Sadako Ogata: Waging peace on war
A 1993 photograph of a diminutive, sexagenarian woman surveying the front lines of conflict has left an indelible mark on the international community as a true example of commitment to humanitarian aid.
At Nairobi summit, Japan angles for African support in bid for Security Council
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe isn't just offering $30 billion to African countries, he wants something in return. He wants their votes in support of Japan becoming a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and greater access for Japanese trade and investment in Africa. The ...
U.N. to continue reform talks, considers possible UNSC expansion
The U.N. General Assembly decided Wednesday to continue negotiations on Security Council reform at the next session, eyeing a possibly enlarged body with a membership "in the mid-20s." Debate has raged for decades over how to restructure the council, which currently comprises five permanent veto-wielding ...
How a U.N. committee riled Japan with its criticism of women's rights
Recent recommendations issued to Japan by the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women sparked a sharp response from Tokyo. The U.N. body touched on several politically sensitive issues, including that of the so-called "comfort women" forced to serve troops during World ...
North Korea wants key parts of U.N. human rights resolution dropped
North Korean officials are seeking to have key lines deleted from a draft U.N. resolution that calls for a referral of Pyongyang's human rights abuses to the International Criminal Court and proposes sanctions against the country's top leaders, according to a U.N. investigator. Marzuki Darusman, ...
Globing warming to hit Asia the hardest; coastal cities most vulnerable, experts say
People in coastal regions of Asia, particularly those living in cities, could face some of the worst effects of global warming, climate experts will warn this week. Hundreds of millions of people are likely to lose their homes as flooding, famine and rising sea levels ...
The U.N. agency for promoting gender equality has announced it will close its office in Osaka Prefecture by the end of October, citing a lack of funds. Having failed to achieve its funding goals due to financial instability in 2011 and 2012, the U.N. Entity ...
Ghost of Iraq looms as U.N. evaluates Syria
A few days ago, a little-known Swedish scientist with a career devoted to studying lethal warfare agents paid a quiet visit to London. He was there to examine evidence that British officials believe shows that Syrian forces used chemical weapons against their own people. Ake ...
