UN News & UN Videos: Government News: United Nations // Current

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10 hours ago

UN: Israel must tear down West Bank barrier

Israel must tear down its West Bank separation barrier, a senior U.N. official said Wednesday, marking five years since the International Court of Justice declared the barrier illegal and a violation of Palestinian rights.

The barrier separates Israel from the West Bank and in places cuts into Palestinian territory. Israel started building it in 2002 to stop a wave of suicide bombing attacks by Palestinians, who infiltrated across the cease-fire line.

Palestinians charge the complex of walls, trenches, barbed wire and electronic sensors is a land grab that cuts people off from their property and basic services.

Israel did not recognize the 2004 ruling against the barrier by the International Court of Justice, an advisory opinion with no enforcement mechanism.

The barrier is about two-thirds completed. The southern section, near sparsely populated areas on both sides of the line, has not been constructed. Israel's Supreme Court has forced rerouting of several segments closer to the Israel-West Bank line.

At a news conference in Jerusalem to mark the anniversary, the U.N. released a statement concluding that the completed barrier would close in 35,000 Palestinians and wall off another 125,000 on three sides. About 2.4 million Palestinians live in the West Bank.

The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, said the barrier is only part of the problem.

"The wall is but one element of the wider system of severe restrictions on the freedom of movement imposed by the Israeli authorities on Palestinian residents of the West Bank," Pillay said. Israeli must "dismantle the wall" and "make reparations for all damage suffered by all persons affected by the wall's construction," she said.

Israel's Foreign Ministry did not comment on the statement Wednesday. Israel's government has said in the past that the completed sections of the barrier have significantly reduced Palestinian attacks in Israel.

The U.N. said it will release a full report on the humanitarian impact of the barrier later this month.Israel must tear down its West Bank separation barrier, a senior U.N. official said Wednesday, marking five years since the... more

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2 days ago

Pope claims greed has 'wreaked havoc' on the global economy, wants UN 'with teeth'

"There is a strongly felt need... for a reform of the United Nations Organisation, and likewise of economic institutions and... more

WakeUpPeople
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24 responses

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3 days ago

'No proof' Iran seeks nuclear arms

The incoming head of the UN's nuclear watchdog has said that he has not seen any hard evidence that Iran is trying to develop... more

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5 days ago

Welcome to an inhuman country

The italian security decree that makes illegal immigrants automatically criminals receives strong criticism from the Catholic... more

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9 days ago

UN backs ousted Honduran leader

Soldiers take cover as they battle with supporters of ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya after violence broke out near the... more

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104 responses

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11 days ago

Child rights treaty will expand government, hurt children

The Obama administration is renewing efforts to sign a United Nations treaty supposedly aimed at protecting children’s rights. Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the UN announced on Monday that the administration is investigating “when and how it might be possible to join” the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).

While a treaty codifying children’s rights may sound harmless, the true nature of this treaty is devastating to our family structure, Constitution, national sovereignty and security. New rights granted the child would include the right to “thought, conscience and religion.”

Do our children not already enjoy these rights? Our nation is already party to the treaty’s two optional protocols: one preventing Child Prostitution and Child Pornography, the other preventing Children in Armed Conflict.

Why either of the two are “optional” is disturbing.

Our country and our children stand to gain nothing from the passage of this treaty. In fact, the CRC would provide a far more damaging environment for children. So why are politicians like Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) – who pushed for a 60-day timeline for ratification – so anxious to sign?

In many ways, the CRC is a match made in Heaven for today’s Democrat agenda. Upon ratification, Congress would have the power to enact any legislation in order to comply with the treaty. The result would be what the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) calls “the most massive shift of power from the states to the federal government in American history.” National children’s health insurance and other social programs would be created in order to comply with the CRC. The U.S. would have to curtail defense spending in order to keep in proportion with these social expenses. To a western European country whose defense our military has subsidized for decades, this would have no major impact. But the effect would be devastating to both our economy and our security.

In addition, enacting policy through treaty serves to insulate your agenda from elections. “If they can put all of their left-wing socialist policies into treaty form, we’re stuck with it even if they lose the next election.” said Michael Farris, constitutional lawyer and founder of the HSLDA, in an interview with World Net Daily.

The treaty establishes a global curriculum for schools, which could drive home-schooling and private schools into extinction. This would sit well with the National Education Administration, to whom Barack Obama promised that he would do everything within his power to pass the CRC. Advocates of the treaty have maintained that it’s passage would have no negative affect on home-schooling. However, the HSLDA reports that just this month the CRC was used to propose heavy regulation for home-schooling in a report that was accepted by the British government.

The CRC grants many new “rights” to children, such as the freedom of expression, thought, association, privacy, conscience, religion, a right to rest and leisure, and more. Unfortunately the UN does not count the rights of unborn children, as full abortion rights are granted; even against the wishes of the parents. Any child under the age of 18 is protected from “degrading punishment” and “physical violence,” ranging from spanking to the death penalty for minors, even for murder and rape. Parents who punish their children would become criminals.

MORE IN LINKThe Obama administration is renewing efforts to sign a United Nations treaty supposedly aimed at protecting children’s... more

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12 days ago

UN calls for increased AID and WORLD financial reform

The United Nations adopted on Friday an outcome document at a high-level meeting on world financial and economic crisis, calling... more

Bigdog_mike
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15 days ago

Parents groups shut down Whitehouse phone lines

In response to the administration's recent heralding of of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, parents' groups... more

regjoeschmo
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5 responses

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15 days ago

Israel Stealing? Bank trial plus Public Trial

Jun 24, 2009 22:46 UN's Gaza war crimes probe to screen hearings live The United Nations team which is... more

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16 days ago

UN Backs Drug Decriminalization In World Drug Report

In an about face, the United Nations on Wednesday lavishly praised drug decriminalization in its annual report on the state of... more

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17 days ago

North Korea confirms efforts to develop nuclear weapons

North Korea said it will “weaponise” its plutonium stocks amid threats to take military action over United Nations... more

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18 days ago

Khartoum arms ‘used in UN raid’

North Sudan has been accused by South Sudan of providing arms that were used to attack barges carrying UN food aid on Sunday.

