UN Secretary General Research Articles

Closing of water circuits – a global benchmark on sustainable water management

Access to clean water resources has always been a crucial factor in the history of mankind. Now, in the 21 st century, water, as an increasingly scarce resource, will take a strategic role for the future development of global populations. As the former UN Secretary General Dr. Dr. Boutrous Boutrous Ghali predicts: “The wars of the 21 st century will be fought not over oil, they will be fought over water.” [1]. In nine global examples will be demonstrated the different ways of dealing with water resources. That are: Mexico City, Egypt, Libya, DOW Terneuzen, Los Angeles, Israel, China and Singapore and also global trends, such as, scarcity & rural exodus and salinization of soil. Thereby, he explains the different kinds of water management to be observed. The most relevant prognosis of the WHO is, that to the end of 21 st century Africa's population will grow over proportionally from 1 billion now up to nearly 4 billion [9]. That is why all efforts need to be concentrated on helping Africa create a sustainable economic development. The first and by far most important strategic step is to assure access to clean water resources in the rural and mostly arid regions of the continent. The lecturer shows several technological proposals on how to overcame problems like: water scarcity, rural exodus, salinization of soil and others. Such technologies could be successfully implemented in sustainable development programs in African countries.

Redefinition of Sovereignty in Modern International Law

As the most important element in formation of a government, sovereignty has drawn the attention of politicians, jurists, social and even economic theorists. Sovereignty helps the government to be independent, get legal personality and monopoly of violence. Sovereignty principles have been mentioned in article 2(4) of United Nations Charter that forbids the use of force or threat of forcing as well as article 2(7) that prohibits any kind of intervention in internal affairs of governments. Kofi Annan, the former UN Secretary-General had mentioned the responsibility of supporting human rights in the report of “Third Millennium”. Meanwhile, sovereignty emerged as a responsibility. Many doctrines consider any kind of intervention including legitimate and legal as leading to violation of host government sovereignty. By the entry into new areas of international law, the relevant problems to humanitarian intervention and severe economic dependency of governments to each other, many people deny the existence of sovereignty as an objective component in international equations in near future. As the concept of the nation-state is clarified and its modern characteristics are introduced in this paper, this institution will be compared with its sample in the past and finally through some arguments, it will be concluded that not only governments’ sovereignty won’t be weakened or eliminated in contemporary and future world but also it will be more prominent and this is the duty of international law to redefine this concept in modern world.

Heeding the Clarion Call in the Americas: The Quest to End Statelessness

Statelessness, or the condition of being formally excluded from citizenship everywhere, has been deemed a “scourge” and “the most forgotten aspect of human rights in the international community” by the newly elected UN Secretary-General, António Guterres. In 2014 the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which has the mandate for the protection of stateless people globally, launched the #IBelong Campaign to eradicate statelessness by 2024. A key component of the campaign is its Global Action Plan to End Statelessness (GAP), which consists of ten actions for governments and other interested parties to undertake to end statelessness worldwide. Since the campaign's ability to end statelessness is only as strong as the regional and local actors who implement the GAP on the ground, this essay examines how the campaign has been implemented regionally. Given that Guterres and others have identified the Americas as having the potential to be the first region to end statelessness by 2024, the current essay evaluates the region's progress toward this goal.

The United Nations Material Assistance to Survivors of Cholera in Haiti: Consulting Survivors and Rebuilding Trust.

