|
Canada is due for review at the UN human rights council – abuses by its mining companies must not be overlooked By: Meera Karunananthan | The Guardian (UK), Published on Wed Apr 24, 2013: Canada is scheduled for its universal periodic review (UPR) at the UN human rights council on 26 April. The UPR is [...] The post UN must challenge Canada’s complicity in mining’s human rights abuses appeared first on The Canadian Progressive. Canada won’t run for UN Security Council seat in 2014 Canada will focus on other priorities rather than mount a fresh campaign for a spot on the United Nations Security Council, says Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird. Baird’s disclosure that there’s no new campaign in the works comes after Canada’s failed 2010 campaign to win one of the two temporary two-year, non-veto-wielding seats on the UN’s top body that were available at the time. That loss in 2010 was the first time Canada had ever lost a bid for a seat on the council. I guess Baird doesn’t handle rejection (Read more…) DARE to say that the Harperland economy is WEAK! They DARE! Canada’s economic growth will be the slowest among Group of 20 countries outside Europe as it grapples with a cooling housing market and as policy makers rein in deficits, according to the International Monetary Fund. The Washington-based lender cut its 2013 Canadian [...] By: Obert Madondo | The Canadian Progressive: Canada ranks 17th out of 29 wealthy countries when it comes to tackling child poverty, obesity and related well-being issues, says a new report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the UN children’s agency. The Innocenti Report Card 11 by UNICEF’s Research Office also reveals that the Canada [...] The post Canada ranks 17th of 29 for children’s well-being, says UNICEF report appeared first on The Canadian Progressive. Another first for the UN-phobic Harper government. After earning the distinction of being first to bail out of Kyoto, they are now the first to jump ship from the UN’s convention on drought. Why? Less to do with the needed work the convention is actually doing and more because in the eyes of the government it’s a bureaucratic “talkfest” and not deploying Canadian funds in a fashion the government deems acceptable. The move prompted leader of the Greens, Elizabeth May, to tweet that “Canada is the North Korea of environmental law” – a remark she stands by – here. Course . . . → Read More: drive-by planet: Harper government ‘an embarrassment’ with bailout on U.N. drought convention "talkfest" By Obert Madondo | The Canadian Progressive In Parliament earlier this week, New Democrat MP for Scarborough-Rouge River Rathika Sitsabaiesan and fellow NDP MPs urged the Harper government to take a principled stance on Sri Lanka. They called on the Conservatives to support international calls for an independent investigation into allegations of war crimes [...] The post Sitsabaiesan, NDP MPs urge Conservatives to take principled stance on Sri Lanka appeared first on The Canadian Progressive. Groups Submit Report on Worldwide Sex Abuse Crisis By: Center for Constitutional Rights (Press Release) | Feb. 28, 2013: NEW YORK and ROME – Today, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) and the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) filed an alternate report to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child READ MORE According to recent reports from the UN Climate Conference in Doha the activities of youth delegates, the press and civil society representatives have been significantly curtailed. A Common Dreams article quotes an IPS reporter named Stephen Leahy: For no obvious reason, security at the meeting known as COP 18 is very strict. Worse, the much smaller than usual contingent of participants from civil society is under a number of restrictions. No posters. No flyers. No demonstrations except in designated locations well away from the negotiations. When allowed to speak at official sessions, civil society organizations’ (CSO) speaking time has been . . . → Read More: drive-by planet: COP 18 Doha: Appadurai ban lifted but youth, civil society voices marginalized A short quiz on the US, Israel, and ‘rogue nation’ status | Glenn Greenwald | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk “…So essentially, it’s the entire planet on one side, versus the US, its new right-wing poodle to the north, Israel, and three tiny, bribed islands on the other side. If you’re a member in good standing of the Washington-based US foreign policy community, then the way you describe these matters is as follows: “the international community stands by Israel and supports its position” – because, in that warped, self-affirming world, “international community” is a synonym for “US (Read more…) …stay classy. Canada was one of only 6 nations to vote yesterday against a UN resolution calling for Israel to open up its nuclear facilities for inspection. The others were the US, Israel, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Palau. What lo… . . . → Read More: Trashy’s World: Stay classy, my home and native land… For Palestine it’s one thing to vote against its elevation to statehood. That remains a respectable decision. It’s quite another to campaign aggressively against admission to statehood as the Harper Regime has done in one of its darkest moments of utte… . . . → Read More: Politics and Entertainment: Palestine: Harper Regime’s Utter Stupidity drive-by planet: Palestine UN ‘observer state’ vote: Harper government lines up with Palau and NauruBottom: Palestinians in Ramallah protest Harper’s remarks about the Palestinian UN bid This week the UN resolution A/67/L28 granting Palestine non-member