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Articles by Allison Lecce
The Decline of Women's Rights Is Inciting More Gender-Based Violence. Solutions Exist.
The deterioration of women's rights across the world is enabling more gender-based violence. Even those who strive to defend and even expand their privileges at the exclusion of others recognize that half the global population suffers inequalities and injustice. This reality was recognized 27 years ago by the 189 countries that signed the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. As we know, this auspicious declaration of intent has not been followed up with actions, for the most part.
Week Ending Sept. 9
Welcome back to our weekly summary, after a much-needed break in August, when we still produced amazing scoops, interviews and investigations (see the rundown below). This week, our focus is on the Security Council as France leads the primary body of the United Nations in September; and we expose how Russia's war in Ukraine and other global crises are continuing to affect the UN's funding. You are reading This Week @UN , summarizing the most pressing issues before the organization.
UN Watchdog Board Is Expected to Criticize Russia for Its Actions at the Ukraine Nuke Plant
VIENNA - Poland and Canada have circulated a draft resolution among members of the board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency, criticizing Russia's "violent actions against nuclear facilities in Ukraine, including the ongoing presence of Russian forces and Rosatom personnel at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant." The resolution by the board at the United Nations' nuclear monitor and watchdog, known as the IAEA, says that the Russian actions "pose serious and direct threats...
France Vows to Keep Helping 'Very Poor' Nations in the Sahel Region of West Africa
After ending its nine-year military stay in Mali and promising to halve its military presence in West Africa, France said it remained committed to ensuring good governance in the countries affected by continuing instability in the region.
Peacekeeping Desperately Needs a New Model, and a People-Centered Approach Could Work
The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo is in trouble. Some of its problems are chronic, some are acute, but at its heart is a breakdown in trust between the mission and the community with which it operates. What is needed now more than ever is a genuine people-centered approach to its work. It is timely, then, that a new report, Linked Up Peacekeeping, looks at how the UN mission, called Monusco, could engage better with the communities that it serves.
The War in Ukraine Contributed to the Failure of the UN Nuclear Weapons Conference
After three weeks of negotiations at the United Nations headquarters, the 191 states parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons ( NPT) failed to adopt a final document at the 10th review conference of the NPT, held from Aug. 1-26. Given the toxic international context and the increased nuclear threat, this failure is not good news for the nuclear nonproliferation regime, which came into force in 1970.
Should We Be Optimistic About the Recent UN Talks on Killer Robots?
Think about a weapon that once activated, can select and engage targets without further human intervention. This might sound like science fiction, but autonomous weapons systems, also called killer robots, are being deployed in real time.
Unesco Protects Borscht as a National Treasure of Ukraine. What Would My Mother Say?
Unesco daringly announced this summer the "urgent need of safeguarding" borscht. Or as Ukrainians spell it, borsch. When the Ukrainian government asked the UN cultural and education agency to save the soup's historical place as a national dish amid Russia's bloodbath on Ukraine, they weren't kidding. "The victory in the war for borsch is ours!" Ukraine's Culture Minister Oleksandr Tkachenko posted on Telegram, declaring the soup to be "officially" Ukrainian.
The UN Security Council Marks Russia's Six-Month Invasion of Ukraine as the War Grinds On
On the same day that Ukraine marked 31 years of independence from Soviet rule and six months of war with Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke by video to the United Nations Security Council about the worldwide impact of Russia's assault as escalating threats of a nuclear catastrophe at the Zaporizhzhia power plant jeopardize global peace and security. The "Russian military has turned the territory of the largest nuclear power plant in Europe . . .
A New Niche Service Aims to Mend Our Frayed World
The recent agreement between the United Nations and Türkiye to enable the export of grain from Ukraine is a hopeful sign of more active mediation by countries to mitigate the raging conflict in that country. But this step, while important, is not enough to mask the inability of the UN and other global players to bring together the two warring parties to begin considering a wider cease-fire.
The Curious UN-Russian Side Deal to Get Russian Food and Fertilizers to World Markets
A new agreement between Russia and the United Nations to specifically propel Russia's food products and fertilizers back into commercial markets was signed in Istanbul last week.