Introduction:In August 2016, the United Nations (U.N.) Secretary General acknowledged the U.N.’s role in the cholera epidemic that has beset Haiti since 2010. Two months later, the Secretary General issued a historic apology to the Haitian people before the U.N. General Assembly, for the organization’s insufficient response to the cholera outbreak. These steps are part of the U.N.’s “new approach” to cholera in Haiti, which also includes launching a material assistance package for those most affected by cholera.Methods:This paper draws on the authors’ experience and findings from consultations with more than 60,000 victims and communities affected by disasters and violence in a dozen countries. We reviewed the literature on best practices for consultation with and outreach to communities affected by development and transitional justice programming, and reviewed our own findings from previous studies with a view to identifying recommendations for ensuring that the assistance package reflects the views of people affected by cholera.Results:The assistance package program is an opportunity to rebuild the relationship between the victims and the United Nations. This can only be achieved if victims are informed and engaged in the process. This consultation effort is also an opportunity to answer a set of key questions related to the nature, structure, and implementation of the victims’ assistance program, but also how the program may be designed to contribute to rebuilding Haitians’ confidence in the U.N. as an institution that promotes peace, human rights, and development.Discussion:We recommend that the consultations must be accompanied by an outreach effort that provides clear, accurate information on the assistance program, so that it begins to establish a dialogue between the U.N. and cholera victims. Finally, we conclude by offering a number of concrete next steps that the U.N. can take to kick start the consultation process.

State Obligations to Regulate and Adjudicate Corporate Activities Under the European Convention on Human Rights

This study examines State obligations to prevent and redress corporate-related human rights violations under the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. It discusses the evolving jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights in two areas of international legal doctrine of particular relevance to the business and human rights debate: the application of international human rights obligations to non-state actors (the public-private divide); and the jurisdictional scope of international human rights treaties (the territoriality-extraterritoriality divide). The study revises and updates a 2010 contribution to the mandate of the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General on the Issue of Human Rights and Transnational Corporations and Other Business Entities John Ruggie. The introduction offers an overview of the global regulatory framework on business and human rights. Part B systematises the case law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) on the public-private divide in terms of two categories of State obligations: negative obligations to respect human rights in relation to corporations acting as state agents; and positive obligations to protect human rights in relation to corporations acting as third parties. Part C discusses the ECtHR’s approach to the extraterritorial dimension of State obligations to prevent and redress corporate-related human rights violations. The study discusses cases of direct extraterritorial jurisdiction (acts ‘performed’ outside the State’s territory) and extraterritorial effects cases (acts ‘producing effects’ outside the State’s territory), and their respective relevance to the business and human rights domain. Consideration is also given to the growing body of case law on the extraterritorial dimension of the human right to remedy, which remains a pressing concern in the business and human rights domain.

ADDRESSING SOIL HEALTH MANAGEMENT ISSUES IN INDIA

World has been observing 5th December since 2012 as the World Soil Day to ensure maintenance of soil health, This was complimented by the United Nations’ General Assembly declaring 2015, as the International Year of Soils to create awareness among all stakeholders and promote more sustainable use of soil being the critical resource. On this occasion, UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon had said that without healthy soils life on Earth would be unsustainable. Indeed, soils are the foundation of agriculture. He had urged all Governments to pledge to do more to protect this important yet forgotten resource. A healthy life is not possible without healthy soils. According to the Director General of the FAO, Jose Graziano da Silva, today, world has more than 805 million people facing hunger and malnutrition. Soils are under increased pressure because population growth will require an approximately increase of 60 per cent in food output and competing land uses.Unfortunately, 33 per cent of our global soil resources are under degradation and human pressures on soils are reaching critical limits, reducing and sometimes eliminating essential soil functions. He had emphasised the role of all stakeholders in promoting the cause of soils as it is important for paving the road towards a real sustainable development for all and by all. Against this background, this article briefly highlights the significance and aspects of soil health management in India and suggests aspects of strategic action plan to conserve this precious resource for the benefit of mankind.

Individual Leadership in Guiding Change in Global Governance Institutions: Theory and Practice

