Armed Conflicts

Small Arms Proliferation a Trigger for Rising Wildlife Crimes

By Thalif Deen
The ongoing military conflicts in the Middle East and Africa continue to be fuelled by the proliferation of small arms and light weapons (SALW), primarily assault rifles, sub machine guns, hand grenades, portable anti-tank and anti-aircraft guns, rockets and self-loading pistols.

Despite Ukraine Cease-Fire, Civilians Still Living in Fear

By Kitty Stapp
The civilian population in Ukraine continues to suffer serious human rights abuses, intimidation and harassment by armed groups, including summary executions, as well as torture and ill-treatment by authorities in detention, according to the latest report from the U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine released Monday.

Scores of Sri Lankan Tamils Still Living Under the ‘Long Shadow of War’

By Kanya D'Almeida
In many ways, Jayakumari Balendran epitomizes the plight of the Tamil people in Sri Lanka’s northern and eastern provinces, both during and after the island nation’s 26-year-long civil conflict.

Leaked Internal Documents Show U.N. Ignored Child Abuse

By Roger Hamilton-Martin
Leaked United Nations documents show high-level staff knew of abuses by soldiers in the Central African Republic and failed to act, all while planning the removal of U.N. whistleblower Anders Kompass.

Relief Organisation Urges Mandatory Funding for Humanitarian Appeals

By Thalif Deen
The United Nations is not only overwhelmed by a spreading humanitarian crisis, largely in Africa and the Middle East, but also remains hamstrung by a severe shortfall in funds, mostly from Western donors.

U.N. Security Council Takes “Historic” Stand on Killings of Journalists

By Kitty Stapp
When war breaks out, most non-combatants run the other way. But a handful of courageous reporters see it as their duty to tell the world what's happening on the ground. And many pay a high price.

Humanitarian Crisis in South Sudan Continues to Worsen

By Ann-Kathrin Pohlers
After peace talks failed earlier this month, the ongoing conflict in South Sudan between government forces and opposition forces that began at the end of 2013 is having a severe impact on the country’s food security and civilian safety.

Opinion: A Critical Moment to Fortify Nuclear Test Ban

By Lassina Zerbo
The 2015 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference wrapped up last week in New York without agreeing on an outcome document. While this is unfortunate, it is important to remember that the future of the nuclear non-proliferation regime will be determined by more than whether the Review Conference participants produced a document addressing all that currently ails the NPT-based regime.

Terror Groups May Be Winning Digital War on Extremist Ideology

By Thalif Deen
The United Nations is quick to point out the increasing pace at which digital technology is racing across the world.

Accusations of ‘Apartheid’ Cause Israelis to Backpedal

By Mel Frykberg
A  decision by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) to segregate buses in the occupied West Bank has backfired after causing an uproar in Israel’s Knesset, or parliament, and political damage on the international stage.

Failure of Review Conference Brings World Close to Nuclear Cataclysm, Warn Activists

By Thalif Deen
After nearly four weeks of negotiations, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference ended in a predictable outcome: a text overwhelmingly reflecting the views and interests of the nuclear-armed states and some of their nuclear-dependent allies.

Bougainville: Former War-Torn Territory Still Wary of Mining

By Catherine Wilson
From Arawa, once the capital city of Bougainville, an autonomous region in eastern Papua New Guinea in the southwest Pacific Ocean, a long, winding road leads high up into the Crown Prince Ranges in the centre of the island through impenetrable rainforest.

The U.N. at 70: The Past and Future of U.N. Peacekeeping

By Jean-Marie Guéhenno
When the Cold War ended in 1991, there was hope the U.N. Security Council would be able to take decisive action to create a more peaceful world. Early blue helmet successes in Cambodia, Namibia, Mozambique, and El Salvador seemed to vindicate that assessment.

Minorities Threatened More by Governments than Terrorist Groups, Says Study

By Thalif Deen
In the conflict-ridden Middle East, minority groups continue to be threatened, attacked and expelled from their home countries by terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

Opinion: Universalisation and Strengthening Nuke Treaty Review Need to be Qualitative

By Ambassador A. L. A. Azeez
"Strengthening the Review Process" and "Universalisation of the Non-Proliferation Treaty" (NPT) are distinctly substantive issues, that require consideration with their specificities in view.

The U.N. at 70: A 60-Year Journey with Sri Lanka

By Subinay Nandy
The year 2015 marks an important milestone in Sri Lanka’s relationship with the United Nations. It is the 70th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations and also the 60th anniversary of Sri Lanka’s entry into the U.N. system.

U.S. Hosts Arms Bazaar at White House Arab Summit

By Thalif Deen
When the United States sells billions of dollars in sophisticated arms to Arab nations, they are conditioned on two key factors: no weapons with a qualitative military edge over Israel will ever be sold to the Arabs, nor will they receive any weapons that are not an integral part of the U.S. arsenal.

The U.N. at 70: Is It Still Fit for the Purpose?

By Julia Rainer
Events are being organised around the world to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, but a recent seminar held in the Austrian capital was not held to applaud the body’s past contributions.

Campaign to End Sexual Violence Targets Civilian Peacekeepers First

By Lyndal Rowlands
“We can really argue as much as we want but if we put ourselves in the skin of victims, we just have to do something to stop this.”

U.S. Failings Exposed in U.N. Human Rights Review

By Gustavo Capdevila
Without the emperor’s clothes, like in the Hans Christian Andersen story, the United States was forced to submit its human rights record to the scrutiny of the other 192 members of the United Nations on Monday.

Reviving Dignity: The Remarkable Perseverance of Myanmar’s Displaced

By Rob Jarvis and Kim Jolliffe
In Myanmar’s Western Rakhine State, over a hundred thousand people displaced by inter communal violence that broke out nearly three years ago remain interned in camps on torrid plains and coastal marshes, struggling to survive.
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