Ideas
Nikki Haley Warns That Iran Could Become ‘the Next North Korea’
The UN ambassador offered an explanation for abandoning one nuclear deal while pursuing another.
Ideas
Syria Is Now In Charge of the UN's Disarmament Efforts. Really.
The U.S. says the Assad regime’s repeated use of chemical weapons on civilians should disqualify it from the post.
Ideas
Will the Israeli-Iranian Showdown Be in Syria — or New York?
Iran's various rivals and opponents are seeking a UN resolution that would return Tehran to pariah status and undermine its regional gains.
Science & Tech
Russia to the United Nations: Don’t Try to Stop Us From Building Killer Robots
UN efforts to limit or regulate military AI may be failing before they even begin.
Threats
In Fiery UN Speech, Trump Delivers The Far-Right Goods
The black-helicopter crowd, and the president’s base, should love this Bannon-esque, undiplomatic speech, filled with ‘America First,’ ‘radical Islamic extremism,’ and cries for sovereignty over collective security.
Threats
'We Do Not Have Long to Act': Tech Heads Warn UN About Autonomous Arms
SpaceX head Elon Musk and other industry leaders write that autonomy will lead to wider and faster war.
Science & Tech
Risk of 'Accidental' Nuclear War Growing, UN Research Group Says
The warning comes as the Pentagon begins an extensive review of its nuclear arsenal.
Threats
UN Report Alleges Syrian War Crimes in Aleppo, Rebutting Russian Denials
The document backs up open-source and think-tank reporting on the Assad regime’s use of chlorine gas.
Science & Tech
The US Does An About-Face on New Cyber Norms
The US delegate now says a UN cybersecurity group should pause hashing out new rules for online behavior and instead try to get governments to adhere to the ones we have.
Ideas
5 Things to Know Before the US Reduces Its Role at the UN
Trump’s hyper-nationalist, 'America First' agenda will play well with his populist base. But it signals a reckless abdication of U.S. global leadership.
Ideas
Progress or Oppression—You Decide, Obama Tells the UN in His Final Address
From mass migration to North Korea’s nukes, Obama’s lofty speech contained little guidance about how to resolve the world’s intractable problems.
Ideas
How Mistakes and Mission Creep Are Shaping Libya’s Future
Lost in the din of developments at the UN this week is a British report on the ‘failed’ intervention that has turned the country into an 'unmitigated disaster.'
Ideas
North Korea Is Not Afraid of the International Community
With sanctions having no effect, few options remain short of regime change and acquiescence to Pyongyang as a permanent nuclear power.
Ideas
The United Nations: What's the Point?
It's not clear the organization can effectively confront—or even survive—today's challenges.
Ideas
Here's Why the UN Sat on Its Hands During 5 Years of War in Syria
The 'great power' origins and recent deadly failings of the power of veto inside the U.N. Security Council.
Threats
The 'Staggering' Civilian Costs of Iraq's Fight Against ISIS
The UN estimates that at least 18,000 Iraqis have been killed since the start of 2014, a number it warns might be too low.
Ideas
The United Nations Must Clamp Down on ISIS Oil Profits
With little power to stop Islamic State administrators from taxing subjugated populations, the world community must focus on limiting petrochemical revenues.
Ideas
The US Military Just Lost Its Carbon Exemption, But Don't Expect Big Changes Soon
Under the Paris climate agreement, countries are no longer exempted from cutting military emissions. Here's how that figures into U.S. plans, which are not set to begin for many years.
Ideas
UN Peacekeeping Needs a Major Technological Update
The blue-helmeted troops often find themselves with far inferior gear than local fighters and even police.
Ideas