It is increasingly accepted that in order for international organizations to address fully the panoply of threats and concerns at the international level the current structure of global governance, particularly the design of major international institutions, requires some level of reform. In different fields and at different levels, this reform has been discussed and debated, but has mostly stalled. Increasingly, it is the executive heads of an organization that are called upon to show stronger leadership during times of crisis and change. No longer viewed as merely managers or administrative posts, the leadership shown byexecutive heads of international organizations is now strongly linked with the effectiveness of these organizations. This working paper seeks to understand the role of leaders in driving, and responding to, change in international organizations. What does leadership, a term often used in relation to national politics, mean in the context of an international organization? How do leaders drive change within these bodies, and how do they effectively respond to external and internal challenges and threats? This paper argues that individual leaders, particularly during times of crisis, can play an important role in guiding change and reform. The first part discusses the concept of leadership in the context of international organizations, and discusses some of the ways in which executive heads can pursue change and reform in their organization. The second part turns to the specific example of the UN Secretary General, an executive head who, despite having a relatively minor role on paper, in some cases has been able to implement meaningful change in the organization. The paper argues that executive heads can and should show greater political leadership in reforming organizations and improving their effectiveness.

Sampling and analysis of organophosphorus nerve agents: analytical chemistry in international chemical disarmament

Abstract Chemistry is a science that contributes to all aspects of our everyday lives and our professions. There are clear examples in law enforcement (forensics) and public health and perhaps less clear (but equally important) uses of chemicals in applications that include automobile manufacturing, electronics, packaging materials, currency printing, and even waste management (recycling and value-added products from garbage). Chemistry can also influence international diplomacy – an area that is likely to be unfamiliar to many chemistry professionals. Take for example the United Nations led investigation into the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria in August of 2013. Environmental and biomedical samples were collected and analyzed, and they undisputedly confirmed the use of the nerve agent sarin. The results were published in a report by the United Nations Secretary-General and were one of the many influences leading to the accession of The Syrian Arab Republic to the Chemical Weapons Convention (an international treaty prohibiting chemical weapons) and the declaration and dismantlement of a chemical weapons programme. Using this investigation as an example, we highlight some of the chemistry that influenced decision making in a high visibility international event.

Universities blast UN report on drug patents

Major research universities are slamming a report by a United Nations (UN) advisory panel that claims intellectual property rights, particularly patents, are largely to blame for high drug prices and lack of accessibility in developing countries. “A strong patent system is what allows universities and related technology transfer organizations to transmit the knowledge and innovations they produce for the public good and broader societal benefits,” five higher education groups say in a joint statement. The organizations, which include the Association of American Universities and the Association of University Technology Managers, responded to a Sept. 14 report issued by advisers to the UN Secretary-General on improving access to medicines. Among its recommendations, the panel suggested that nations should pursue compulsory licenses, which allow governments to override patents and allow the manufacture of lower-cost generic versions of brand-name medicines. But the universities called the focus on patents mi...

The Third World intellectual in praxis: confrontation, participation, or operation behind enemy lines?

In his closing keynote address for the TWAIL Cairo Conference, Professor Georges Abi-Saab engages with the conference theme ‘On Praxis and the Intellectual’ by considering the diverse roles that can be played by Third World international law intellectuals in trying to transform theory into social practice. He commences with an overview of the Third World’s engagement with international law thus far in the form of a ‘three act psychodrama’. Following from this, he explores the meanings of the terms ‘intellectual’ and ‘praxis’, noting that not all international lawyers are the former, and breaking the latter down into several stages in the spectrum between reflection and action. Professor Abi-Saab concludes with some examples of praxis from personal experience, including as a professor, teacher, and scholar of international law, ghostwriting for the UN Secretary-General, participation in country delegations, and as judge and arbitrator in numerous courts and tribunals. Through these examples he illustrates some of the different tactics available to the Third World intellectual including confrontation, participation, or operation ‘behind enemy lines’.

The origins and evolution of Responsibility to Protect at the UN

This article situates the emergence of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) concept, later accepted by many as a principle, in the wider flow of events following on the end of the Cold War. Among the hallmarks of change in the United Nations (UN) Security Council as of the early 1990s, in stark contrast to the Council’s preoccupations during its first four decades of activity, was its growing attention to humanitarian considerations relating to conflict, its new willingness to tackle conflicts (mainly internal ones) it might have avoided earlier, and its willingness to experiment with new approaches to resolving them. Just as worries over terrorism and the threat of weapons of mass destruction were to become dominant themes in its work, the humanitarian imperative also incrementally wove itself into the fabric of the Council’s decision-making. It is against this wider backdrop and that of several spectacular UN failures to prevent genocide and other mass humanitarian distress that UN Secretary-General (UNSG) Kofi Annan was impelled as of 1999 to look beyond existing international law and practice for a new normative framework, that while formally respecting the sovereignty of states nevertheless elevated humanitarian concerns and action to the level of an international responsibility to prevent the worst outcomes. Today R2P finds itself competing with other legal and diplomatic principles, but it remains a potent platform for advocacy and, at times, for action by the UN.