Brazil's Ambitions in July
Brazil will try to push for a softening of global sanctions on Russia to free up essential food supplies and ease access to fertilizers internationally. Ambassador Ronaldo Costa, the country's permanent representative to the United Nations, hinted at such action in an exclusive interview with PassBlue. Costa said that conversations in the Security Council over the Russia-Ukraine war were akin to "dialog between the deaf and the dumb." Brazil holds the rotating presidency of the Council in July.
The UN Development Program Has 4 New Projects Funded by Russia, Despite Its Illegal War on Ukraine
In the waning days of 2021, roughly two months before its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, Russia agreed to contribute $14 million to the United Nations Development Program for climate-related projects in Europe and Central Asia to begin this year. In fact, an agreement between Russia and the UN agency on one project, focusing on the Aral Sea, was signed on March 7, 2022, just 11 days after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Mexico's President Says the UN Should 'Wake Up From Its Slumber' to End Global Poverty
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, known as Amlo for his initials, called on the United Nations to "wake up from its slumber" and support the creation of a mechanism to end poverty for 750 million people worldwide. In his first visit to the UN, on Nov. 9, López Obrador said the proposal could be paid through voluntary contributions from the wealthiest people on earth, the largest corporations and the 20 countries with the biggest economies.
Myanmar Votes in a Sea of Troubles at Home and Abroad
A general election on Nov. 8 in Myanmar will be a vital test for the country and its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. Here, she demonstrates on her Facebook page in May the value of wearing a mask in the pandemic. A decade after the first democratic reforms began taking shape after long years of harsh military rule in Myanmar, its citizens are preparing to vote in a national election on Nov. 8. It will be an important test for the country and its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.
International Election Monitors Arrive in the U.S. for the Nov. 3 Poll
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, a global election monitoring group, is deploying across the United States in the lead-up to the Nov. 3 elections to help ensure free and fair polling. “We Can’t Breathe” protesters marched during the Democratic National Convention, Aug. 20, 2020. (CREATIVE COMMONS) This article was originally published on PassBlue. It is reposted here with permission.
International Election Monitors Arrive in the US for the Nov. 3 Poll
“We Can’t Breathe” protesters marched during the Democratic National Convention, Aug. 20, 2020. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, a global election monitoring group, is deploying across the United States in the lead-up to the Nov. 3 elections to help ensure free and fair polling. CREATIVE COMMONS The major international body for monitoring elections, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, has begun observing the lead-up to the United States Nov.
What the Post-Pandemic World Could Look Like: A View From the Global South
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada speaking remotely at the UN’s event on financing the Sustainable Development Goals amid Covid-19. Secretary-General António Guterres, right, Sept. 29, 2020. The authors of this essay say that to build the post-pandemic planet, nations and people must understand the need for solidarity and humility to master the challenges ahead. ESKINDER DEBEBE/UN PHOTO The world order is no more.
India's Support of Fossil Fuels, Shedding Light on UN Counterterrorism Ops, US Asylum Seekers Stuck in Mexico
Nikki Haley, a former US envoy to the UN, spoke at the Republican National Convention, Aug. 25, 2020. Although she did not get on the Trump re-election ticket, as some prominent pundits suggested she might, her speech evoked the air of a presidential candidate down the road.
Mali's Coup, Belarus's Protests, Pompeo's Brief Appearance at the UN
Secretary of State Pompeo with Ambassador Dian Triansyah Djani of Indonesia, president of the Security Council for August, at the UN in New York City, Aug. 20, 2020. Pompeo delivered a letter to trigger a 30-day process that could reimpose UN sanctions on Iran.
The Struggling SDGs, Money for Beirut, Resuming Vaccinations in Pakistan and Afghanistan
Secretary of State Pompeo visiting the Patton Museum, which commemorates the United States role in liberating Czechoslovakia, in Pilsen, Czech Republic, Aug. 11, 2020. While Pompeo was traveling in Europe last week, the UN Security Council rejected a US draft resolution to extend the Iran arms ban. The five European countries in the Council and six other nations abstained in the vote. RON PRZYSUCHA/STATE DEPARTMENT The tremendous fallout from the explosion in Beirut on Aug.
UN to the Rescue in Beirut, a Billion Children Out of School, Hiroshima Anniversary
Public elementary school 29, in the Cobble Hill section of Brooklyn, N.Y., displays photos of its students who graduated in June in a virtual ceremony. The UN secretary-general is pushing schools globally to reopen, when local transmission of Covid-19 is managed.
