January 18: United Nations
Three hundred United Nations peacekeepers flee Guiglo, a town in western Ivory Coast, after clashes with supporters of Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo. The president’s followers are angry over international mediators’ calls for the dissolution of the pro-Gbagbo parliament. The Ivorian Popular Front (FPI) has withdrawn from the transitional government and UN-backed peace talks, and demands that peacekeeping troops leave the country. Ivory Coast remains divided since an unsuccessful coup attempt in 2002.
January 18: United Nations
Brazilian General Jose Elito Carvalho de Siqueira is appointed the head of the United Nations peacekeeping force in Haiti after a suicide of the previous leader. About nine thousand troops have been stationed in Haiti since the overthrow of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide in 2004. The UN Stabilization Mission is trying to secure the violent country ahead of elections, already postponed four times, which are now scheduled for February.
February 14: United Nations
Iran says it has resumed small-scale uranium enrichment in its Natanz facility. The move comes two weeks after the five permanent members of the UN Security Council agreed to request that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report Iran to the council over its nuclear program. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says Iran’s nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes.
February 27: International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice in The Hague (ICJ) begins the trial of Serbia and Montenegro for crimes of genocide during the Bosnian war in the 1990s. Bosnia-Herzegovina is seeking compensation for war crimes, which could amount to billions of dollars. Serbia denies that it was trying to intentionally wipe out the Muslim population in Bosnia.
March 11: International Criminal Tribunal
Slobodan Milosevic, the ex-president of the former Yugoslavia, is found dead in his cell at The Hague International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Although his supporters claim he was poisoned, Dutch officials find that Milosevic died of natural causes. The ex-president had been held at The Hague since 2001, charged with genocide and other war crimes during the wars in Bosnia, Croatia, and Kosovo during the 1990s. His death follows last week’s suicide of Croatian Serb leader Milan Babic, who was also being held at The Hague.
March 13: Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) issues a report claiming that Europe is falling behind Asia in terms of skills and education. The report cites China, India, and South Korea as examples of Asian countries moving forward. In contrast, France and Germany, who make up more than a third of the European Union’s euro economy, are lagging behind. The report blames mediocre education systems and class discrimination for the decline.
April 21: Paris Club
Nigeria pays off its Paris Club debt, making it the first African country to clear its account with this Western creditor. The effort frees funds for investments in infrastructure, health care, and education. The country also hopes it will attract more foreign investment. However, Nigeria still owes $5 billion to other lenders, including the World Bank and private creditors. The debt repayment is a key part of President Olusegun Obasanjo’s economic reforms.
May 2: Heavily Indebted Poor Countries
The World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the African Development Bank cancel $4.9 billion of Cameroon’s national debt, more than a quarter of its total, as part of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. The decision makes Cameroon the nineteenth country to benefit from the program. The IMF warns that further progress is needed for the country to strengthen its economy, specifically in the areas of government transparency, corruption, and accountability.
May 30: United Nations
Rebels in the volatile Ituri district in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo capture seven United Nations peacekeepers, all from Nepal, following clashes with the Nationalist and Integrationist Front (FNI) militia. The men were backing an operation by Congolese soldiers to disarm militias in the region when they were taken. The UN has some 17,000 troops in the country in anticipation of the July elections, which will be the first democratic polls since 1960.
May 31: World Trade Organization (WTO)
Vietnam and the United States sign a trade deal in which Vietnam agrees to reduce tariffs and import restrictions on U.S. products. It also agrees to drop a plan to subsidize its textile industry. The deal, once approved by the U.S. Congress, is the final agreement needed for Vietnam to join the World Trade Organization (WTO). If it is successful in its bid for membership in the WTO, Vietnam will gain equal access to all other members’ markets.
June 1: United Nations
The newly formed United Nations Human Rights Council replaces the discredited Human Rights Commission, which has been criticized for protecting countries with questionable human rights records. The new council has 47 members including China, Cuba, Russia, and Saudi Arabia that are criticized for their human rights abuses. The United States refused to join the new body, saying the reform did not go far enough to prevent the countries with poor records from winning the seats.
June 14: United Nations
According to an agreement brokered by the United Nations, Nigeria agrees to hand over the oil-rich Bakassi peninsula to Cameroon. Nigerian troops stationed in Bakassi and thousands of Nigerian citizens who live there will leave the area within 60 days. The territorial dispute led to military conflict between the two countries in the 1990s.
August 26: International Criminal Court (ICC)
The Ugandan government and the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) sign a truce to end the two-decade long conflict. According to the deal, the rebels will leave northern Uganda and their bases in southern Sudan and the Ugandan government will not attack them. September 12 has been set for a final peace agreement. The International Criminal Court (ICC) wants to prosecute LRA’s top leaders for murder, rape, and using children as child soldiers. However, in exchange for a peace deal, the Ugandan government has offered amnesty for the rebels.
September 14: Amnesty International
Amnesty International (AI) releases a report accusing Hezbollah of committing war crimes during the Lebanese conflict with Israel. The report claims that Hezbollah targeted civilians with rockets and that the acts constitute a “serious violation of humanitarian law.” AI has already accused Israel of war crimes by targeting civilian infrastructure in Lebanon. Hezbollah rejects the report, saying it results from US and Israeli pressure.
October 5: NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) takes command of 10,000 U.S. troops in the eastern provinces of Afghanistan, considered by many to be an al-Qaeda stronghold. With 31,000 troops, Afghanistan is the biggest NATO ground deployment in history. The supreme commander of NATO has said its exit strategy is a matter of economic and political reconstruction rather than a military victory.
October 17: United Nations
South Africa secures a two-year non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the first time. The country will serve alongside Indonesia, Italy, and Belgium. Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said South Africa plans to pursue UN reform, particularly expansion of the Security Council.
November 22: World Health Organization (WTO)
A World Health Organization report shows that more than one million babies in Africa die within one month of life, often from easily prevented infections. The report focuses on global health inequalities, which are particularly noticeable in levels of infant mortality.
November 27: United Nations
The Australian government is cleared on charges of participating in a scandal involving the Australian Wheat Board (AWB). The AWB allegedly paid Saddam Hussein $200 million to secure a contract under the United Nations oil-for-food program. It was Iraq’s largest supplier of humanitarian goods under the UN program, which lasted from 1996 to 2003.
November 28: World Trade Organization (WTO)
Vietnam’s National Assembly ratifies membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO) after being invited to become its 150th member, marking an end to the country’s decade-long effort to join. Terms of Vietnam’s WTO membership include more access to overseas markets and reductions in Vietnam’s high import tariffs
December 23: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
The UN Security Council imposes sanctions on Iran due to its failure to meet demands that it end uranium enrichment activities. Sanctions include blocking trade in nuclear material and equipment, and freezing assets of those supporting proliferation activities. The director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is to issue a report within sixty days on Iran’s progress on halting its nuclear program.