February 4: United Nations
China and Russia veto a UN Security Council draft resolution condemning the Syrian government for its violent crackdown on protesters and calling to end the killings and to implement political changes.
March 14: International Criminal Court (ICC)
The International Criminal Court (ICC) finds former guerrilla leader Thomas Lubanga guilty of using child soldiers during the conflict between ethnic groups in the north-eastern resource-rich Ituri province in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is a victory for the international court and precedence, showing that the ICC can bring the world’s worst criminals to justice.
March 26: United Nations
Israel cuts its relations with the United Nations Human Rights Council after the Council voted to investigate the implications of the Israeli settlements on rights of the Palestinians in the Occupied Territories.
April 2: United Nations
Former UN Secretary General and the main mediator with the Syrian government Kofi Annan says Syrian President Bashir —al-Assad has agreed to abide by the UN-brokered peace plan and withdraw his forces and enforce a ceasefire. (April 8): The Syrian government announces it will not withdraw until it receives the similar guarantees from the rebel groups. The fighting continues, with hundreds of people being killed.
May 30: Special Court for Sierra Leone in The Hague
The United Nations-backed war crimes Special Court for Sierra Leone in The Hague sentences former Liberian President Charles Taylor to 50 years in prison for actively aiding the rebels in Sierra Leone during the country’s civil war lasting from 1991 to 2002. In exchange for diamonds, Taylor provided the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) with weapons as well as logistical support.
June 1: United Nations Human Rights Council
The United Nations Human Rights Council calls for an investigation into a massacre in Houla, Syria, where 108 civilians were executed. Forty-one UNHRC members vote in support of a resolution condemning Syria, while Russia, China, and Cuba vote against it. (June 7): Syrian pro-government forces and militia known as shabiha massacre 78 people in the village of Qubair in Hama province, many of them women and children. The attack increases concerns of sectarian violence. Survivors from Qubair, which is mostly populated by Sunni Muslims, blame the attack on a neighboring village whose inhabitants are from the Alawite ethnic group. (June 22): The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that the violence forces more and more Syrians to flee the country, while 1.5 million are in need of humanitarian aid. (June 27): After almost a year since the beginning of the uprising, Syrian President Bashir al-Assad admits that his country is in the state of a civil war.
July 22: MERCOSUR
The MERCOSUR trading organization suspends Paraguay’s membership for the violation of its democratic clause after the impeachment of President Fernando Lugo. Lugo, Paraguay’s first leftist president was impeached and removed from office by the parliament. Lugo argues that he was denied due process, and several Latina American countries described the incident as a parliamentary coup. (July 31): Venezuela becomes a full member of the organization, which until now was being blocked by Paraguay.
August 22: World Trade Organization (WTO)
After 18 years of negotiations, Russia joins the World Trade Organization (WTO). It is expected that both Russia and WTO members will benefit from Russia’s accession. Foreign companies will have a greater access to Russia’s vast market with the largest population in Europe, while Russia can expect easier access to international markets and greater foreign investment.
November 30: United Nations
The Untied Nations General Assembly votes 138 against 9 to recognize Palestine as a non-member observer state. Forty-one countries abstain, while Israel and the United States vote against the move. Although the move is mostly symbolic, it gives Palestine access to UN organizations, such as the International Criminal Court. The Palestinians are seeking UN recognition of a Palestinian state, which would include the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem.
December 5: Transparency International
According to the Transparency International’s 2012 Corruption Perceptions Index Afghanistan, North Korea, and Somalia top the list of the world’s most corrupt countries, while Denmark, Finland, and New Zealand are the least corrupt. Within the 27 members of the European Union, Greece ranks as the most corrupt.