Transgender health: an opportunity for global health equity

The Lancet is publishing its first Series on transgender health. 1 Winter S Diamond M Green J et al. Transgender people: health at the margins of society. Lancet. 2016; (published online June 17.)http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(16)00683-8 Google Scholar , 2 Wylie K Knudson G Khan SI Bonierbale M Wayanyusakul S Baral S Serving transgender people: clinical care considerations and service delivery models in transgender health. Lancet. 2016; (published online June 17.)http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(16)00682-6 Google Scholar , 3 Reisner SL Poteat T Keatley J et al. Global health burden and needs of transgender populations: a review. Lancet. 2016; (published online June 17.)http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(16)00684-X Google Scholar Transgender people live in all countries, but their acceptance by communities and freedom to live with their chosen gender identity or expression varies according to culture and society. This Series, led by Sam Winter of Curtin University and Kevin Wylie of the University of Sheffield, is the result of a committed effort by experts and members of the transgender community—some of whom contributed to a piece about community voices for the Series. 4 Reisner S Keatley J Baral S et al. Transgender community voices: a participatory population perspective. Lancet. 2016; (published online June 17.)http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(16)30709-7 Google Scholar Synergies in health and human rights: a call to action to improve transgender health“Transphobia is a health issue.”J V R Prasada Rao, UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for AIDS in Asia and the Pacific1 Full-Text PDF Transgender community voices: a participatory population perspectiveUnderstanding the global health burden and needs of transgender communities necessitates meaningful engagement and involvement of transgender people. Against the backdrop of widespread social and economic exclusion facing people of diverse gender identities and experiences, community empowerment is essential for clinical services, public health programmes, and human rights efforts that seek to design and implement effective services and population-level interventions to improve the health and wellbeing of transgender people. Full-Text PDF Transgender people: health at the margins of societyIn this paper we examine the social and legal conditions in which many transgender people (often called trans people) live, and the medical perspectives that frame the provision of health care for transgender people across much of the world. Modern research shows much higher numbers of transgender people than were apparent in earlier clinic-based studies, as well as biological factors associated with gender incongruence. We examine research showing that many transgender people live on the margins of society, facing stigma, discrimination, exclusion, violence, and poor health. Full-Text PDF Serving transgender people: clinical care considerations and service delivery models in transgender healthThe World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) standards of care for transsexual, transgender, and gender non-conforming people (version 7) represent international normative standards for clinical care for these populations. Standards for optimal individual clinical care are consistent around the world, although the implementation of services for transgender populations will depend on health system infrastructure and sociocultural contexts. Some clinical services for transgender people, including gender-affirming surgery, are best delivered in the context of more specialised facilities; however, the majority of health-care needs can be delivered by a primary care practitioner. Full-Text PDF Global health burden and needs of transgender populations: a reviewTransgender people are a diverse population affected by a range of negative health indicators across high-income, middle-income, and low-income settings. Studies consistently document a high prevalence of adverse health outcomes in this population, including HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, mental health distress, and substance use and abuse. However, many other health areas remain understudied, population-based representative samples and longitudinal studies are few, and routine surveillance efforts for transgender population health are scarce. Full-Text PDF Gender and health: between nomenclatures and continuumsAddressing transgender health in a Lancet Series and in The Lancet Psychiatry1 constitutes a milestone for health professionals and social scientists. I draw conclusions from some of these papers on how we consider health, disease, and gender, and on the purpose of the nomenclatures we have developed and use. Full-Text PDF

