Posts tagged international politics

Brazil's Azevedo wins race to head WTO

HOORAY!

And then there were two...

Next WTO Director-General down to two ‘developing’ nation candidates:

— Mr Herminio Blanco (Mexico)

— Mr Roberto Carvalho de Azevêdo (Brazil)

Japan to officially join the TPP

From Bridges Weekly:

The eleven countries currently negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement formally invited Japan into their ranks this weekend, pending the conclusion of their respective domestic procedures. The news of Tokyo’s invite comes just over a month after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced that his country would be pursuing a seat at the table in the trans-Pacific negotiations.

This is good news. Not only does Japan have the capability and history to challenge US hegemony in Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations, but their seat should also slow the TPP down, which at least one of the major parties in South Korea - a major economic powerhouse in the region, not invited into the TPP - opposes, in addition to many normative trade scholars. Here’s one reason why. Also just type TPP into the tumblr search, and you’ll find plenty more reasons to oppose the TPP moving too fast, particulary if you can read Chinese/Mandarin or Korean.

humanrightswatch:

(via The Telegraph)

Burma carrying out ‘policy of ethnic cleansing’ against Muslims

Human Rights Watch calls for an international inquiry into the violence in Burma as they release evidence that Burmese security forces organised and stood guard over Buddhist attacks on Muslim settlements before burying scores of bodies in mass graves.

Evidence of official involvement in the massacres that left hundreds dead was gathered by Human Rights Watch researchers at 27 different sites in Arakan State, including at four mass graves dug between June and October last year.

The report released today by Human Rights Watch is the most comprehensive evidence yet that the Burmese government colluded in a wave of ethnic attacks and was released just hours before the EU was due to drop sanctions on the Burmese regime as a reward for reformist pledges at a meeting in Luxembourg on Monday.

“During this period of time, thousands of Arakanese civilians descended on Muslim villages, burned the villages down to the ground, security forces either stood by and watched or directly participated in abuses,” report author Matthew Smith told The Telegraph.

In the worse single massacre of the three month outbreak more than 70 people, including 28 children were hacked to death in a day long massacre at Yan Thei village.

I will reblog until EVERYONE knows.

This is not the buddhist way … ever before. What has happened to this world? Why do buddhist now hate Muslims so much that they would not only kill, but attempt genocide?! I realise this is “ethnic”, and there is land history here … still? Attempting.genocide.

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united-nations: Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon traveled by train to Washington, DC, on Thursday to take part in World Bank meetings on education, poverty reduction and more.Tune in on Friday between 11:00 a.m.-12:10 p.m. EDT (15:00-16:10 GMT) when he and World Bank President Jim Kim hold an interactive online conversation on ending poverty.Details: http://bit.ly/ittakes419Photo: Ban Ki-moon is seen here with UN Peacekeeping chief Hervé Ladsous and Oscar Fernandez-Taranco from the UN’s Department of Political Affairs. My field research leads me to interesting new places, and one of those places in November was the World Bank. After interviewing a handful of anonymous staff and affiliated NGOs, I learned there is a real [something] brewing around Dr Kim’s leadership. It appears many people are/were anxiously awaiting more details on his shifting the Bank’s focus to poverty alleviation. Without giving away too many spoilers, one of my research findings is that you are successful as the head of a global organisation IF you are able to make your agenda the global agenda. See? See how Dr Kim is developing that here? I must say, this is probably good news for Ban. With the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) reaching their end-goal period in 2015, Ban (if reappointed as Secretary-General) will need to redefine the goals of the UN since former Secretary-General Kofi Annan introduced the MDGs as the world’s new agenda. And poverty reduction/alleviation sounds good to me! If you can get it in a dual package between the UN and the World Bank, you’re that much more likely to be seen as a effective executive head. Well done, Dr Kim.

united-nations:

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon traveled by train to Washington, DC, on Thursday to take part in World Bank meetings on education, poverty reduction and more.

Tune in on Friday between 11:00 a.m.-12:10 p.m. EDT (15:00-16:10 GMT) when he and World Bank President Jim Kim hold an interactive online conversation on ending poverty.

Details: http://bit.ly/ittakes419

Photo: Ban Ki-moon is seen here with UN Peacekeeping chief Hervé Ladsous and Oscar Fernandez-Taranco from the UN’s Department of Political Affairs.

My field research leads me to interesting new places, and one of those places in November was the World Bank. After interviewing a handful of anonymous staff and affiliated NGOs, I learned there is a real [something] brewing around Dr Kim’s leadership. It appears many people are/were anxiously awaiting more details on his shifting the Bank’s focus to poverty alleviation.

Without giving away too many spoilers, one of my research findings is that you are successful as the head of a global organisation IF you are able to make your agenda the global agenda.

See? See how Dr Kim is developing that here?

