Posts
2021
Alone against the world: The US betrays the UN on Cuba
For the 29 years in a row, the UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly in favour of a resolution demanding the end of the 60-year embargo on Cuba imposed by the US. What happened? The US and Israel were the only countries opposed to the June 30 resolution: 184 voted in support of it. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla did not mince his words lambasting the US for human rights violations: “This is made visible by the lengthy lines which every day overwhelm the Cuban people in the midst of a pandemic to access basic goods, by the shop shelves that are empty and the unbridled increase in food prices. … The blockade is a massive, flagrant and systematic violation of the human rights of all of the Cuban people.
What does Antonio Guterres' re-selection mean for the United Nations? — Podcast
While the UN's causes are noble, its communiques can feel like an alphabet soup and its members often behave like undisciplined children. An audio episode explores the ambitions and limitations of its leader, António Guterres
António Guterres: The Power Under The Throne
The feeling I experience when plunging into the ocean of communiques from the United Nations is always the same: drowning in an alphabet soup. Often, the words are noble, the causes honourable.
8 UN Secretariat Offices explained in 10 minutes
The Secretariat consists of the personnel of the United Nations, with the Secretary-General as its head. It is estimated that as of 2021, more than 35,000 people are employed by the United Nations.
UN's slow pace of justice & UNESCO's decision on Venice
The slow pace of justice UN judges have still not quite finished with the aftermath of the atrocities relating to the breakup of the former Yugoslavia almost 30 years ago. On June 30, they convicted former head of Serbia’s State Security Service, Jovica Stanisic, and his subordinate Franko “Frenki” Simatovic to 12 years in prison.
Edward Mortimer was wrong about the United Nations
Last week Edward Mortimer, the chief speechwriter for Kofi Annan, passed away at the age of 77. He was described as “one of the lively minds surrounding the Secretary-General, given license to think and experiment at a time when the future of the United Nations was being written anew”.
A fervid summer: Share your favourite books, TV shows & music with our international readers
As summer holidays begin, we want to hear from our readers about their favorite books, TV shows or music.
News in June 2021 you may have missed
AFRICA 02.06.21: Mali. The African Union has suspended Mali from the African Union over its second coup in nine months.
"Just Let Them Eat Fudge..."
Plunging into the ocean of UN communiques is like drowning in an alphabet soup. Often, the words are noble, the causes honourable. Occasionally they even make a difference... and yet the members of this mighty club behave like undisciplined children who delight in doing just as they please. In this issue of The Gordian, following the re-election of the Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, we will be discussing everything relating to his post and office. This issue contains more exclusive reports by, our literary editor, Alex Liberto, and other UN-aligned members, namely Jonna Lappalainen, Carla Pietrobattista and Aryan Yekrangi. The editors are Adrian Liberto and Ariana Yekrangi.
The Torlonia Marbles - in Pictures (Part 2)
This gallery is the second part of the exhibition of the Torlonia Marbles, the largest collection of classical sculpture still in private ownership and one of the most valuable in the world.
The Torlonia Marbles - in Pictures (Part 1)
The exhibition of the Torlonia Marbles, the largest collection of classical sculpture still in private ownership and one of the most valuable in the world, closed in Rome on June 29. A selection of 92 of the 620 statues and busts had been on display in the Villa Caffarelli on the Capitoline Hill since October 2020, although until April, the exhibition was subject to sporadic closures owing to the pandemic. The marbles had been on restricted display since the mid-19th century, but were moved into storage for safety reasons during WWII, where they languished until now. Some of the sculptures are now due to be sent on loan to museums around the world; in the meantime, a permanent gallery will be set up for them in Rome by the Italian government in accordance with an agreement that was reached with the Torlonia estate a few years ago. <br> <br> The Torlonia family (Tourlonias) moved to Rome in the mid-18th century from France under the employ of a French abbot and soon found favour with the clergy. Marino (Marin), opened a mercer’s shop specialising in silks and brocades imported from France, while gradually expanding into the banking business. Giovanni, his son, focused on banking and real-estate, becoming the banker of some of the most powerful people of the times, including the Pope and Napoleon Bonaparte, increasing his wealth and family titles in the process. His son, Prince Alessandro Torlonia, built on his father's interests, including his passion for collecting classical sculptures. The drive for Italian unification that led to the creation of the Monarchy of Italian (1861-1946) had created a liquidity crisis for many noble and wealthy families, who were often forced to sell their art collections in order to keep afloat. The Torlonias were ready at hand to swoop up some of these outstanding collections, such as those belonging to the Cavaceppi and Giustiniani families. Here are some of the highlights of the exhibition. • See <a href="https://un-aligned.org/gallery/the-torlonia-marbles-part-2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Part 2 of this collection.</a>
UN Secretaries-General: A Gallery Timeline
Since its foundation in October 1945, nine Secretary-Generals have been appointed by the General Assembly. This gallery presents them in chronological order from the first Acting Secretary General Gladwyn Jebb to the present António Guterres.
“Pay no heed to the hippie”: Filippo Grandi, UNHCR chief, ignored once again
The globally displaced rose from 79.5 million in 2019 to 82.4 million by the end of 2020, a near 3 million increase. This is as the G7 decides to take no action whatsoever. The UNHCR says that the number of refugees around the world has hit a new high, this is in spite of the pandemic, a time in which over 160 countries closed their borders.
Guterres publishes report about the lack of progress of UNSC Resolution 2334
On 23 June, António Guterres reported ongoing Israeli settlement expansion and Palestinian displacement, despite Security Council Resolution 2334 and recent political shifts.
Eradicate colonialism by 2030? Unlikely.
On the 21st of June the United Nations General Assembly started publishing a number of draft resolutions calling on the colonial powers to relinquish their control on the few remaining colonies. The UN states that its target is to eradicate colonialism by 2030.
Who is Jean Arnault and what can he do about the Afghan peace talks?
Earlier this year, Secretary General António Guterres appointed the Frenchman Jean Arnault as his envoy covering Afghanistan and regional issues. Mr Arnault is expected to support the negotiations and implementation of any agreements between the Taliban and Afghanistan.
France halts its joint military operations in Mali as the G7 pledge 870 million doses of vaccine to the world
Unlike France, the UN must not suspend its peacekeeping operations in Mali Following Mali’s latest coup on May 24, France decided to stop joint military operations with Malian forces until it is convinced that a civilian government will be returning to power. Some may argue that the UN should also take a step back and suspend its peacekeeping operations rather than indirectly aid a regime that usurped power.
Who are the 5 new non-permanent members of the UNSC for the term of 2022-2023?
Final tallies earlier this month showed that Albania, Brazil, Gabon, Ghana and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were elected as the five new non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. The new members elected this year will be taking up their seats on 01.01.2022 and will serve for 1 year, until 31.12.2023.
Mladic revisited: An unremarkable news item, were it not for the absurdity of the process
Ratko Mladic, the former Bosnian Serb commander largely responsible for the Srebrenica Massacre in 1995 lost his appeal with the special UN tribunal set up to judge the case. He had been convicted on ten counts including genocide and crimes against humanity.
Fitzgerald's Great Gatsby VS T. S. Eliot's Waste Land: Portraying a dusty vastness where nothing thrives
The situation that plagued the world after World War One was one of callous apathy and emotional aridity. My last article on T.
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