The Contested Origins of Internal Displacement

In 1993, the United Nations (UN) recognized that internally displaced persons, people who have fled their homes due to conflict but have not crossed an international boundary, were an international problem. Francis Deng was appointed as the first Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Internally Displaced Persons, and played a key role in creating the soft law Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, which have now been widely recognized and brought into regional hard law through the African Union’s Kampala Convention. Yet, why were the internally displaced not treated as an international problem earlier? Widespread internal displacement occurred during the Second World War. Further, by 1949, the problem of ‘internal refugees’ from the Indian Partition and the Greek Civil War was being raised within the UN. Internal refugees were not included in the 1951 Refugee Convention, as Eleanor Roosevelt stated in the General Assembly in 1949, because ‘internal refugee situations … were separate problems of a different character, in which no question of protection of the persons concerned was involved’. Using new archival research, this article argues that Roosevelt’s statement – critical in demarking the definition of ‘refugee’ that appeared in the Convention – was actually a frame used deliberately by the US government to forestall a wider encompassing definition and an assistance mandate for the early United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. This was a crucial shift, as it reified a clear division between refugees and internally displaced persons, a division which was far murkier in practice than Roosevelt’s statement made it appear.

Knowledge for effective action to improve the health of women, children and adolescents in the sustainable development era.

January 2016 marked the beginning of a new era for health and development. It was the start of Transforming our world: the 2030 agenda for sustainable development and its accompanying sustainable development goals (SDGs).1 All governments have committed to this ambitious sustainable agenda and its goals. The Global strategy for women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health (2016–2030)2 and its operational framework are aligned with the SDGs and provide an evidence-based roadmap for ending preventable deaths of women, children and adolescents by 2030. The global strategy can guide collective action so that every woman, child and adolescent – even those living in the most challenging settings – can achieve their full potential and rights to health and well-being. Governments are aligning their work with the SDGs and the global strategy’s three objectives – survive, thrive and transform – in ways that meet their countries’ priorities and unique contexts. The survival, health and well-being of women, children and adolescents are essential to achieving the SDGs. Analysis of lessons from the millennium development goal (MDG) implementation process – what has worked and what hasn’t – is needed to effectively implement the agenda set by the SDGs and the global strategy. Achieving the global strategy and the SDGs will require the use of the best available knowledge for action, as well as investment in new research and innovation. This month’s Bulletin theme issue seeks to broaden the evidence on effective country implementation and lessons learnt from the MDGs. Kuruvilla et al.3 summarize the current global strategy, show how the objectives of the strategy are aligned with the SDGs and how selected countries are already making progress. Several papers in this issue deal with progress on the survival objective of the global strategy; Negandhi et al.4 present a surveillance-based maternal and infant death review system in India; Murguia-Peniche et al.5 and McKinnon et al.6 address under-researched topics, such as the factors associated with stillbirths in Mexico and the high prevalence of suicidal behaviours among adolescents in low- and middle-income countries, respectively. The strategy’s thrive objective addresses the overall health and well-being of mothers, children and adolescents. Chai et al.7 determine how exposure to violence hinders child development and can affect health across the life-course and subsequent generations. Askew et al.8 describe the importance of ensuring sexual and reproductive health and rights in humanitarian settings. The transform objective of the strategy focuses on expanding enabling environments and aims to transform societies so that women, children and adolescents everywhere can realize their rights to the highest attainable standards of health and well-being. Several papers address the global strategy’s transform objective. Newberry et al.9 present a formal emergency response infrastructure developed in India for gender-based violence. This special issue also includes papers on approaches that have helped countries achieve improved health outcomes for women, children and adolescents. Marston et al.10 discuss the importance of community engagement in achieving results. Ahmed et al.11 describe policies and programmes that contributed to reductions in child and maternal mortality. Frost et al.12 explain how multistakeholder dialogues are used to clarify what works and does not work in policy-making and implementation. To drive the global strategy forward, governments, civil society, the private sector and other partners have mobilized under the banner of Every Woman Every Child and a group of political champions has been formed. A global financing facility has been established as a country-led partnership that combines domestic, external, and innovative financing for health and development. An independent accountability panel has been appointed by the United Nations Secretary-General to report on results, resources and rights for women’s children’s and adolescents’ health. This month, the World Health Assembly will consider a resolution on implementing the global strategy, giving delegations an opportunity to discuss its content and shape their own commitments. In addition, this theme issue illustrates the importance of continued investments in research and learning to support country implementation. The generation and sharing of knowledge for action is essential to achieve the global strategy’s objectives, to secure a healthy and transformative future for women, children and adolescents, their families and communities in the SDG era.

