| |
- UN peacekeepers to begin CAR, Chad pullout
The United Nations peacekeeping operation in Chad and the Central African Republic is over, according to a plan endorsed by the Security Council that will see phased withdrawal of personnel before the end of the year. Chad's president, Idriss Deby, pushed for an end to the operation he said failed to guarantee security in the border areas, despite concerns from diplomats and human-rights groups. Google/The Associated Press (5/25)       - U.S. senator questions UNESCO prize sponsorship
Senior U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy is voicing concerns UNESCO's sponsorship of the Obiang International Prize provides legitimacy to Equatorial Guinea dictator Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo and damages the UN agency's reputation. Leahy's expression of unease comes as legislators consider a request to authorize $80 million in funding for the UN agency. ForeignPolicy.com/Turtle Bay blog (5/25) - Elderly find little help in post-earthquake Haiti
Tens of thousands of Haitians over 60 left homeless by the January earthquake are struggling with abandonment, ill health and food shortages. Aid groups such as HelpAge, which focuses on help for seniors, are working to reconstitute services at damaged nursing homes but warn the needs of Haiti's elderly continue to be overlooked. The Miami Herald (free registration) (5/25) - Charting our age of extinction
The disappearance of the Alaotra grebe of Madagascar marks the latest chapter in an era of biological calamities that may distinguish the 21st century among the planet's epochs. Scientists recognize five earlier cataclysms when Earth's species died out, including a calamity 65 million years ago that killed off the dinosaurs. The rapid encroachment of humans into animal habitats and the threat of global climate change is killing animal species faster than they can evolve. The Independent (London) (5/26) - De Boer asks world to make good on pledges
Industrialized countries must come up with the $30 billion in climate-change aid they promised for developing countries from 2010 to 2012 to help push forward efforts on an international treaty to fight global warming, outgoing United Nations climate chief Yvo de Boer says. Concentrated efforts to build trust are required before any detailed agreement on an international battle plan can be reached, de Boer believes. Google/The Associated Press (5/25) - Hot Arctic summers mean less polar bear reproduction
A new study finds that pregnancy rates among polar bears are likely to fall precipitously -- marking a tipping point for the species -- as a result of rising global temperatures. Instead of the mark-and-recapture method for tracking polar bear populations, this study instead examines the animals' physiology, behavior and ecology. The findings measure fat and protein stores built up during the winter to allow the animal to survive a fast over the summer -- an ice-free season that will grow too long for the polar bear to endure. BBC (5/25)  | - Red Cross defends Taliban training
The International Committee of the Red Cross recently announced it had been giving first aid training and basic supplies to Taliban forces in Afghanistan -- a move that is already proving controversial to some involved on the government side of the conflict. A spokesman for NATO indicated that the alliance recognized that the Red Cross was an impartial organization, and noted that NATO personnel were involved in treating wounded Taliban. The Guardian (London) (5/25) , BBC (5/26) - Accused drug trafficker is in control of Guinea Bissau
In the span of a few months Rear Adm. José Américo Bubo Na Tchuto has gone from exile and accused international drug trafficker to the de facto leader of troubled Guinea Bissau. Na Tchuto spent the weeks before last month's military coup living in a United Nations building, having claimed to local UN officials his life was in danger. Observers and diplomats worry Na Tchuto used the time to help plot the recent takeover. The New York Times (free registration) (5/25) - No currency deal at U.S.-China meeting
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner concluded a trip to Beijing without making significant progress on any of the accord issues under discussion, including security issues regarding Iran and North Korea and economic divisions between the two. Geithner could not report progress on U.S. efforts to convince China to allow its currency to appreciate against the dollar. U.S. and Chinese officials signed several joint memorandums regarding noncritical issues, including shale oil development and supply-chain security. The Washington Post (5/26)
- What is the primary benefit of UN peacekeeping operations?
 | Cost-effective solutions for preventing conflict and keeping peace | | Promotion of democratic governance by supporting free and fair elections | | Maintaining stability abroad through conflict prevention and peacemaking | | Sharing the burden of promoting international security with other countries in the world |
|
 | Key Sites
| | |
This SmartBrief was created for eleccion@yahoogroups.com
| | | About UN WIRE | | UN Wire is a free service sponsored by the United Nations Foundation which is dedicated to supporting the United Nations' efforts to address the most pressing humanitarian, socioeconomic and environmental challenges facing the world today. | | | | | | | | Recent UN Wire Issues: - Tuesday, May 25, 2010
- Monday, May 24, 2010
- Friday, May 21, 2010
- Thursday, May 20, 2010
- Wednesday, May 19, 2010
| | | Lead Editor: Adam Mazmanian
Contributing Editor: Juliette Terzieff | Kriston Dean Capps
Mailing Address:
SmartBrief, Inc.®, 1100 H ST NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20005 | | | | | | © 1999-2010 SmartBrief, Inc.® Legal Information | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment