UN | Crikey

CRIKEY INTERN | ASIA-PACIFIC|

Crikey clarifier: does Australia’s refugee policy breach UN rules?

Australia’s policy on asylum seekers has been strongly criticised — but does it actually breach the UN’s Refugee Convention? Crikey intern Rose Moloney investigates.

FEDERAL|

PM’s Palestine problem bad start to our UN stint

The Prime Minister needs to take advice from people who understand international relations. On Israel it looks like she has done the opposite, writes retired diplomat Bruce Haigh.

PROFESSOR DAMIEN KINGSBURY | ASIA-PACIFIC|

East Timor left to fend for itself with challenges ahead

With Australia drawing down troops, the still-fragile nation of East Timor will soon be left to fend for itself. There are plenty of challenges for the country’s ageing leadership ahead.

ENVIRONMENT|

Rio+20: doing the zombie shuffle

The Rio+20 conference on the environment is a zombie summit, shuffling through its paces dead-eyed, toothless, empty-handed, writes Peter Christoff, associate professor of environmental policy at the University of Melbourne.

FEDERAL|

Locals in Yasser Arafat Square: ‘we know the peace process has stopped’

In the eyes of Palestinians direct negotiations have become delegitimised, writes Nigel O’Connor writes from Ramallah.

Crikey Blogs | FEDERAL|

Is the UN doing enough to improve global health?

A United Nations conference is underway in Melbourne this week to examine progress on its anti-poverty Millennium Development Goals. Is the UN doing enough to improve global health? Tamzin Byrne investigates for Croakey.

FEDERAL|

UN set to give Oz a serve on our racial discrimination record

The UN Committee that monitors breaches of the UN Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination (the CERD Committee) will report on its examination of Australia this weekend.

FIRST DOG ON THE MOON | FIRST DOG ON THE MOON|

My reasons to be angry

It doesn’t sound very scientisty!

New York Magazine | THE REST|

UN sends Nicolas Cage to fight Somali pirates

Clearly the most qualified candidate for the roll, actor Nicolas has gone to Africa to meet with jailed Somali pirates in his capacity as a “Goodwill Ambassador on Drugs and Crime” for the UN.

POLITICS|

Rooted: Australian silence at UN climate change talks

You have to wonder why the Australian Government paid for 30 people to go on this Christmas junket if they weren’t going to discuss the issues on the agenda, writes John Hepburn.