Climate Change Risks, Israel-Palestine Covid-19 Crisis, UN's Partial Reopening
Carol Pasisi, an activist from the Pacific island nation of Niue, spoke to the Security Council on July 24 about the threats of climate change in her region, like damage to the blue economy. The Security Council held a climate change and security debate, led by Germany, nearly 10 years since the first and last time the Council met on this specific issue and agreed to a presidential statement on it. The Dominican Republic also led a meeting on climate change in January 2019.
The Security Council Meets Physically (Twice) and the UN's Big Week in September
Vassily Nebenzia, Russia’s ambassador to the UN, addressing the Security Council in its first physical meeting at New York City headquarters since March 12. It is unclear when the Council will meet again in the UN building. As the number of Covid-19 cases skyrockets globally — and the United States remains the epicenter with nearly 3.6 million confirmed cases — the United Nations Security Council met physically on July 14 for the first time since March 12.
US Severs Ties to the WHO, Security Council Vetoes, Counterterrorism Week
President Trump boarding Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Md. July 10, 2020, en route to Miami. The administration notified the UN on July 6 that the US was withdrawing from the World Health Organization, effective exactly one year later.
Finally, a Global Cease-Fire Resolution, US-Iran Venom, Desperate Syrians
The Security Council virtual meeting on June 30, debating the status of the Iran nuclear deal’s arms embargo, which expires Oct. 18, 2020. US Secretary of State Pompeo attended briefly, above, to make his pitch to keep the ban. He met resistance, as expected, from members.
The UN Charter's Birthday, Guterres 'Meets' the Press, Israel's Annexation Plans
While Secretary-General António Guterres held a virtual press briefing on June 25, his spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, above, moderated. Guterres spoke about the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Charter and the relentless devastation of the Covid-19 pandemic. MANUEL ELIAS/UN PHOTO Starting in June, a summary of the most important news on the United Nations’ work in New York City and worldwide will be highlighted weekly.
Major UN Elections, Covid-19 Help, Saudis Off the Hook
Katalin Bogyay, the ambassador of Hungary to the UN, about to cast her secret ballots for the elections in the General Assembly Hall, June 17, 2020. The process required new procedures amid the pandemic, but it went well by all accounts. ESKINDER DEBEBE/UN PHOTO Starting in June, a summary of the most important news on the United Nations’ work in New York City and worldwide will be highlighted weekly.
UN Staffers' Right to Protest, More Struggles in Mali, US to Sanction ICC Employees
The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife, Coretta Scott King, at UN headquarters after King was awarded the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize. With them is Ralph Bunche, a UN official who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1950. Bunche, an American, marched with the Kings in civil rights protests in Alabama in 1965. YUTAKA NAGATA/UN PHOTO Starting in June, a summary of the most important news on the United Nations’ work in New York City and worldwide will be highlighted weekly.
Upheaval in the US, More Disaster in Yemen, UN's Phased Reopening
Protesters in Washington Square Park, Manhattan, one of dozens of such gatherings throughout New York City in the last week responding to the murder of George Floyd, the African-American, on May. 25. The UN kept its distance from the protests. ISABELLA PENNEY Starting in June, a summary of the most important news on the United Nations’ work in New York City and across the world will be highlighted weekly.
'Cowboys' May Be Running the World Food Program, but Donations Keep Coming
In the cyclone-hit city of Beira, Mozambique, the World Food Program springs into action, 2019. A new external survey of the agency’s workplace found a range of grievances, including sexual harassment.
Widows Lose Much More Than a Spouse: They Lose Their Dignity
The property rights of Catherine, a widow, have been threatened with violence in Magu, Tanzania. For widows across the globe, their losses can be uncountable, including their human rights. BEN SMALL/HELPAGE INTERNATIONAL For many women around the world, the death of a spouse is magnified by many losses — of their social status, marital home, land, property, social security, dignity and, sometimes, their children.
For 'Young Professionals,' How to Land a Job at the UN
The foreign minister of Pakistan, Hina Rabbani Khar, center front, speaking during a debate on counterterrorism led by her country, on Jan. 15, 2013. ESKINDER DEBEBE As far as cool job titles go, you would be hard-pressed to beat that of Heli Pahlman, who is from Parainen, an archipelago town in southwest Finland. Her title has the words “outer space” in it. Pahlman, 28, works as an associate program officer at the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs in Vienna.
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