By Inger Andersen

  This is reposted  from 2015  UN at 70  by Joan Russow Global Compliance Research Project

because States still fail to sign, ratified and enact the necessary legislation to ensure compliance with  international  instruments 

At key anniversaries of the U.N., there have been calls for compliance with international instruments.

In 1995, Secretary-General Boutros Boutrous-Ghali indicated support at the 50th anniversary of the U.N., in San Francisco, and, at the 55th Anniversary, Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged states to sign and ratify international instruments.

Human welfare, ecology and negotiation must be a priority over global supply chains and "profit-driven" development through coercion.

In 2015, with the confluence of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 70th anniversary of the United Nations, COP 21, and the launch of International Decade for People of African Descent, there is an opportunity to again call upon states to sign and ratify international instruments, to determine what would constitute compliance with these and to undertake to comply with them through enacting the necessary legislation.

This could also be the time to advance and reinforce the concept of peremptory norms as stated in Article 53 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of treaties:

“A treaty is void if, at the time of its conclusion, it conflicts with a peremptory norm of general international law. For the purpose of the present convention, a peremptory norm of general international law is a norm accepted and recognized by the international community of states as a whole.”

Peremptory norms have been described as those derived from treaties, conventions and covenants which have been ratified by all states or by most states representing the full range of legal systems and the major geographical regions. Also, peremptory norms could be derived from U.N. General Assembly Declarations and Conference Action Plans.

Ratifying key legally binding agreements

International Covenants such as on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and its protocols, on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR); Conventions such as Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), on Torture (UNTC), on Biological Diversity (CBD) and its protocols, on Endangered Species (CITES), on Climate Change (UNFCCC), on World Heritage Convention / WHC), on Desertification (UNCCD), on Ozone (MP),on Rights of the Child (CRC), on Women (CEDAW) and its protocols, on Racial Discrimination ( (ICERD), on Genocide (CPPCG) on Rights of Migrant Workers, on Labour (ILO), on Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocols Thereto (CTOC) on Persons with Disabilities(CRPD); Declarations such as Rights of indigenous Peoples UNDRIP; peace Treaties, such as NPT, Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), Anti_Personnel-Mine-(APM), Cluster Munitions (CCM), Arms Trade (ATT). Respect for the jurisdiction and decisions of the ICJ, and the ICC Rome Statute are paramount. 1992

1992 UN FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE

2017 THE UN TREATY ON THE PROHIBITION ON NUCLEAR WEAPONS

GLobal Compliance Research Project, 

A PRPRINT FROM UN at 70 BECAUSE IT IS STILL A TIME FOR COMPLIANCE

If states comply with these many instruments, the global community will have more respect for the rule of international law, and more faith in the United Nations, including for the compliance with and implementation of the SDGs. Credit: UN Photo/Joao Araujo Pinto

 At key anniversaries of the U.N., there have been calls for compliance with international instruments.

In 1995, Secretary-General Boutros Boutrous-Ghali indicated support at the 50th anniversary of the U.N., in San Francisco, and, at the 55th Anniversary, Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged states to sign and ratify international instruments.

UNITED NATIONS, Mar 2 2015 (IPS) - The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein has criticised member states for ‘cherry-picking’ human rights – advocating some and openly violating others – perhaps to suit their own national or political interests.

Despite ratifying the U.N. charter reaffirming their faith in fundamental human rights, there are some member states who, “with alarming regularity”, are disregarding and violating human rights, “sometimes to a shocking degree,” he said.

Crisis Hits Oil Industry in latin america

By Emilio GodoyReprint |         |  Print | Send by email |En español

Mexico's state-run oil giant Pemex faces a difficult outlook due to the fall in international oil prices and the crisis resulting from the coronavirus pandemic, which threatens its production and finances, in a situation analysed during the 29th La Jolla Energy Conference, organised online by the Institute of the Americas. CREDIT: Emilio Godoy/IPS

MEXICO CITY, May 22 2020 (IPS) - While it attempts to cushion the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, the Latin American and Caribbean region also faces concerns about the future of the energy transition and state-owned oil companies.

These questions were discussed at the 29th La Jolla Energy Conference, organised by the Institute of the Americas. It was held online May 18-22, rather than bringing together more than 50 speakers at the institute’s headquarters in the coastal district of San Diego, in the U.S. state of California, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alfonso Blanco of Uruguay, executive secretary of the Latin American Energy Organisation (OLADE), said during a session on global trends and the regional energy industry that the changes seen during the pandemic will spread after the crisis and will be long-lasting.

“There will be structural transformations and we are convinced that most consumer behaviors will change after the pandemic. Demand will vary due to changes in the main areas of transportation and other energy areas. The effects on fossil fuel consumption will be strong and there will be a greater impact on renewable energies,” he said.

COVID-19 Has Blown Away the Myth About ‘First’ and ‘Third’ World Competence

JOHANNESBURG, May 15 2020 (IPS) - One of the planet’s – and Africa’s – deepest prejudices is being demolished by the way countries handle COVID-19. 

For as long as any of us remember, everyone “knew” that “First World” countries – in effect, Western Europe and North America – were much better at providing their citizens with a good life than the poor and incapable states of the “Third World”. “First World” has become shorthand for competence, sophistication and the highest political and economic standards.

So deep-rooted is this that even critics of the “First World” usually accept it. They might argue that it became that way by exploiting the rest of the world or that it is not morally or culturally superior. But they never question that it knows how to offer (some) people a better material life. Africans and others in the “Third World” often aspire to become like the “First World” – and to live in it, because that means living better.

By: Mark Weisbrot

This article was published by the Latin American Advisor (Inter-American Dialogue) on February 5, 2020. 

The Trump administration’s current and future behavior in Bolivia can best be forecast by its strong support for the military coup that overthrew the democratically elected government of Evo Morales on November 10. And no one disputes that Morales was democratically elected to his term that began in 2015. But there’s more: the Organization of American States (OAS), whose leadership under Secretary General Luis Almagro is strongly influenced by Trump and Senator Marco Rubio, played a leading role in the coup that brought this violent, repressive, racist, anti-indigenous government to power. The OAS did this by repeatedly claiming, falsely, or implying, that the Morales government committed fraud in the October 20 election.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 05 February 2020 14:30

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achievements in Bolivia under Evo Morales

The nuclear Double Standard Between US/Israel and Iran

Justice News

Posted by Joan Russow

Monday, 13 January 2020 20:22

Global Compliance Reaearch Project In 2010. I attended the meeting of the Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT), in  New York It is no secret that Israel has nuclear weapons. If Israel does ratify the NPT then Israel has to finally officially admit that it has nuclear weapons and Israel will be subject to inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency.   In 2010 Israel denounced the planned meeting for a Nuclear Arms-free Middle East. Under the Non Proliferation  Treaty (NPT), the cornerstone of global disarmament efforts. "This resolution is deeply flawed and “hypocritical," Netanyahu said during a visit to Toronto, Canada,.|”   The US adopted the resolution but with an asterisk, pointing out that the US objected to singling out Israel. Also, there had been a proposal that Israel  ratify   ]the NPT

Last Updated on Tuesday, 14 January 2020 22:10

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