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United Nations (U.N.)

The Lede

The International Court of Justice Takes On Climate Change

Thanks to the maneuverings of the tiny nation of Vanuatu, the entire industrialized world is effectively on trial in The Hague.
Q. & A.

Why the Humanitarian Situation in Gaza Is Worse Than It’s Ever Been

As “imminent” famine looms, Israel’s legislature has voted to ban the main U.N. relief agency for Palestinians.
Q. & A.

What a Top U.N. Official Sees on His Weekly Trips to Gaza

James McGoldrick describes the challenges of delivering aid during Israel’s bombardment.
The Weekend Essay

UNESCO’s Quest to Save the World’s Intangible Heritage

For decades, the organization has maintained a system that protects everything from Ukrainian borscht to Jamaican reggae. But what does it mean to “safeguard” living culture?
The Weekend Essay

The Road to Dubai

The latest round of international climate negotiations is being held in a petrostate. What could go wrong?
Daily Comment

The U.N. Issues a Final Warning on the Climate—and a Plan

The I.P.C.C. report contains no new data; nevertheless, it manages to alarm in new ways.
Daily Comment

Michelle Bachelet, Nicolás Maduro, and the U.N. Report on Human Rights in Venezuela

A new report from Bachelet’s office documents torture and extrajudicial executions under the Maduro government, but the issue is a delicate one for the U.N. High Commissioner, a former President of Chile who herself suffered human-rights abuses.
News Desk

Trump Picks the Former Fox News Anchor Heather Nauert as His U.N. Ambassador

The appointment of Heather Nauert underscores Trump’s disdain for the world body.
Satire from The Borowitz Report

Heather Nauert Says Visit to “It’s a Small World” Ride Qualifies Her For U.N. Job

Trump’s choice for the post noted that, while career diplomats might spend twenty to thirty years learning about only one country, “I learned about twenty-five countries in fifteen minutes.”
Reflections

How Extreme Weather Is Shrinking the Planet

With wildfires, heat waves, and rising sea levels, large tracts of the earth are at risk of becoming uninhabitable. But the fossil-fuel industry continues its assault on the facts.
News Desk

Trump’s Speech at the U.N. Triggers Laughter—and Disbelief

Trump’s U.N. address reflected the growing gap between the White House and the world. The theme throughout—whether on political, security, or economic challenges—was that nations are better off going it alone.
Daily Comment

Kofi Annan’s Unaccountable Legacy

News Desk

A New Chapter for the Disastrous United Nations Mission in Haiti

Visiting Dignitary

Greener Pastures

Visiting Dignitaries

Snackish

Visiting Dignitaries

Clean Plate Club

Currency

Defunding Climate Change

Visiting Dignitaries

Midtown Shuffle

Profiles

Rocket Man

Comment

Negotiating Syria