Health Systems Readiness to Manage the Hypertension Epidemic in Primary Health Care Facilities in the Western Cape, South Africa: A Study Protocol.

BackgroundDeveloping countries are undergoing a process of epidemiological transition from infectious to noncommunicable diseases, described by the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon as ‘‘a public health emergency in slow motion.” One of the most prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa is hypertension, which is a complex chronic condition often referred to as a “silent killer” and key contributor to the development of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Hypertensive patients in this setting are estimated to increase from 74.7 million in 2008 to 125.5 million in 2025, a 68% increase. However, there is an important gap between emerging high-level policies and recommendations, and the near-absence of practical guidance and experience delivering long-term medical care for noncommunicable diseases within resource-limited health systems.ObjectiveTo address this gap, our study will consist of field investigations to determine the minimum health systems requirements to ensure successful delivery of antihypertensive medications when scaling-up interventions to control the hypertension epidemic.MethodsA cross-sectional analytic study will be conducted in the Western Cape using a mixed-method approach with two semistructured interview guides. The first will be for health professionals involved in the care of hypertensive patients within at least 6 community health centers (3 urban and 3 rural) to understand the challenges associated with their care. The second will be to map and assess the current supply chain management system of antihypertensive medications by interviewing key informants at different levels of the processes. Finally, modeling and simulation tools will be used to understand how to estimate minimum numbers of health workers required at each supply chain interval to ensure successful delivery of medications when scaling-up interventions.ResultsFunding for the study was secured through a Doctoral Research Award in October 2014 from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). The study is currently in the data analysis phase and results are expected during the first half of 2016.ConclusionsThis investigation will highlight the detailed processes in place for the care of hypertensive patients in primary health care facilities, and thus also identify the challenges. It will also describe the drug supply chain management systems in place and identify their strengths and weaknesses. The findings, along with the estimates from modeling and simulation, will inform the health system minimum requirements to scale-up interventions to manage and control the hypertension epidemic in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

Expanding or Diluting Human Rights?: The Proliferation of United Nations Special Procedures Mandates

The United Nations Special Procedures system was described by former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan as “the crown jewel” of the UN Human Rights Machinery. Yet, in recent years, the system has expanded rapidly, driven by states creating new mandates frequently on topics not traditionally viewed as human rights. This article explores the connection between forms of governance and the states voting for and promoting these newer mandates. We explore states’ potential motivations for expanding the system and the impact on international human rights law. This article forms an important part of discussions about Special Procedures and rights proliferation.

UN Secretary General Appoints ICSU Executive Director to Special Advisory Group on the SDGs

AbstractICSU Executive Director Heide Hackmann has been appointed by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon to serve on a special advisory group, drawn from civil society, the private sector, and the scientific community, which will support the Technology Facilitation Mechanism, a key part of the post-2015 architecture for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Methodology issues of forensic excavations at coastal sites. The Cyprus (Committee on the Missing Persons in Cyprus) experience.

In 1981, the talks between the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot leaders resulted in the establishment of the Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus (CMP), as a tripartite bi-communal committee taking decisions on the basis of consensus. It is comprised of three Members, representing the Greek Cypriot community, the Turkish Cypriot community, while the Third Member is nominated by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and appointed by the United Nations Secretary-General.