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20 days ago

GORILLAS – Gentle Giants in Need

International Experts Issue Frankfurt Declaration to Call for Better Protection of Gorillas Under the title 'Gentle Giants... more

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21 days ago

World condemns suicide car bombings in Somalia

The international community has condemned the killing of Somalia's National Security Minister, Omar Hashi Aden, in a suicide car bomb in Beletweyne, north of the capital Mogadishu on Thursday.

In a joint statement the UN, the African Union (AU), the European Union (EU), the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the League of Arab States (LAS) condemned this week's upsurge in violence in Mogadishu, where another suicide bomb or shelling is reported to have killed at least ten people attending a mosque.

They called on the transitional federal government of Somalia not to be deterred in its pursuit for peace by the actions of a small minority.

"This deplorable attack once again demonstrates that the extremists will stop at nothing in their desperate attempt to seize power from the legitimate Government of Somalia by force," the organizations said in a joint statement received here Friday.

"These extremists, both Somali and foreigners, failed in their recent coup d'état but are continuing their indiscriminate violence. They are a threat not only to the country, but to the IGAD region and the international community," the statement said.

The organizations urged the Somali government not to be deterred by the violent crimes of a small minority and to continue its efforts for peace and reconciliation through the Djibouti Process.

It was the UN-facilitated Djibouti process which aided the formation of a new Government of National Unity in February, as well as the creation of a newly-expanded Parliament and election of President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.

The Thursday's attack in Beledweyne, which is north of the capital, Mogadishu, is the latest in a new wave of violence that began in early May between government troops and the opposition Al-Shabaab and Hesbul Islam groups.

"The AU, IGAD, LAS and UN sent their sincere condolences to the family and friends of Minister Hashi and the other victims of this cowardly suicide bombing as well as to the government and the people of Somalia," the statement said.

"We pledge our full support to the government particularly at this critical time and call for all Somalis to rally behind their government and all those who are working for peace and stability. We also call on the international community to put its firm support behind Somalia's legal and legitimate government."

Also voicing his concern about the upsurge in violence is the independent UN expert on the situation of human rights in Somalia, Shamsul Bari, who stressed that the fighting must stop immediately and that perpetrators be held to account.

"All the parties to the conflict have a responsibility to save lives and protect the civilian population," he said.The international community has condemned the killing of Somalia's National Security Minister, Omar Hashi Aden, in a suicide... more

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22 days ago

UN warns of ‘megadisasters’ linked to climate change

The United Nations on Tuesday raised the prospect of “megadisasters” affecting millions of people in some of the... more

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24 days ago

Are the Mountain Gorillas Still in Peril?

Has the recent violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo threatened the populations of lowland gorillas? How many are left?... more

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24 days ago

U.S. Likely to lose AAA Rating

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Technical analyst Robert Prechter on Monday said he sees the United States losing its top AAA credit rating... more

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24 days ago

U.N. Report: Israeli Authorities Have Issued a New Wave of Orders for Palastinian House Demolitions

The United Nations report a new wave of demolition orders, given out May 31, by the Israeli authorities. The orders call for... more

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27 days ago

UN warns of catastrophe as hungry people top 1 bln

High food prices have pushed another 105 million people into hunger in the first half of 2009, the head of the U.N. World Food Programme said on Friday, raising the total number of hungry people to over 1 billion.

Urging rich nations at a meeting of the Group of Eight's development ministers not cut back on aid, Josette Sheeran told Reuters the world faced a "human catastrophe" as more and more people struggle to eat a decent meal.

"This year we are clocking in on average four million new hungry people a week, urgently hungry," Sheeran told Reuters.

"Already for the first six months of this year, 105 million people have been added," she said, citing figures to be released by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation next week that will raise the total number of undernourished people to over 1 billion.

In 2008, FAO said the world's hungry numbered 963 million.

The WFP needs $6.4 billion this year for food aid, but donors' contributions have fallen way behind that level -- it had around $1.5 billion at the end of last week.

The agency says it has had to cut food aid rations and shut down some operations in eastern Africa and North Korea because of the credit crunch.

"I know it seems a big figure, but if you compare it with the global stimulus package, it means that for less than 1 percent of that we could help meet the urgent human crisis that is unfolding, and that is just as essential to the stability of the world," Sheeran said.

She said that despite a decline in most food prices from record peaks last year, they remained stubbornly high in developing countries, while global food aid was at a 20-year low.

The financial crisis has only made things worse, and in terms of staple food, people in poorer countries today can only afford about a third of what they could afford three years ago. In a statement after a two-day meeting in Rome, G8 ministers reaffirmed their commitment to more than double aid to Africa to $25 billion a year by 2010.

But a report this week said the group was collectively off course in delivering on those pledges, made at a G8 summit in Scotland in 2005.

The report, by anti-poverty body ONE, was particularly critical of Italy, saying Rome was trailing far behind other nations in meeting aid targets and that undermined its credibility as G8 president this year.

"We have confirmed our commitment to find the resources this year to bring us back on track and fulfil our undertakings," Foreign Minister Franco Frattini told reporters on Friday, responding to the report.High food prices have pushed another 105 million people into hunger in the first half of 2009, the head of the U.N. World Food... more