COP27 Was Doomed Before It Started
The 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) ended on November 20 without much to show for the delegates’ efforts.
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United Nations
United Nations General Assembly Reaffirms Call for End to Cuban Embargo
On November 3, the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly voted in favor of an annual resolution which calls for an end to the United States embargo imposed on Cuba. Speakers present at the gathering emphasized the urgency of ending the restrictive economic policies which bring crippling challenges to the island, especially considering the impacts of COVID-19
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One Year After Afghanistan: A New Terror Landscape Emerges
The Taliban’s quick rise to power sparked “joy” and celebration amongst a variety of militant groups that admired the Taliban’s commitment to their ideological goals. The international community’s concerns that Afghanistan will become a safe haven for terrorist activity, as in the 2000s, remains steadfast.
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Putin Announces Annexation of Eastern Ukrainian Regions
The Russian Federation officially announced the annexation of four eastern Ukrainian regions in a ceremony on September 30. According to the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that the regions of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporozhye (known as Zaporizhzhya in Ukrainian) were now a permanent and indisputable part of Russia according to Article I of the UN Charter.
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OHCHR Report on Uyghurs: Too Little, Far Too Late
China has been forcibly moving much of its Uyghur population to concentration camps, which it calls “re-education camps,” to combat “terrorism” in the ethnic Muslim minority community. According to the UN, the commission’s report stated that the deprivation of fundamental human rights, arbitrary detention, and credible reports of torture, ill-treatment, forced medical treatment, and sexual violence may amount to crimes against humanity.
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U.S. Allies Doubt Iran Nuclear Deal Revival is Imminent
With the latest effort to revive the Iranian nuclear deal, U.S. allies have stated that they have “serious doubts” that Iran and the U.S. will strike a deal, reports Reuters. President Biden promised to restore the nuclear agreement during his 2020 presidential campaign, yet negotiations appear to be delayed ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.
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Palestinians Executed in Gaza for First Time in 5 Years
For the first time in five years, five Palestinian nationals were executed by Hamas in the Gaza Strip in early September. According to Al Jazeera, Hamas announced that two of the five condemned to capital punishment were found guilty of collaborating with the Israeli occupation and were given the right to due process.
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“Weather” or Not: The Crisis of Global Environmental Governance
In the third volume of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessment report, Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change, climate scientists suggest that the world is at a now-or-never point of global warming, where extreme climate events are imminent. This report, released on April 4, suggests that difficulties regarding greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuels are the product of socio-political issues, rather than technological shortcomings, as clean energy technologies have become more affordable and accessible.
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Taliban Declares Total Ban on Poppy Cultivation
The cultivation of poppy is now strictly prohibited in Afghanistan, per a recent decree from the Taliban. The move comes amid the Taliban’s bid for formal international recognition, in which cessation of the Afghan drug trade has been a major impediment to the international community.
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Is Israel Being Unfairly Targeted by the UN Human Rights Council?
The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) recently created a special commission of inquiry to investigate allegations of crimes of apartheid committed by the Israeli government against Palestinians. The fact-finding mission is being used to respond to allegations of serious violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law by Israel, according to the UNHRC.
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