All articles tagged with #united nations
The UN Security Council convened in an emergency session after US and Israel conducted airstrikes on Iran, with Tehran's retaliatory strikes triggering wider regional tensions; UN Secretary-General Guterres urged restraint to prevent a broader, uncontrollable escalation in the volatile Middle East.
The family of Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the West Bank and Gaza, filed a Washington, D.C. lawsuit arguing U.S. sanctions last year violate the First Amendment by punishing her critical reporting on Israel’s actions in Gaza; the State Department calls the move baseless lawfare, while Albanese continues to publish reports and the U.N. and other actors weigh in on the Gaza ceasefire and casualties.
The husband and child of UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese filed a DC federal lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s sanctions against her, arguing they violate constitutional rights and due process and have severely disrupted her banking access, travel, and academic affiliations as she advocates accountability for actions in Gaza.
On 24 February 2026, the UN Security Council’s 1591 Committee added four individuals tied to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces to its sanctions list, including RSF deputy leader Abdul Rahim Dagalo and three RSF commanders; the committee published narrative summaries of the listing reasons and updated the sanctions list and consolidated UN lists on its website.
Lawyers for two Jordanian men detained in Ras al-Khaimah since 2014 have filed petitions with the United Nations alleging arbitrary arrest and mistreatment amid an internal power struggle, seeking their release. Jihad Quzmar and Karam al-Sadeq, convicted on fraud-related charges tied to former Rakia CEO Khater Massaad, describe harsh prison conditions including long solitary confinement; Quzmar faces a 24-year sentence and al-Sadeq more than 20. The petitions to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture request scrutiny and relief; UAE authorities have not commented publicly.
Iraq submitted maps and coordinates to the United Nations detailing what it says are Iraqi rights in Persian Gulf waters, a move Kuwait says infringes its sovereignty over areas including the Fasht al-Qaid and Fasht al-Aij shoals. Gulf allies Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman backed Kuwait, while Saudi Arabia voiced concerns about encroachment on a joint Saudi-Kuwaiti zone. The dispute centers on the Khor Abdullah waterway and echoes past friction, including Iraq’s 2019 complaint and a 2012 travel/sovereignty agreement that was later annulled by Iraq’s Supreme Court.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that human rights are being pushed back worldwide, citing widespread abuses of international law and civilian suffering in Sudan, Gaza and Ukraine, while humanitarian needs surge and funding collapses; he urged an end to abuses and highlighted risks to a two-state solution amid Israeli actions in the West Bank.
President Trump launches the Board of Peace, securing roughly $6.5 billion in pledges from several member countries while the U.S. commits $10 billion over 10 years; the World Bank will manage the funds and a stabilization plan for Gaza is underway, with some countries pledging troops and others only sending observers. European powers largely sit out or act as observers, and critics warn the board could sidestep the UN and upset established diplomacy, though Trump casts it as a global effort to rebuild Gaza and empower UN-backed work.
The Vatican said it will not participate in Donald Trump’s new 'Board of Peace,' arguing that crisis management should be led by the United Nations. Italy and EU observers will attend as the board, which aims to oversee Gaza’s temporary governance and broader conflicts, prepares for its first meeting in Washington and faces criticism of colonial overtones as Gaza reconstruction discussions unfold.
A UN review committee dismissed antisemitism allegations against Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, as rooted in disinformation and a doctored video. Several EU governments had urged her resignation over Gaza remarks, but the experts called the push manufactured and not a formal finding. Albanese says she did not label Israel humanity’s enemy, and the committee notes there has been no formal complaint; the matter is to be revisited at a upcoming UN Human Rights Council meeting amid broader calls for accountability, with US sanctions on Albanese noted in context.
UN-appointed experts say the Epstein files describe a global criminal enterprise whose acts may meet the legal threshold for crimes against humanity, urging independent, impartial investigations and warning that redactions and disclosures have retraumatized survivors.
At the Munich Security Conference, EU leaders condemned Trump’s Gaza ‘Board of Peace’ as bypassing the UN mandate, arguing it omits Gaza, a time limit, Palestinian participation, and UN reference. Spain and other European officials voiced concern over excluding Europe from the plan, while US critics questioned its substance ahead of a February meeting and a multi‑billion reconstruction package that could include a stabilisation force, with Indonesia signaling possible troop deployment as fighting and ceasefire violations continue.
The Trump administration is pressuring other countries to urge Vanuatu to withdraw a U.N. General Assembly draft that would translate an ICJ climate ruling into action, including reparations for damages. It argues the proposal could harm U.S. industry and calls the UN overreaching, while some major powers reportedly share concerns; the draft would push for a 1.5°C target, phasing out fossil-fuel subsidies, and establishing an International Register of Damage, though General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding.
The United Nations says it is awaiting how much of nearly $4 billion in arrears the United States will pay toward its regular budget and peacekeeping, with Washington planning a significant down payment in coming weeks but the final amount undetermined; U.N. Secretary‑General Antonio Guterres warned of a potential financial crunch if dues aren’t paid, noting the U.S. accounts for about 95% of arrears to the regular budget and Venezuela is second, as roughly 60 countries had paid by Feb. 8.
The United States plans the inaugural February 19 meeting of Donald Trump’s self‑styled 'Board of Peace' at the US Institute of Peace. The group, initially pitched to oversee Gaza reconstruction, has seen its charter expand to potential global conflict involvement, prompting questions about its mandate and whether it could override the United Nations. Invites have gone to around two dozen countries, attendance remains uncertain, and the event is described partly as a fundraiser. The development comes as Kushner outlined a Gaza redevelopment plan at Davos and Netanyahu prepares to meet Trump, with Hamas’ demilitarization remaining a key unresolved issue.