United Nations

List of United Nations articles

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva attends the welcome session at the Portuguese Parliament in Lisbon.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva attends the welcome session at the Portuguese Parliament in Lisbon.

How to Understand Brazil’s Ukraine Policy

Like it or not, Lula’s stance reflects legitimate misgivings about the global order.

Mohammad Arsala Kharoti, the Taliban's deputy minister for refugees, speaks to the media as UNHCR protection chief Gillian Triggs watches at the airport in Kabul on April 30.
Mohammad Arsala Kharoti, the Taliban's deputy minister for refugees, speaks to the media as UNHCR protection chief Gillian Triggs watches at the airport in Kabul on April 30.

The Taliban Aim to Divide and Conquer

The U.N. meets this week to decide whether to play by Taliban rules or pull out. Both are bad.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaks to the media at a news conference at the United Nations headquarters in New York City on April 25. Journalists raise hands in the foreground.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaks to the media at a news conference at the United Nations headquarters in New York City on April 25. Journalists raise hands in the foreground.

Putin’s Pied Piper Plays the U.N.

Sergey Lavrov’s swing through the United Nations this week was the culmination of his tour of the global south—but is he winning any converts?

Protesters call for climate justice and loss and damage payments during the COP27 U.N. climate conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on Nov. 12, 2022.
Protesters call for climate justice and loss and damage payments during the COP27 U.N. climate conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on Nov. 12, 2022.

The U.N. Could Have a Secret Legal Weapon to Fight Climate Change

An obscure 1978 treaty may grant the ICJ jurisdiction over the world’s largest emitters.

A person waits for the start of the 11th emergency special session of the General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York City.
A person waits for the start of the 11th emergency special session of the General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York City.

The U.N. Has Turned Turtle on the Ukraine War

A paralyzed Security Council and a toothless General Assembly can’t come to grips with Russia’s challenge to the international order.

An aerial view of collapsed buildings as search and rescue efforts continue in Idlib, Syria on February 13, 2023.
An aerial view of collapsed buildings as search and rescue efforts continue in Idlib, Syria on February 13, 2023.

Don’t Rely on Assad to Get Aid to Syria’s Earthquake Victims

The announcement of border openings is reversible, and it won’t stop the regime’s ongoing obstruction of aid to rebel-held areas.

The Chinese and Russian ambassadors to the United Nations speak at the United Nations.
The Chinese and Russian ambassadors to the United Nations speak at the United Nations.

How an Unusual Coalition Outfoxed China and Russia at the U.N.

The United Nations, thanks to a clever procedural revolt by small countries, is finally moving to close one of its last gaps on international law.

Fiona Frazer speaks next to Markus Potzel in Kabul.
Fiona Frazer speaks next to Markus Potzel in Kabul.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres and Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari attend a press conference in Abuja, Nigeria, on May 4.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres and Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari attend a press conference in Abuja, Nigeria, on May 4.

Will the U.N. Tax Convention Empower Africa?

Global tax reforms resisted by richer nations could reduce reliance on tax havens and bring much-needed revenue to African governments.

Brazilian President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva poses for a photo with representatives of his country’s Indigenous people during the U.N. climate change conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on Nov. 17.
Brazilian President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva poses for a photo with representatives of his country’s Indigenous people during the U.N. climate change conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on Nov. 17.

From BRICS to BIC

At COP27, Lula paints his foreign-policy aspirations green.

Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley speaks at the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on Nov. 7.
Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley speaks at the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on Nov. 7.

The Barbadian Proposal Turning Heads at COP27

How Mia Mottley’s climate finance plan went from symbol of moral outrage to serious possibility at the IMF.

Protesters in Germany display Iranian and Kurdish flags in a rally in support of the demonstrations in Iran.
Protesters in Germany display Iranian and Kurdish flags in a rally in support of the demonstrations in Iran.

If Europe Wants to Sanction Iran, It Knows What to Do

United Nations sanctions are already on the books—they just need to be reactivated.

People in light blue shirts that say "FREE UYGHUR" and flags stand in front of a building.
People in light blue shirts that say "FREE UYGHUR" and flags stand in front of a building.

How to Stop China Killing Human Rights at the U.N.

The Uyghur people and the human rights system depend on principled states taking action.

Abdoulaye Maiga, prime minister of Mali, speaks during the Sharm el-Sheikh Climate Implementation Summit of the COP27 climate conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on Nov. 8.
Abdoulaye Maiga, prime minister of Mali, speaks during the Sharm el-Sheikh Climate Implementation Summit of the COP27 climate conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on Nov. 8.

If COP27 Fails, Africans Stand to Lose the Most

The climate summit won’t bring change to Africa until the West gets serious about “loss and damage.”

Vladimir Putin addresses the United Nations General Assembly on September 28, 2015 in New York City.
Vladimir Putin addresses the United Nations General Assembly on September 28, 2015 in New York City.

The U.N. (as We Know It) Won’t Survive Russia’s War in Ukraine

The institutions designed to secure global order clearly aren't up to the task. What will take their place?

A girl holds up a sign that reads "Let Haitians Decide Their Own Future"
A girl holds up a sign that reads "Let Haitians Decide Their Own Future"

Intervening in Haiti, Again

Without a credible and locally owned political road map, another intervention will do little to strengthen Haiti.

Ex-combatants of the FARC-People’s Army listen to a U.N. member speak on humanitarian demining in the municipality of La Montañita, Caquetá, Colombia, on Oct. 9, 2019.
Ex-combatants of the FARC-People’s Army listen to a U.N. member speak on humanitarian demining in the municipality of La Montañita, Caquetá, Colombia, on Oct. 9, 2019.

The U.N.’s Small Success Stories

The organization has been criticized aplenty this week. Its missions in Colombia, Honduras, and Venezuela could be a silver lining.

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