On May 15, Assistant Secretary of State Thomas Countryman stated that the U.S. would sign the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) “in the very near future.” The treaty opens for signature at the United Nations on June 3. The fact that this decision was announced only six weeks after the treaty was negotiated shows that the U.S. rushed its internal review process. Before it…
Recent statements by United Nations Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur Richard Falk rekindled a debate over how such experts should be held accountable when their behavior violates the conduct expected of them. Moreover, the scrutiny elicited by Falk’s statements has exposed the fact that funding for special procedures deserves more transparency, especially regarding…
The U.N. Security Council recently adopted resolutions to create an “intervention brigade” to supplement the U.N. Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) and to establish the U.N. Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). The Security Council’s approval of the Mali mission where there is no peace to…
Under the tenure of United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the number of the highest-ranking U.N. officials has increased by an average of 35 percent (a 47 percent increase in New York and a 27 percent increase elsewhere). This expansion of top-level officials is troubling for a number of reasons, including lack of transparency in the nominating process,…
Secretary of State John Kerry is testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee this week concerning the President’s fiscal year (FY) 2014 request for the international affairs budget. A number of items deserve scrutiny, but two in particular warrant opposition: (1) a request for changes in law that would allow U.S.…
One of the most important disputes in the negotiation of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) at the United Nations is the question of whether the treaty should include a customary international law (CIL) criterion. This is a complex question. It is also one fraught with considerable risks for the United States, which should firmly oppose the introduction of such a criterion into…
Sitting in the back of the room as the UN’s member states negotiate the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) is a disorientating experience. That’s partly because it’s not a negotiation as Americans understand the term: it’s a series of more or less unconnected national interventions on particular points of interest, while the actual drafting happens out of sight. It’s also because…
This year, United Nations officials have spent a lot of time in Washington meeting with administration officials and Congress, trying to defend their funding from sequestration and the threat of other cuts. Small wonder they are concerned: The U.N. has had a rough 2013. On international peace and security, human rights, and issues of management and accountability, the…
The initial U.N. negotiating conference for the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) on July 2–27, 2012, failed to produce an agreed treaty. On January 4, 2013, the U.N. General Assembly adopted a resolution agreeing to hold another, supposedly “final,” negotiating conference on March 18–28, 2013, on the basis of the treaty text as it stood at the end of the July conference.[1] The…
The idea of establishing an international court to prosecute serious international crimes--war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide--has long held a special place in the hearts of human rights activists and those hoping to hold perpetrators of terrible crimes to account. In 1998, that idea became reality when the Rome Statute of the International Criminal…
Abstract: The United Nations has largely failed to maintain international peace and security, promote self-determination and basic human rights, and protect fundamental freedoms. While the conflicting interests of member states have led to many of these failures, the U.N. system itself is partly to blame. The U.N. and its affiliated organizations are plagued by outdated…
Abstract: The United States can mine the deep seabed without acceding to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). For more than 30 years, through domestic law and bilateral agreements, the U.S. has established a legal framework for deep seabed mining. In fact, U.S. accession would penalize U.S. companies by subjecting them to the whims of an…
After launching a counteroffensive against Islamist forces in Mali earlier this year, French President François Hollande is eager to transfer ownership of the mission to the African International Support Mission (AFISMA) under the direction of the United Nations. While the United States should continue to support French efforts to stabilize Mali, history shows that the…
The source and amounts of all U.S. funding to the myriad number of organizations affiliated with the United Nations are difficult to track accurately. This difficulty prompted Congress to pass legislation requiring the Administration to report annually on U.S. contributions to the U.N. A recent report to Congress by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on all U.S.…
This key research from 2004 has been updated in several Heritage Foundation publications, including: Congress Should Ignore Budget Requests Relating to the Law of the Sea Treaty By Steven Groves (WebMemo #1804) February 8, 2008 Why Reagan Would Still Reject the Law of the Sea Treaty By Steven Groves (WebMemo #1676) October 24,…
Personnel costs, including salaries, comprise nearly three-quarters of the U.N. regular budget, and increases in U.N. salaries have significant budgetary implications for the member states. Over the past few years, the U.N.’s International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) has recommended salary increases despite the fact that some member states, including the U.S., have…
Next month, the United Nations will hold a second negotiating conference on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). The first conference, held in July 2012, failed to reach consensus agreement on a treaty text. Before that conference, both the Senate and House played a constructive role in the treaty process by making their wide-ranging concerns about the ATT clear to the executive…
Congress has been concerned for decades that countries receiving American foreign aid often oppose U.S. initiatives and priorities in the United Nations. A State Department annual report, mandated by Congress since 1983, on the voting practices in the U.N. General Assembly shows that the vast majority of recipients of U.S. foreign assistance routinely oppose U.S.…
On Wednesday the United Nations General Assembly voted on a resolution condemning the Syrian government’s forces while...…
The chorus of those calling for the resignation of Richard Falk from his position with the U.N. Human Rights Council...…
The U.N. Security Council has unanimously approved a United Nations peacekeeping force to Mali, the Multidimensional...…
Drug wars have plagued Asia for decades, and the drug problem continues to stem the tide of economic growth and...…
Reform of the U.S. arms export control took a major step forward this week when the Departments of State and Commerce...…
“[T]his budget isn’t just a collection of numbers; it’s an illustration of our values and priorities,” said Secretary...…
During his trip to South Korea, Secretary of State John Kerry affirmed that the United States “will, if necessary,...…
North Korea raises hundreds of millions of dollars through smuggling illegal drugs and counterfeit goods, accounting...…
New threats from North Korea bring the message of the documentary 33 Minutes to the forefront of the missile defense...…
The life of the late Margaret Thatcher, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, offers many interesting and...…
Senior Research Fellow in Anglo-American Relations
Director, Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom
Bernard and Barbara Lomas Senior Research Fellow
Distinguished Fellow
Director, Center for International Trade and Economics and the Mark A. Kolokotrones Fellow in Economic Freedom
F.M. Kirby Research Fellow in National Security Policy
Jay Kingham Fellow in International Regulatory Affairs