Marshall Islands

Marshall Islands Monica C. Labriola (bio) Several issues took center stage in the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) from July 2014 to June 2015, revealing ongoing tensions between the government’s duty to attend to the everyday needs of the Marshallese people and its necessary engagement with macro-level political, economic, and environmental concerns. These tensions were perhaps most apparent in the Marshall Islands’ ongoing lawsuit against the United States and eight other nuclear-armed nations, top leaders’ vocal participation in global climate-change discussions, several controversial government expenditures and continuing financial mismanagement, less-than-desirable rankings on several regional and international reports, and increasing outmigration. That said, government leaders, nongovernmental organizations, educational institutions, and private citizens made noteworthy efforts to address these issues through governmental and institutional policy, direct action, and participation in local, regional, and international organizations. Meanwhile, the run-up to the 2015 election kicked off in September 2014, with local and national elections scheduled for the third Monday in November—recently designated a national holiday by the Nitijeḷā (Parliament). As of this writing, it remains to be seen whom the people of the Marshall Islands will elect to steer their country’s course over the next four years. With the 2015 election looming, a few key issues consistently made headlines during the period under review. Among these were two lawsuits filed in April 2014—one against the United States and eight other nuclear-armed nations (China, France, India, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, and the United Kingdom) at the International Court of Justice (icj) in The Hague and the other against the United States in a federal district court in San Francisco (Radio Australia 2014; Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy 2015). [End Page 193] RMI Minister of Foreign Affairs Tony deBrum initiated the lawsuits in consultation with the US-based Nuclear Age Peace Foundation—a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that advocates for a world free of nuclear weapons. The lawsuits charged the nine nations with violating international law and failing to uphold the goals of the 1968 Non-Proliferation Treaty, which aims to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and to promote nuclear disarmament worldwide. While the “Nuclear Zero Lawsuits” generated widespread attention and the support of the US Conference of Mayors, Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, and other world leaders, some questioned the lawsuits’ value for the Marshallese people. Among the suits’ most vocal opponents was David Paul, Marshalls Energy Company general manager and one of seven candidates vying for three Nitijeḷā seats for Kuwajleen (Kwajalein) Atoll—where Minister deBrum has held office since 2007. Despite the Marshall Islands’ nuclear legacy, Paul and others questioned the Marshall Islands’ pursuit of the lawsuits when the Nuclear Claims Tribunal, the Changed Circumstance Petition, and leaking radioactive waste on Ānewetak (Enewetak) Atoll continue to affect the health and well-being of Marshall Islanders. Critics also warned of the lawsuits’ potential impact on the Marshall Islands’ relationship with the United States and expressed concern that activists lacking expertise in disarmament law have used the Marshall Islands to advance their cause through means unlikely to yield desired results. This warning seemed to come true in early February, when a US district judge granted the US government’s motion to dismiss that lawsuit on the grounds that it was based on speculative harm and that the court lacked jurisdiction on the issue. Meanwhile at The Hague, only three of the nine nuclear-armed nations—India, Pakistan, and the United Kingdom—accepted icj jurisdiction in relation to the lawsuit, and China declined to accept the court’s authority. The Marshall Islands’ ongoing participation in regional and international climate-change debates also captured headlines, particularly in the weeks surrounding UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s Climate Summit in late September 2014. Leading the discussion was RMI President Christopher Loeak, whose “Clarion Call from the Climate Change Frontline” called attention to recent droughts, king tides, and beaches flooded by rising seas. Proclaiming a “full-blown climate emergency,” the president warned that the Marshall Islands is the climate “canary in the coal mine”—if the Marshall Islands is to be devastated by sea-level rise, others will follow (Loeak 2014). The president also...

Green Chemistry for Life Grants Awarded

AbstractOn 14 December 2015, UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) awarded leading chemistry researchers from around the world with grants to support research in the field of green chemistry under a joint PhosAgro/UNESCO/IUPAC Green Chemistry for Life Grant Programme. The event took place during the 4th UN Secretary-General’s Scientific Advisory Board Meeting and the Congress of UNESCO Chairs in Saint Petersburg.