I must say, this is probably good news for Ban. With the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) reaching their end-goal period in 2015, Ban (if reappointed as Secretary-General) will need to redefine the goals of the UN since former Secretary-General Kofi Annan introduced the MDGs as the world’s new agenda.

And poverty reduction/alleviation sounds good to me! If you can get it in a dual package between the UN and the World Bank, you’re that much more likely to be seen as a effective executive head.

Well done, Dr Kim.

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humanrightswatch: US: Ban Fully Autonomous Weapons “This policy shows that the United States shares our concern that fully autonomous weapons could endanger civilians in many ways. Humans should never delegate to machines the power to make life-and-death decisions on the battlefield. US policy should lay the basis for a permanent, comprehensive ban on fully autonomous weapons.” - Steve Goose, Arms Division director at Human Rights Watch Temporary US restrictions on lethal fully autonomous weapons should be strengthened and made permanent. Fully autonomous weapons, sometimes called “killer robots,” would be able to select and attack targets on their own without any human intervention.   The South Korean SGR-1 sentry robot, a precursor to a fully autonomous weapon, can detect people in the Demilitarized Zone and, if a human grants the command, fire its weapons. The robot is shown here during a test with a surrendering enemy soldier. © 2007 Getty Images   well there goes that society thing we’ve been working on for … oh about four centuries (Westphalia).

humanrightswatch:

US: Ban Fully Autonomous Weapons

“This policy shows that the United States shares our concern that fully autonomous weapons could endanger civilians in many ways. Humans should never delegate to machines the power to make life-and-death decisions on the battlefield. US policy should lay the basis for a permanent, comprehensive ban on fully autonomous weapons.”

- Steve Goose, Arms Division director at Human Rights Watch

Temporary US restrictions on lethal fully autonomous weapons should be strengthened and made permanent. Fully autonomous weapons, sometimes called “killer robots,” would be able to select and attack targets on their own without any human intervention.

 

The South Korean SGR-1 sentry robot, a precursor to a fully autonomous weapon, can detect people in the Demilitarized Zone and, if a human grants the command, fire its weapons. The robot is shown here during a test with a surrendering enemy soldier.

© 2007 Getty Images

 

well there goes that society thing we’ve been working on for … oh about four centuries (Westphalia).

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united-nations: More than five million Syrians have been forced to flee their homes and more than 70,000 have died, including thousands of children. In the name of all those who have suffered, the United Nations top humanitarian officials have joined together to call on governments to find a political solution. Read and share their joint message: “Enough.” ©UNHCR/A. Branthwaite/Oncupinar refugee camp, Turkey

united-nations:

More than five million Syrians have been forced to flee their homes and more than 70,000 have died, including thousands of children. In the name of all those who have suffered, the United Nations top humanitarian officials have joined together to call on governments to find a political solution.

Read and share their joint message: “Enough.”


©UNHCR/A. Branthwaite/Oncupinar refugee camp, Turkey

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from the Guardian: Burma has issued a state of emergency in the central city of Meikhtila after three days of ethnic violence between Muslims and Buddhists has left scores dead, forced thousands to flee and left local homes and shops reduced to smoking rubble. Rioting began on Wednesday in the now ash-covered town, located 360 miles north of the commercial capital Rangoon, after an argument between a Muslim shopkeeper and his Buddhist customers erupted into a street brawl that ended with the death of a Buddhist monk. Soon after, photos and videos of mobs roaming the streets were circulating online – showing streets littered with burning motorbikes, men armed with sticks and swords destroying property, and buildings set ablaze – with little indication that security forces were putting a stop to it. Southeast Asian follow up of the day from February 2012 violence between Muslims and Buddhist in Thailand. Photo credit: Khin Maung Win/AP

from the Guardian:

Burma has issued a state of emergency in the central city of Meikhtila after three days of ethnic violence between Muslims and Buddhists has left scores dead, forced thousands to flee and left local homes and shops reduced to smoking rubble.

Rioting began on Wednesday in the now ash-covered town, located 360 miles north of the commercial capital Rangoon, after an argument between a Muslim shopkeeper and his Buddhist customers erupted into a street brawl that ended with the death of a Buddhist monk.

Soon after, photos and videos of mobs roaming the streets were circulating online – showing streets littered with burning motorbikes, men armed with sticks and swords destroying property, and buildings set ablaze – with little indication that security forces were putting a stop to it.

Southeast Asian follow up of the day from February 2012 violence between Muslims and Buddhist in Thailand.

