What the UN Should Do about Israel/Palestine: Daily Brief

The UN needs to act on Israel/Palestine; the US House Judiciary committee hearing on the Tulsa Race Massacre; waiving patents for Covid-19 vaccines; Bangladesh authorities arrest journalist reporting on Covid-19; government in Belarus blocks popular media outlet; no legal gender recognition based on self-determination in Spain; and a path back to a constructive US policy towards the International Criminal Court.

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The United Nations played a central role in undoing South Africa’s system of apartheid. It should do that again with the crimes of apartheid and persecution, globally and in Israel-Palestine.

Human Rights Watch Researcher Dreisen Heath spoke at the US House Judiciary committee hearing on the Tulsa Race Massacre. She addressed the government's unwillingness to ensure reparations for the victims as the 100th anniversary of the massacre approaches in June.

There is little unity in the EU on waiving patents for Covid-19 vaccines. While the European Commission backs a strategy that puts pharma company profits over increasing global production, the European Parliament just voted for the opposite.

Bangladesh authorities arrested the renowned Bangladeshi journalist Rozina Islam. She had reported on corruption and mismanagement in the public health sector, including the government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Belarusian authorities took yet another step in their campaign to stifle independent media. This time their target is TUT.BY, one of the country’s largest news outlets.

Spain’s Congress rejected a landmark legislative proposal that would have allowed legal gender recognition based on self-determination. The existing process for modifying gender markers on official documents is pathologizing for transgender people and does not recognize non-binary people.

Finally, after years combatting the Trump administration’s attacks on the International Criminal Court (ICC), it is time to contemplate a possible return to a constructive US policy toward the Court.