The United Nations
Since September, the devastation wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic has deepened, infecting close to 100 million people, costing more than $3 trillion in lost wages and intensifying obstacles for peace and security around the world, the UN political chief told the Security Council on Monday.
And while the pandemic has “hindered diplomatic action and complicated our peacemaking efforts”, Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs said via videoconference that it has “amplified the prevention challenge” and aggravated underlying dynamics of armed conflicts.
Moreover, “new strains of the virus are poised to unleash more severe waves of infection at a time when health systems and social safety networks are already on the brink”, she told the meeting on the implementation of the UN Secretary-General’s call for a global ceasefire.
By Asma Lateef
As 2021 begins, Bread for the World Institute, along with many others in the United States, is trying to discern a way forward in the aftermath of the January 6 attempted coup. I never expected to write “attempted coup” about our own country. But what happened at the Capitol is how coups often unfold.
The coup attempt targeted the very last step of the process before the inauguration of a new president congressional approval of the results of the presidential election as certified by the Electoral College and each state. It is usually a formality since the ballots have already been counted, checked, and rechecked.
Top Official Hails Charter Drafters’ Enshrinement of Regional Bodies as Peace Partners for United Nations, in Briefing to Security Council
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Under-Secretary-General Highlights Organization’s Joint Efforts with Arab League in Middle East, North Africa
Today’s challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, are a reminder of the wisdom of those who drafted the Charter of the United Nations 75 years ago, enshrining the potential role of regional arrangements in the maintenance of international peace and security, the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs told the Security Council today.
Briefing Council members during their debate on United Nations cooperation with the League of Arab States, Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo noted the growing evolution of cooperation with regional organizations encompasses such areas as preventive diplomacy, mediation, counter-terrorism, prevention of violent extremism, peacekeeping, peacebuilding, human righ
The United Nations
The UN Secretary-General has praised the breakthrough made by a key committee of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum at the weekend, over an interim political leadership deal, ahead of nationwide elections at the end of the year.
Announcing the development on Saturday, Acting UN Libya envoy Stephanie Williams said that Libyan envoys who had travelled to the Swiss city had broken the “deadlock” over selecting representatives for a temporary executive, from all regions of the country.
The oil-rich nation has been divided into warring factions since the overthrow of President Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, with bloody conflict between the UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) in the west, and the Libyan National Army (LNA) in the east.
What’s new? The 2015 Iran nuclear deal has looked at best shaky since the Trump administration withdrew from it in 2018, imposing damaging economic sanctions on the Islamic Republic. In response, Tehran ramped up its nuclear activity in contravention of its obligations under the agreement. President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration could mark an inflection point.
Why does it matter? Having failed to achieve its objectives, Trump’s “maximum pressure” strategy may be nearing an end. Restoring the nuclear deal, with its considerable non-proliferation benefits, could lead to wider U.S.-Iran diplomatic engagement. But one or both sides may be tempted to make additional demands, which would be a recipe for deadlock.