Monitoring Policy Making at the United Nations |
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What Was New What's New
Week of October 13 - 17, 2008
Iraq Security Council Empire? Social and Economic Policy International Justice
GPF Publications
A New Era of World Hunger? – The Global Food Crisis Analyzed (July 2008)
Picture Credit: Greenpeace This paper discusses the main causes of the steep run-up in global food prices and the resulting spread of hunger to nearly a billion people worldwide. Authors James A. Paul and Katarina Wahlberg conclude that biofuels and the agro-industrial approach to food production are the main culprits of the food crisis.
The paper looks at a wide range of factors endangering nutrition for all, including population growth, unsustainable consumption, international trade policy and climate change. The authors argue for effective and generous short-term aid as well as longer-term transformation of the agricultural system to make it more justly distributive, resilient, and sustainable for the future. (Global Policy Forum/Friedrich Ebert Foundation)
The MDG Project in Crisis “Midpoint Review and Prospects for the Future” (September 2008)
Picture Credit:
Jochen Hippler, Ulf Terlinden,
Jeanette SchadeJens Martens and Tobias Debiel point out that the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are much less ambitious than previous international development goals.
Even so, the UN, World Bank and NGOs agree that most countries will not achieve most of the MDGs on time. The authors further argue that the MDGs fail to deal with the structural root causes of poverty, such as unequal distribution of wealth, land and political power, as well as unfair global trade rules.(Institue for Developmet and Peace)
Causes and Strategies on World Hunger: Green Revolution versus Sustainable Agriculture (May 2008)
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World Economy &
Development in BriefGlobal Policy Forum’s Katarina Wahlberg criticizes the World Bank’s proposal to create a Green Revolution in Africa. By focusing on boosting agricultural production through scientific development of more productive crops, the Bank disregards the fact that the Earth’s biological systems cannot be exploited forever.
The supporters of the new Green Revolution also fail to address the major causes of the global food crisis, including biofuel production and unsustainable global consumption of meat. The author calls for a shift from industrial agriculture of export crops to sustainable agriculture for local consumption. (World Economy & Development in Brief)
The "Surge" of Iraqi Prisoners (May 7, 2008)
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Agence France Presse/FileiAmid all the talk about the US military "surge" in Iraq, little has been said about the accompanying "surge" of Iraqi prisoners, whose numbers rose to nearly 51,000 at the end of 2007. Global Policy Forum’s Ciara Gilmartin states that “US forces hold nearly all detainees indefinitely without charge, an arrest warrant or the opportunity to defend themselves.”
Human rights monitors, including the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), are denied access to detention centers in Iraq by US officials. This lack of oversight not only increases the likelihood of detainee abuse, but also violates international human rights law. (Foreign Policy in Focus)
War and Occupation in Iraq (June 2007)
Picture Credit: Spec. Charles Gill,
US Department of DefenseSince the March 2003 invasion, the US-UK occupation of Iraq has utterly failed to bring peace, prosperity and democracy, as originally advertised.
This major report assesses conditions in the country and especially the responsibility of the US-led Coalition for violations of international law. In twelve detailed chapters, brimming with information, the authors provide a unique and compelling analysis of the conflict, concluding with recommendations for action. Among the topics covered are: destruction of cultural heritage, killing of civilians, attacks on cities and long-term military bases. The report has been written and produced by Global Policy Forum and co-sponsored by thirty NGOs.
GPF Internships
GPF offers unpaid internships to students and young professionals from all over the world to work in our offices in New York and Bonn. We encourage qualified undergraduates to apply, as well as graduate students and those between degrees. We welcome students who have studied the United Nations and international organizations, but we consider specialized academic training less important than dedication to GPF’s goals, intelligence and enthusiasm for learning.
GPF is looking for applicants who are students of Political Science, International Relations, International Law, Political Economy or International Public Policy Studies. We especially encourage applications from those with broad international travel and work experience and those with a progressive, egalitarian and global outlook.