Photo credit: Khin Maung Win/AP

Allright tumbls, before I head to bed, as your resident expert on heads of international organisations - yes, I just claimed to be THE tumblr expert on heads of international organisation, ‘big whoop, wanna fight?’ - I just thought you need to know that the head of the IMF, Christine Lagarde’s flat was raided today for “”complicity in the embezzlement of public funds”, since 2011, when [Bernard] Tapie, [a former politician, actor, singer and television celebrity] was awarded €284m of public money in compensation in a financial dispute while she was economy minister.” From the Guardian. If all that sounds very unclear, it’s because it pretty much is, if you don’t follow French politics, but all you need to know is (possibly - innocent until proven guilty) they can’t find anyone clean to run the IMF. DAMN! I’m probably going to regret this post at some point during my lifelong job search… but not tonight! So I’ll spare the bit I was gonna write about the IMF being run BY crooks and wankers FOR crooks and wankers. Yeah, I won’t write that. Photograph: Eric Vidal/Reuters

Allright tumbls, before I head to bed, as your resident expert on heads of international organisations - yes, I just claimed to be THE tumblr expert on heads of international organisation, ‘big whoop, wanna fight?’ - I just thought you need to know that the head of the IMF, Christine Lagarde’s flat was raided today for “”complicity in the embezzlement of public funds”, since 2011, when [Bernard] Tapie, [a former politician, actor, singer and television celebrity] was awarded €284m of public money in compensation in a financial dispute while she was economy minister.” From the Guardian.

If all that sounds very unclear, it’s because it pretty much is, if you don’t follow French politics, but all you need to know is (possibly - innocent until proven guilty) they can’t find anyone clean to run the IMF.

DAMN!

I’m probably going to regret this post at some point during my lifelong job search… but not tonight! So I’ll spare the bit I was gonna write about the IMF being run BY crooks and wankers FOR crooks and wankers. Yeah, I won’t write that.

Photograph: Eric Vidal/Reuters

from the Guardian A man wanted for crimes against humanity has won the Kenyan presidential election by just over 4,000 votes, according to early figures released by the election commission. Uhuru Kenyatta, the son of a former president and current deputy prime minister, won 50.03% of the vote, just enough to avoid a second round against Raila Odinga, the prime minister, who will probably challenge the results. The election of Kenyatta raises diplomatic problems for Kenya and the international community because he has been accused of crimes by the International Criminal Court in The Hague because of his actions after the 2007 elections which led to 1,200 deaths. Both sides relied heavily on their ethnic groups in a nation where tribal loyalties outweigh ideology at the ballot box. Kenyatta is a Kikuyu, the biggest of Kenya’s many tribes; Odinga is a Luo. Both had running-mates from other tribes. come on tumblr feed, keep up with international politics!

from the Guardian

A man wanted for crimes against humanity has won the Kenyan presidential election by just over 4,000 votes, according to early figures released by the election commission.

Uhuru Kenyatta, the son of a former president and current deputy prime minister, won 50.03% of the vote, just enough to avoid a second round against Raila Odinga, the prime minister, who will probably challenge the results.

The election of Kenyatta raises diplomatic problems for Kenya and the international community because he has been accused of crimes by the International Criminal Court in The Hague because of his actions after the 2007 elections which led to 1,200 deaths.

Both sides relied heavily on their ethnic groups in a nation where tribal loyalties outweigh ideology at the ballot box. Kenyatta is a Kikuyu, the biggest of Kenya’s many tribes; Odinga is a Luo. Both had running-mates from other tribes.

come on tumblr feed, keep up with international politics!

It remains one of the few places where drinking in the style of a cast member of “Mad Men” is not only accepted but expected.

Diplomat Calls for End to Drunkenness at U.N. - NYTimes.com (via rubenfeld)

We need someone to page through the UN’s Flickr page and create a Tumblr titled “Drunk Diplomats of the UN.” Now. (via shortformblog)

Revolutiontrainee: This American diplomat is obviously green behind the ears. If anyone thinks, for a MINUTE, any international policy-making is done without the aid of alcohol, you are a fool. I’m not saying I condone this practise; I’m just sharing the facts.

Fact: booze gets deals done.

How else do you think these diplomats get the courage to phone their capitals to reveal what was lost from the latest deal brokered a la the drink?!

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doctorswithoutborders: Photo: A Cambodian HIV patient holds some of her drug regimen in an MSF HIV ward. Cambodia 2007 © Dieter Telemans As Clock Ticks Towards Trans As closed-door talks for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement resume in Singapore this week, MSF calls on the U.S. government to end its stall tactics and revise its proposals for what otherwise promises to be the most harmful trade deal ever for access to medicines in developing countries. The TPP negotiations, which currently involve eleven Asia-Pacific countries, are being conducted in secret, but leaked texts reveal the most aggressive intellectual property (IP) measures ever suggested in a trade deal with developing countries. The U.S. proposals threaten to roll back internationally-agreed public health safeguards and would put in place far-reaching monopoly protections that keep medicine prices high and out of the reach of millions in the Asia-Pacific region. “Too many people already die needlessly because the medicines they need are too expensive or do not exist, and we cannot stand by as the Trans-Pacific Partnership threatens to further restrict access to medicines in developing countries,” said Dr. Unni Karunakara, International President of MSF. “We are gravely concerned about countries like Thailand, where MSF started treating HIV/AIDS more than a decade ago and then transitioned its programs to local authorities with the confidence that they would be able to continue providing lifesaving treatments. Now Thailand is on the cusp of joining a dangerous deal that could jeopardize its ability to maintain, let alone scale up, vital, life-saving health programs for its people.” another good reason to oppose the TPP.

