the country.

SYNDICATION, UNITED NATIONS2016-01-042023-07-12

UN Expert Resigns as Israel Denies Access to Occupied Palestinian Territory

NEW YORK (INPS) – The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian territories is resigning due to Israel’s failure to grant him access to the areas he is tasked with monitoring, according to the UN News Service.

“Unfortunately, my efforts to help improve the lives of Palestinian victims of violations under the Israeli occupation have been frustrated every step of the way,” Makarim Wibisono said of his resignation, which he submitted to the President of the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council on January 4, to become effective as of March 31.

SYNDICATION, UNITED NATIONS2016-01-022023-07-12

UN Embarks on a New Process to Choose Ban’s Successor

By Ramesh Jaura | IDN-InDepthNews Analysis

BERLIN | NEW YORK (IDN) – UN Seretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s successor will not be elected by a secret ballot by the 193 member states of the United Nations. But the General Assembly and the Security Council presidents have agreed on a selection process that might mark a watershed.

According to the UN Charter, the Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly following the recommendation of the Security Council. The format agreed by the General Assembly President Mogens Lykketoft and the President of the Security Council Samantha Power does not axe the powers exercised particularly by the Council.

SYNDICATION, UNITED NATIONS2016-01-012023-07-12

UN Urges Swift Implementation of Japan-Korea Landmark Accord

By J Nastranis | IDN-InDepthNews Report

NEW YORK (IDN) – Nearly one-and-a-half years ago, the United Nations Human Rights Commissioner Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein’s predecessor, Navi Pillay, expressed profound regret that Japan had not provided effective redress to Korean victims of wartime sexual slavery leading back to the end of the Second World War.

The agreement reached on December 28 after protracted negotiations between Japan and South Korea – with support by UN human rights experts – seeks to redress the international community has been asking for. According to UN News, the accord reportedly involves an official apology from Japan and a promised payment of $8.3 million for the victims.

SYNDICATION, UNITED NATIONS2015-12-312023-07-12

Historic UN Tribunal on Rwandan Genocide Closes after 21 Years

NEW YORK (INPS) – The United Nations tribunal set up 21 years ago to judge those guilty for the genocide in Rwanda of more than 800,000 people – overwhelmingly Tutsi, and also moderate Hutu, Twa and others – formally closed on December 31 after delivering 45 judgments as part of the Organization’s efforts to stamp out impunity for crimes against humanity.

It became the first international tribunal to issue a judgement against a Head of Government since the Nuremburg and Tokyo Tribunals just after the Second World War, when it condemned former Interim Government Prime Minister Jean Kambanda to life imprisonment in 1998. Read in Japanese

SYNDICATION, UNITED NATIONS2015-12-282023-07-12

Treaty to Ban Nuclear Weapons High on UN Agenda in 2016

By Jamshed Baruah | IDN-InDepthNews Analysis

BERLIN | NEW YORK (IDN) – An open-ended working group of the United Nations General Assembly for achieving a nuclear-weapon-free world is, along with the Sustainable Development Goals, an important agenda item that the year 2015 has bequeathed to 2016.

SYNDICATION, UNITED NATIONS2015-12-262023-07-12

Ban Ki-moon Unhappy With UN’s 5.4 Billion Dollar Budget

By J Nastranis | IDN-InDepthNews Analysis

A wide view of the General Assembly. UN Photo/Rick Bajornas (file)

NEW YORK (IDN) – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is far from satisfied with a budget of $5.4 billion the 193-member General Assembly adopted on December 23 for the United Nations to carry out its vital work in 2016 and 2017. This two-year budget is less than 7% of the $77.7 billion preliminary budget New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio proposed for 2016 in February 2015.

SYNDICATION, UNITED NATIONS2015-12-252023-07-12

UN Condemns Destruction of World Heritage Sites as ‘War Crimes’

By Jaya Ramachandran | IDN-InDepthNews Feature

PARIS (IDN) – With extremist assaults continuing unabated on striking symbols of Syria’s cultural diversity, the United Nations has condemned archaeological devastation of yet another major World Heritage site. Earlier, in October, it had declared such acts as “war crimes” and assured that those responsible “would be tried and punished”.