For more information about the internship, application procedures, deadlines and qualifications, please visit our internship page
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Iraq
Picture Credit: AlterNet In Biggest Oil Sale Ever, Iraqi Government to Put 40 Billion Barrels of Reserves Up for Grabs (October 13, 2008)
The Iraqi government plans to give foreign oil companies, such as Shell, BP and Exxon-Mobil, access to 40 percent of Iraq’s oil reserves. Issam al-Chalabi, former Iraqi oil minister between1987 to 1990, disapproves of the deal and states that Iraq is needlessly giving away Iraq’s oil to foreign companies. (AlterNet)Detention Has a Wide Destructive Impact in Iraq: Two Million May be Affected (October 10, 2008)
Since the US led invasion of Iraq in 2003, the US military has captured about 200,000 Iraqis, 96,000 of which have been held in US detention facilities such as Abu Ghraib and Camp Bucca. Internment of Iraqis has been an essential element of the occupation and the US continues to hold around 20,000 Iraqis, most of which are denied legal rights. (Truthout)Pentagon Hands Iraq Oil Deal to Shell (October 2, 2008)
The US secretly facilitated a US$4 billion oil agreement between oil giant Shell and the Iraqi oil ministry on September 22, 2008. Shell enjoys a close relationship with the US and annually receives US military contracts worth billions of dollars. (AlterNet)US Assault Kills 8 Civilians, Iraq Asserts (September 20, 2008)
US soldiers killed eight Iraqi civilians during a raid and air strike in Dawr, north of Baghdad on September 19, 2008. The US military claim that troops were legitimately targeting Sunni extremists, but senior Iraqi politicians have instead called the US attack criminal and demand an inquiry be launched into the killings. (Washington Post)Security Council
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United Nations PhotoSecurity Council Resolution 1840 (October 14, 2008)
The Security Council in its resolution 1840 extended the mandate of MINUSTAH, the UN stabilization mission in Haiti, until October 15, 2009. MINUSTAH consists of 7,060 soldiers and 2,091 police servants, but its composition will change after the training of the Haitian National Police forces. The resolution calls upon the peacekeeping troops to support Haiti’s political process and to assist in the reconstruction of its institutions.Elite at Heart of Angolagate (October 11, 2008)
French businessmen and politicians are on trial in France for an illegal multimillion-dollar sale of weapons to Angola from 1993 to 1998. This Mail & Guardian article argues that France is afraid that the “Angolagate” trial will deteriorate relations with Angola and diminish France’s influence over the country’s oil, especially because Angola will hold oil-licensing rounds next year in which the French owned company Total hopes to gain more oil contracts.A UN Charm Offensive Topped off by Dessert (October 11, 2008)
With the elections for new Security Council members coming up on October 17, 2008, Iceland and Iran are campaigning for a seat in the Council. Officially, the General Assembly selects countries on the basis of their interest in peace and security issues as well as their work relating to the environment and poverty. In practice though, a country’s reputation plays a major role in the elections of Security Council members. (New York Times)Haidar’s Struggle (October 9, 2008)
This Huffington Post article states that the US and France support Morocco’s occupation of Western Sahara by providing it with military and security assistance. Security Council members also back Morocco’s proposed autonomy plan, which only recognizes Western Sahara as a part of Morocco instead of giving it independence. The author argues that Morocco’s plan endorses territorial expansion through force and enables the country to control Western Sahara’s natural resources and law enforcement.Chile: Native Community in Desert Oasis Threatened by Mines (October 9, 2008)
This Inter Press Service article discusses the effect of mining on indigenous people living in Chile. Chilean citizens fear that Canadian mining contracts, established with the Chilean government, will open the door to more large-scale mining projects that pollute the rivers with heavy metals, illegally take land from indigenous communities, destroy archeological sites and prohibit the indigenous population from herding their animals in certain areas.Arms Transfers to Sudan, 2004-2006 (September 25, 2008)
This report by Human Rights First gives an overview of the arms transfers to Sudan from 2004-2006. China, Russia, Spain, Turkey and other countries violated the 2004 Security Council arms embargo that requires all governments to prevent the sale or supply of weapons to Sudan. The US, the UK, France and Sweden also possibly violate the embargo because they did not take all possible measures to prevent the transfer of arms by third countries to Sudan.E Timor’s Wealth: Blessing Or Curse? (September 24, 2008)
In spite of the US$3 billion that East Timor accumulated from its oil and gas incomes, the country suffers from an unstable economy, corruption and a lack of transparency. The government does not adequately invest the natural resources revenues in education or infrastructure but subsidizes rice and fuel prices instead, leaving its citizens poor. (BBC)Conflict Diamonds and the Peace Process in Cote d’Ivoire (June 2008)
This Bonn International Center for Conversion report argues that the 2005 Security Council diamond embargo is unable to diminish the illegal diamond trade in Cote d’Ivoire or stop fueling the violent conflict between Ivorian rebels and the army. Belgium, Dubai and Israel still purchase conflict diamonds from Cote d’Ivoire since the monitoring system remains insufficient and because UN forces are unable to protect the country’s diamond mining zones.Empire?
