UN Bloc of Developing Nations Elects Palestine as Leader in Snub to Israel, US

Despite its new leadership position, Palestine’s bid for statehood at the UN still faces significant hurdles, and its new position will not change Palestine’s status as a UN “permanent observer,” which prevents Palestine from voting in the General Assembly.

Whitney Webb
By Whitney Webb
Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations Riyad Mansour speaks during a Security Council meeting on the situation between the Israelis and the Palestinians, Friday, June 1, 2018, at United Nations headquarters. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

NEW YORK -- The Group of 77, a bloc of developing nations at the UN, has chosen Palestine’s delegation as its chair for 2019, a move that will likely be seen as a diplomatic win for Palestine and a loss for Israel and the U.S. The latter two countries have been arguing against increasing Palestine’s political power in the international body until a

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UN Calls on US to “Immediately Halt” Policy of Detaining Migrant Children

The United Nations human rights office says the practice “amounts to arbitrary and unlawful interference in family life, and is a serious violation of the rights of the child.”

Jessica Corbett
By Jessica Corbett
migrant families

The United Nations human rights office on Tuesday demanded that the Trump administration "immediately halt" its policy of tearing migrant children away from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border, declaring that the practice "always constitutes a child rights violation." Under the administration's so-called zero tolerance policy, unveiled last

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The Aid Industry Labors Under Neocolonial Structures

The aid industry is steeped in colonialist ideology. Recipients of aid are exploited, marginalized and worst of all, their efforts to improve their own circumstances are written off, if not blocked by the NGO’s that claim to help them.

Lynne Jones
By Lynne Jones
A sign in Haiti depicts a United Nations Peacekeeper in the form of a monster. (Photo: Ramon Espinosa/AP)

The aid industry might be having its #MeToo moment, but sexual exploitation is just a symptom of a more fundamental issue: the neo-colonial structures through which most aid is delivered in disaster and conflict areas. If this is not addressed, no amount of independent investigating committees and hotlines will solve the problem. I have been an aid

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World Repudiates US Over Jerusalem Despite Haley’s Pre-Vote Bullying and ‘Temper Tantrum’ on UN Stage

Despite U.S. threats, the U.N. voted 128-9 to declare Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israeli capital “null and void”.

Jake Johnson
By Jake Johnson
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley speaks during a meeting with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, not seen, in his residence in Jerusalem, Israel, June 7, 2017. (Debbie Hill/AP)

In a speech one critic likened to "a bully throwing a temper tantrum on the world stage," U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley on Thursday slammed U.N. member states for refusing to line up in support of President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and threatened to withdraw funding if America

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Despite Pressure From Trump, UN Votes To Demand End To Israeli Settlements

“There is an increasing understanding among U.S. political leaders, thanks to ongoing grassroots pressure, of the need to hold Israel accountable to international law. The U.S. abstention from this resolution is a welcome sign in that regard.”

Deirdre Fulton
By Deirdre Fulton
In this photo provided by the United Nations, members of the United Nations Security council vote at the United Nations headquarters on Friday, Dec. 23, 2016, in favor of condemning Israel for its practice of establishing settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem. In a striking rupture with past practice, the U.S. allowed the vote, not exercising its veto. (Manuel Elias/The United Nations via AP)

(ANALYSIS) --- Despite unusual diplomatic maneuvering involving President-elect Donald Trump, Israel, and Egypt on Thursday, the United Nations Security Council passed a historic resolution on Friday demanding an end to Israeli settlements. The United States abstained, effectively allowing the measure to be approved. Egypt withdrew the original

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Aid Agencies in Iraq Brace for Exodus as Civilians Flee US Mosul Offensive

The UN has reported six camps are ready to accept about 50,000 people, and 11 more camps are in the process of being readied. At the same time, the UN has warned that they don’t have the funding to support all of these refugees over the long run, and the Mosul battle looks to very much be the long run.

Jason Ditz
By Jason Ditz

Aid agencies which have been trying to prepare for the huge influx of displaced persons from the city of Mosul are reporting the first arrivals of civilians who fled the surrounding towns, most arriving on foot, and many with nothing more than the clothing on their backs. The agencies are playing up the months of preparation they engaged in, but

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