observer state status passed in resounding style – 138 “yes” votes to 9 “no” with … . . . → Read More: drive-by planet: Palestine UN ‘observer state’ vote: Harper government lines up with Palau and Nauru . . . → Read More: drive-by planet: Baird at the UN “Baird’s intervention [student union schoolboy bullying] is notable. . . because only two other foreign ministers — those of Indonesia and Turkey [both supported Palestine] — spoke on the issue before the vote.” (Primer on Canada’s… . . . → Read More: Politics and Entertainment: Given how many countries it has alienated through this ridiculous demonstration of bad judgement, Canada is really the one risking retaliation, not Palestine Yes, it’s the annual UN Climate negotiations, which means that it’s time for Canada to start receiving its Fossil awards. This comes as no surprise to any Canadians who pay attention to what our current federal government is up to in Otta… . . . → Read More: 350 or bust: Fossils In Harper Government Recognized In Doha http://ylcatcop18.wordpress.com/I was a member of the first YLC team to go to a COP meeting, attending the COP 15 in Copenhagen. I’m very happy to see the YLC continue to be committed to sending delegates as part of the International Federation of Libe… . . . → Read More: The Liberal Scarf: Follow the Young Liberals of Canada ground team at the COP 18 UN Climate Change Conference! I often thought that the UN should be here to monitor the election. Go Obama! R . . . → Read More: Cowichan Conversations: Should The UN Have Been Monitoring The US Election? Jim Manly Former Nanaimo-Cowichan NDP MP returns home in time to celebrate his 80th birthday. Jim Manly, the retired United Church Retired Minister has answered the call and travelled as a protester passenger on the Aid Ship ‘Estelle’ destined for Gaza. The Ship ‘Estelle’ was illegally commandered in International Waters and taken in to Israel. This was an act of piracy by any measure but you can bet you last dollar that not a word will be directed to the pirates through the lips of the UN, or our PM Stephen Harper. Before PM Harper any Canadian illegally arrested and . . . → Read More: Cowichan Conversations: Jim Manly Is Back At Home In Nanaimo UN recognizes wildlife crime as threat to rule of law (via World Wildlife Fund) New York – Poaching and the illicit trafficking of wildlife products were raised on the floor of the United Nations General Assembly for the first time Monday during discussions on strengthening national and international governance. World leaders gathering in New York [...] Vic Toews, Public Safety Minister issues a directive to RCMP, CSIS and Canada Border Services to use information obtained through torture. In 1985, Canada led by then Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, signed the United Nations Convention Against Torture . Article 2.2 of the UN Convention… .. Facing an unprecedented environmental crisis a world summit like no other was called. “We have to do something, we can’t let our environment just die.” A member of the Dirt delegation said with the driest of throats. Other representatives of the world’s nature lined the large circular table. Tree’s foreign minister sat there with his branches crossed, the President of the Democratic Republic of Rock sat beside him stone-faced and unmoved. “I don’t think we need to do anything, this isn’t elemental-made, it’s not like we are the ones ruining the environment anyway. This is just the natural course . . . → Read More: The Scott Ross: Nature’s Environment Is Man “Tory MP wants Baird to consider yanking Canada out of UN.” Such a piker. If you really want to get your Tea Party on, you need to go big. You sir, are no John Bolton. Bolton famously said “there is no such thing as the United Nations” and if the U.N. building in New York “lost ten stories, it wouldn’t make a bit of difference.” Good to know the Reformers, as always, are on top of the American right wing’s pet projects and are importing them here. Oh, and what Dominic LeBlanc said. U.N. endorses Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe as tourism leader Uh, what? This wasn’t in The Onion? Is this the same Mugabe who, for the past twenty-nine years, has presided over a corrupt government and led a violent political party that has systematically murdered and tortured Zimbabwans? That one? The same one who has killed thousands [...] The first thing that has to be said is that the Syrian people are bravely resisting and suffering under – first and foremost – the brutal Syrian regime. But the second thing that must be added is that they are suffering a second misery, which is to be the pawns of a cynical maneuvering by rival empires and Arab dictatorships. On the looming anniversary of the Bahraini democratic uprising, DeSmogBlog: Congressmembers Implicated in Insider Stock Trading on TransCanada, Keystone XL Pipelineshutterstock_89794186.jpg When it comes to TransCanada Corporation's Keystone XL pipeline approval process, corruption has been rampant, as well covered by DeSmogBlog as it unfolded. The Keystone XL pipeline, currently in limbo, would carry tar sands crude — a thick and dirty fossil fuel called bitumen — from the Alberta tar sands through the heartland region and eventually down to Port Arthur, Texas, to be refined and placed on the global export market. This week, a new layer of corruption was revealed by Sunlight Foundation Reporting Group, this one involving insider trading of TransCanada's stocks by . . . → Read More: DeSmogBlog: Congressmembers Implicated in Insider Stock Trading on TransCanada, Keystone XL Pipeline |
||
|
Copyright © 2013 Progressive Bloggers // Blogues progressistes - All Rights Reserved |
||