Historic World Map 1716
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World Maps OnlineSpectacular Wrongs: Gary Bass's 'Freedom's Battle' (September 24, 2008)
In this book review Samuel Moyn criticizes Gary Bass’s book “Freedom Battle”. Bass, an Associate Professor at Princeton, argues that powerful states do not only intervene in unstable countries out of self-interest, but to improve the “humanitarian situation”. However, Moyn contends that humanitarianism is a double- edged sword as powerful states ignore circumstances in countries with instability, while still claiming to act compassionately. (The Nation)Social and Economic Policy
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Government TechnologyThe Question To Be Asked: "Where Will the Money Come From?" (October 8, 2006)
In India over 2,000 farmers committed suicide in the past 15 years, and more than 40 percent of Indian farmers cannot make a decent living from agriculture. The Indian government claims it cannot afford to support the farmers financially. But the government easily rolled out money to save the rich people in India from the negative effects of the global financial crisis. (Share the World’s Resources)Making Financial Markets Work for Development (October 2008)
This working paper for the International Follow-Up Conference in Doha November 2008, proposes a new financial architecture including a special tax on capital assets and improved supervision of investors. The paper describes the current financial system as a “casino economy,” based on competition, speculation and pursuit of profit, which contributes to increasing food prices and makes the poor pay the costs for the global financial crisis. (Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst)FAO Reform: Power Struggle May Lead to FAO Marginalisation (October 9, 2008)
La Via Campesina – the international movement of peasants, small-scale producers and agricultural workers – fears that large donor countries will reduce the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s role in reducing hunger. Governments of Canada, Australia, Japan, UK, US and Germany are pushing for reform of the FAO that would give more influence to big donor countries, private funds and the World Bank. The FAO needs reform, the movement says, but governments should reinforce the FAO’s original mandate rather than turning it into an agency promoting deregulation and privatization. (Viacampesina)
International Justice
Picture Credit:
Justice 4 ConsumersDarfur Killings Soften Bush’s Opposition to International Court (October 12, 2008)
This Washington Post article states that the US government softened its opposition to the International Criminal Court because it supports the ICC’s indictment of Sudanese president Al-Bashir. In practice though, the US opposes the work of the ICC in relation to its own citizens, as its government still has not signed the Rome Statute and has even established a “Hague invasion clause” which allows the US military to liberate citizens of US or its allies if they are held by the ICC.Rights Chile: Ten Years of the ‘Pinochet Effect’ (October 9, 2008)
The British government arrested former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet ten years ago in London. This Inter Press Service article argues that Pinochet’s arrest signals human rights violators that they can face trial in countries other than their own based on the principle of universal jurisdiction. The author argues that although the Chilean justice system itself supports prosecution of officials that violate human rights, some Chilean politicians still try to prevent criminal suits filed against them.Radovan Karadzic, Ratko Mladic (September 16, 2008)
This timeline gives an extensive overview of events in the former Yugoslavia between 1974 and 2008. On July 21, 2008, Serbian security forces arrested Radovan Karadzic, former supreme commander of the armed forces and president of the Republika Srpska between 1992 and 1996. However, Ratko Mladic, chief of the Bosnian-Serb forces between 1991 and 1996, still hides from the Serbian security forces, allegedly with the help of retired Serbian and Bosnian-Serb military. (More or Less)
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