The General Assembly: Turtle Bay’s roundup of U.N. news

Iraq More than two decades after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday lifted a raft of sanctions designed contain Iraq and prevent it from developing weapons of mass destruction. Read my piece in the Washington Post for more details. Ivory Coast United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon voiced alarm over the prospects ...

By

Iraq

Iraq

More than two decades after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday lifted a raft of sanctions designed contain Iraq and prevent it from developing weapons of mass destruction. Read my piece in the Washington Post for more details.

Ivory Coast

United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon voiced alarm over the prospects of escalating violence in Ivory Coast following a disputed election there, according to the Voice of America. The remarks come as U.N., U.S. and French officials are exploring a diplomatic initiative aimed at persuading the country’s long-time leader, Laurent Gbagbo, to step down.

U.N. Report: Stagnant Wages

A U.N. study claims that the global financial crisis has led to a "considerable slowdown" in the growth of real wages, widening the gap between the world’s rich and poor, according to the New York Times. The International Labor Office estimated that growth in month wages was 1.6 percent in 2009, down from 2.8 percent in 2007.

Biden Slip

Vice President Joseph Biden lavished enormous praise on U.N. officials who have sacrificed their lives serving the cause of peace in Iraq, and supported international efforts to organize elections and reconcile the country’s feuding sectarian factions. He also paid special praise to the "remarkable U.S. envoy Sergio [Vieira] de Mello." Actually Vieira de Mello was the U.N. man in Baghdad, before he fell victim to an Iraqi terror attack against U.N. headquarters in August 2003.

Follow me on Twitter @columlynch

Colum Lynch was a staff writer at Foreign Policy between 2010 and 2022. Twitter: @columlynch

More from Foreign Policy

Newspapers in Tehran feature on their front page news about the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, signed in Beijing the previous day, on March, 11 2023.
Newspapers in Tehran feature on their front page news about the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, signed in Beijing the previous day, on March, 11 2023.

Saudi-Iranian Détente Is a Wake-Up Call for America

The peace plan is a big deal—and it’s no accident that China brokered it.

Austin and Gallant stand at podiums side by side next to each others' national flags.
Austin and Gallant stand at podiums side by side next to each others' national flags.

The U.S.-Israel Relationship No Longer Makes Sense

If Israel and its supporters want the country to continue receiving U.S. largesse, they will need to come up with a new narrative.

Russian President Vladimir Putin lays flowers at the Moscow Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden during an event marking Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin lays flowers at the Moscow Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden during an event marking Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow.

Putin Is Trapped in the Sunk-Cost Fallacy of War

Moscow is grasping for meaning in a meaningless invasion.

An Iranian man holds a newspaper reporting the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, in Tehran on March 11.
An Iranian man holds a newspaper reporting the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, in Tehran on March 11.

How China’s Saudi-Iran Deal Can Serve U.S. Interests

And why there’s less to Beijing’s diplomatic breakthrough than meets the eye.