doctorswithoutborders:

Photo: A Cambodian HIV patient holds some of her drug regimen in an MSF HIV ward. Cambodia 2007 © Dieter Telemans

As Clock Ticks Towards Trans

As closed-door talks for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement resume in Singapore this week, MSF calls on the U.S. government to end its stall tactics and revise its proposals for what otherwise promises to be the most harmful trade deal ever for access to medicines in developing countries.

The TPP negotiations, which currently involve eleven Asia-Pacific countries, are being conducted in secret, but leaked texts reveal the most aggressive intellectual property (IP) measures ever suggested in a trade deal with developing countries. The U.S. proposals threaten to roll back internationally-agreed public health safeguards and would put in place far-reaching monopoly protections that keep medicine prices high and out of the reach of millions in the Asia-Pacific region.

“Too many people already die needlessly because the medicines they need are too expensive or do not exist, and we cannot stand by as the Trans-Pacific Partnership threatens to further restrict access to medicines in developing countries,” said Dr. Unni Karunakara, International President of MSF. “We are gravely concerned about countries like Thailand, where MSF started treating HIV/AIDS more than a decade ago and then transitioned its programs to local authorities with the confidence that they would be able to continue providing lifesaving treatments. Now Thailand is on the cusp of joining a dangerous deal that could jeopardize its ability to maintain, let alone scale up, vital, life-saving health programs for its people.”

another good reason to oppose the TPP.

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I saw when the bulldozer burst through the gate. I tried to get in its way, but one of the guys in the group held me back. It was just natural that I kept holding on to the chain, thinking that they would stop and talk with me and with the other residents. But my sister and my daughter kept yelling, begging me to get out of there. I went to my house, took a bag full of documents and left for my brother’s. I was in a state of shock, crying nonstop. What was the reason for that? Why take away the dwellings of so many needy people?

VIDEO: Brazil Bulldozes Neighborhood Without Warning for World Cup

(via globalvoices)

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Greece must improve detention conditions for migrants – UN experts A group of United Nations independent experts today stressed that Greece must improve the conditions of detention for migrants and effectively implement recent legislation to enhance screening procedures for asylum-seekers. “In most detention facilities visited by the Working Group, the conditions fall far below international human rights standards, including in terms of severe overcrowding,” stressed one of the members of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Vladimir Tochilovsky. See also, Special Rapporteur on racism Mutuma Ruteere says, ‘Spain must make fighting racism and xenophobia a priority’, particularly, Spanish authorities must show leadership in the fight against racism and xenophobia in the country, an independent United Nations expert said today, adding that, against a backdrop of pervasive unemployment, the Government must ensure vulnerable groups such as immigrants are not blamed for the nation’s economic woes. photo courtesy of UN News

Greece must improve detention conditions for migrants – UN experts

A group of United Nations independent experts today stressed that Greece must improve the conditions of detention for migrants and effectively implement recent legislation to enhance screening procedures for asylum-seekers.

“In most detention facilities visited by the Working Group, the conditions fall far below international human rights standards, including in terms of severe overcrowding,” stressed one of the members of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Vladimir Tochilovsky.

See also, Special Rapporteur on racism Mutuma Ruteere says, ‘Spain must make fighting racism and xenophobia a priority’, particularly,

Spanish authorities must show leadership in the fight against racism and xenophobia in the country, an independent United Nations expert said today, adding that, against a backdrop of pervasive unemployment, the Government must ensure vulnerable groups such as immigrants are not blamed for the nation’s economic woes.

photo courtesy of UN News

Independent UN inquiry determines Israeli settlements in serious violation of Geneva convention. The report states that Israel is committing serious breaches of its obligations under the right to self-determination and under humanitarian law. … “In compliance with Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, Israel must cease all settlement activities without preconditions,” said Christine Chanet, chair of the three-member inquiry. photo courtesy of UN News, which is also available as a free app that I highly recommend.

Independent UN inquiry determines Israeli settlements in serious violation of Geneva convention.

The report states that Israel is committing serious breaches of its obligations under the right to self-determination and under humanitarian law.

…

“In compliance with Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, Israel must cease all settlement activities without preconditions,” said Christine Chanet, chair of the three-member inquiry.

photo courtesy of UN News, which is also available as a free app that I highly recommend.

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