| |  | |  Cluster bomb ban goes into effect The Convention on Cluster Munitions took effect Sunday, requiring member states that have ratified the treaty to dispose of their stockpiles of cluster bombs and eliminate their production. The U.S., Russia, Israel, India, Pakistan, China or Brazil are not signatories to the treaty -- which has led critics to question its validity -- 106 states have adopted the cluster bomb ban. Of that number, 38 have ratified the treaty. One human-rights organization estimates that 98% of people injured or killed by cluster bombs are civilians. The Christian Science Monitor (8/1) , BBC (8/1)
|  |  | We cannot cross the ocean on a single gust of wind, but if we don't raise the sails now, we may never discover a safer world." UN Framework Convention on Climate Change executive secretary Christiana Figueres. Read the full story. |
|  | "The 28 page document commits the United States to the MDGs and promises to 'raise the profile of development in [the United States'] diplomatic engagement with strategic allies as well as in multilateral forums.' It is a sweeping account of the various ways in which government agencies and programs will be leveraged to achieve the MDGs." UN Dispatch | |
- UN emphasizes "politically possible" in Bonn talks
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change executive secretary Christiana Figueres is urging countries to focus on the "politically possible" with regard to a replacement for the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012. Aggregate emissions level cuts is the subject of current talks in Bonn, a problematic focus given that the U.S. did not adopt the Kyoto Protocol and has not identified emissions targets domestically. Bloomberg (8/2)      - 5 sites join UNESCO World Heritage List
UNESCO added five cultural sites to its World Heritage List, bringing the total number of places on UNESCO's protected list of places with global cultural significance to 904. The Imperial Citadel of Thang Long-Hanoi in Vietnam was the 900th addition. The Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands and Australia's penal colony sites were other new additions. Google/The Associated Press (8/1)  - Pakistan battles monsoon flooding, diseases
Pakistani officials are expressing concern deadly monsoon flooding has already triggered waves of cholera and gastroenteritis. More than 1,100 Pakistanis have died and a million were forced from their homes in recent days. The United Nations, European Union, China and the U.S. have vowed aid support, but rescue efforts have so far been hobbled by insufficient infrastructure, existing damage and the threat of more monsoon rains. CNN (8/2) , The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (8/1) Top five news stories selected by UN Wire readers in the past week. - Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.
- BP draws fire over dispersant use
As BP readies efforts to permanently seal the damaged Gulf of Mexico oil well, some U.S. officials are questioning BP's use of thousands of gallons a day of toxic dispersants in a bid to break up the oil slick. The dispersants help break down the oil into smaller components more easily digestible by bacteria, but environmentalists and scientists have repeatedly expressed concerns for possible effects on Gulf marine life. The Toronto Star/The Associated Press (8/1) - Germany grapples with radioactive boar
Germany is struggling to manage a rapidly growing population of wild boar that contains many animals exhibiting high levels of radioactive contamination left over from the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Wild boar, eaten widely across Germany, have a fondness for mushrooms and truffles -- both of which are particularly adept at absorbing radioactive particles. The German government has been paying hunters compensation for meat unfit for consumption. Der Spiegel (Germany) (English online version) (7/30) - Runaway maids flee harsh Kuwait conditions
Hundreds of women from the Philippines, Indonesia and Nepal have taken shelter in their respective embassies in Kuwait after fleeing abusive work situations as domestic servants. Rights advocates cite the situation as emblematic of a global reality that leaves domestic employees with little legal protection or access to services. The New York Times (free registration) (8/1) - U.S. combat troops are set to leave Iraq
Signaling a formal end to the U.S. war in Iraq, U.S. President Barack Obama will confirm the withdrawal of the remaining 15,000 U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of August -- leaving behind a contingency force of 50,000 U.S. troops assigned to train Iraqi forces and protect remaining U.S. interests. Fears over the ongoing political deadlock have raised doubts about the scheduled for the planned full U.S. departure from Iraq in 2011. The political party made up of followers of influential cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has announced it will not back another term for U.S.-supported Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. BBC (8/2) , The Guardian (London) (8/1) , Los Angeles Times (8/2) - U.S. looks to choke off Pyongyang funding network
U.S. officials are preparing new sanctions against North Korea that will target the network of companies and banks that help funnel in hundreds of millions of dollars every year to support the country's nuclear programs and the lifestyles of its wealthy citizens. The U.S. will also be looking for more cooperation from China, which some Western officials fear is knowingly conducting illegal commerce with North Korean front companies. The Washington Post (8/2) - Hamas, Israel resume fire as Israel, Palestinians consider talks
Palestinians and Israelis exchanged fire over the Gaza border, with Palestinian rockets damaging buildings in Ashkelon and Sderot and return fire from Israeli airstrikes injuring dozens and killing Hamas military commander Eissa al Batran. Security analysts say that the hostile fire by Hamas is an effort to thwart direct talks between Israelis and Palestinians. The Israeli airstrikes launched in response were the first airstrikes on Gaza City since the end of the three-week war in January 2009, in which 1,417 Palestinians were killed. The Christian Science Monitor (8/1)  | |  | | | | | | |  |  Director Civil Society (emphasis climate adaptation) | Institute for Sustainable Communities | Washington, DC | | Executive Director, United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA) | United Nations Foundations | Washington DC, DC | | Executive Assistant to the Executive Director, Global Partnerships | United Nations Foundations | Washington DC, DC | | Administrative Assistant, Global Partnerships | United Nations Foundations | Washington DC, DC | | Director, Online Communications – Public Affairs | United Nations Foundations | Washington DC, DC | | Director, Maternal Newborn mHealth Initiative (MNMI) | United Nations Foundations | Washington DC, DC | | Staff Accountant | United Nations Foundations | Washington DC, DC | | Web Producer/Project Manager | United Nations Foundation (UNF)/Better World Fund (BWF) | Washington, DC | | Director, Corporate Relations | United Nations Foundation (UNF)/Better World Fund (BWF) | Washington , DC | | Executive Assistant, Energy Climate | United Nations Foundation (UNF) / Better World Fund (BWF) | Washington, DC | | | |  | |  | |
 | - The U.S. Senate is poised to consider a vastly pared down mix of energy legislation and drilling regulations, meaning the worst environmental accident in U.S. history will not translate to a breakthrough on carbon emissions reductions. Why?
 | The Senate's 60-vote threshold is too difficult | | BP took the blame, not an energy policy that is over-reliant on oil | | Capping carbon emissions is really a tax on energy | | The Environmental Protection Agency will regulate carbon emissions |
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