Rice Kelley Center Student Staff At the UN Center in Bangkok Thailand

 

The following post were written by Allyse Volpe (Rice MGA, 2024) while attending the 12th USLS Symposium hosted by Humanitarian Affairs Asia at the United Nations Center in Bangkok. 

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At the start of August 2024, I had the opportunity to attend the 12th annual University Scholars Leadership Symposium (USLS) hosted by Humanitarian Affairs Asia in collaboration with the United Nations. Five hundred delegates from around the world centralized at the United Nations Centre in Bangkok, Thailand, to learn from distinguished global change makers, create meaningful connections, and serve local communities. As a Rice University and Master of Global Affairs representative, I felt a personal connection to make the most of the opportunity I was given.

Humanitarian Affairs Asia was founded following the events of 9/11 in 2001 when founder Kim Solomon reflected on the catastrophic events he witnessed in New York City. "If one man could create that much death and destruction, why can't one person inspire that same level of change?" This question remains central to Humanitarian Affairs Asia and prompted the USLS Conference over the past 12 years. Throughout the four-day Symposium, major themes echoed in the messages of the speakers, reflecting the inspiring message of Mr. Solomon: 

Compassionate leadership: There are two types of leadership, positional and real. The latter encompasses empathy, openness of communication, physical and mental well-being, inclusion, integrity, and respect. The common misconception regards compassion as weakness; however, recognizing the needs and feelings of other is more effective and efficient to addressing problems. Being humble enough to ask "Why?" opens the doors for productive discussion and brings humanity back into focus. 

The world needs action, not opinions: In a world ruled by social media, with infinite opinions posted online every second, making real change requires risk and execution. Raising awareness is never the end goal, it is simply a stepping stone towards doing what is required. Once you discover your voice, share what you have to say and turn those words into reality. People follow people, so leverage the skills you have, to act and empower those around you. 

Energy is your most valuable currency: Real changemakers show up at 100% every day and are mindful off how they invest their energy. A Harvard Study by Richard Farson and Ralph Keyes found that the number one attribute of failed leaders is their lack of energy and enthusiasm; therefore, leading with optimism is pinnacle motivating the people around you. Most importantly, do not waste your efforts on individuals trying to tear you down. While you can't always control the people around you, you have a choice to choose the people you surround yourself with. Like flowers and plants, people lead towards the light, so be the Sun.  

War Crimes in Ukraine

 

The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine was created by the UN Human Rights Council in 2022 to investigate all alleged violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law, and related crimes in the context of the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine. In March 2024, the Commission will submit a comprehensive report on its activities within its second mandate to the Human Rights Council.

The Commission submitted a preliminary report on October 19, 2023, with documentation, to the UN General Assembly that Russia has been, and continues to be, responsible for a number of war crimes. The full report is available here.

These include:

Indiscriminate attacks which include the wounding or death of civilians and the destruction of civilians’ property.  The Commissioners spoke with some of the survivors of the attacks and viewed the damage. 

Torture of detainees which reaches the level of war crimes.  Detainees have been held and tortured in Russia and in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine.  Most prisoners have been men accused of passing information to Ukraine or supporting Ukrainian forces.  Some victims have died from the severity of the torture. 

Rape and other sexual violence.  Other acts of violence often inflicted with the rapes have been severe beatings, strangling, suffocating, slashing, shooting next to the head of the victim, and willful killing.  The majority of these acts have been against civilians.

The deportation of children to Russia or Russian occupied territories. There have been at least 31 documented transfers of children out of Ukraine and away from parents and relatives.   Subsequent actions indicate that the Russians intend for the children to remain in Russia for a prolonged period of time.

The report also shows evidence of three times Ukrainian forces have been guilty of human rights violations against people they believe have been in collaboration with Russia. 

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN Human Rights) is the leading UN entity on human rights. They represent the world's commitment to the promotion and protection of the full range of human rights and freedoms set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

 

2015 Paris Climate Agreement & report card

The agreement required a report card on progress. Agreement: "Unlike other UN climate change reports that are meant to be informative and shy away from policy recommendations, the stocktake is explicitly meant to spur countries to act. It's a blunt progress assessment, and it lays out how much further countries must go in their emissions commitments the next time they come to the negotiating table at COP28, which will be held in the United Arab Emirates this December." World's Brutal Climate Change Report Card, Explained. Rebecca Leber and Umair Irfan. Vox. 12 September 23.

UN Report on Use of Chemical Weapons in Syria

The United Nations has released its report on the use of chemical weapons in Syria. The 38 page report including pictures and charts concluded:

27. On the basis of the evidence obtained during our investigation of the Ghouta incident, the conclusion is that on 21 August 2013, chemical weapons have been used in the ongoing conflict between the parties in the Syrian Arab Republic, also against civilians, including children, on a relatively large scale.

28. In particular, the environmental, chemical and medical samples we have collected provide clear and convincing evidence that surface-to-surface rockets containing the nerve agent Sarin were used in Ein Tarma, Moadamiyah and Zamalka in the Ghouta area of Damascus.

The facts supporting the conclusion follow in the full report.

2012 Revision of the World Population Prospects

Do you need world population data? The UN has released its online 2012 Revision of the World Population Prospects. Information is available from quick search images or from the left side bar which includes links under the broad topics of Data, Documentation, Methodology, Research, and Other Information.

UN Resolution - Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

The United Nations Security Council passed a non-proliferation resolution regarding the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on Saturday, October 14. See also the Security Council's announcement and the press release from the U.N. News Centre.

Also see the Statement by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence on the North Korea Nuclear Test.