International

UN high-level meet and proof of vaccination explained

AFP

The high-level 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly gets underway next week amid confusion about whether all delegates, including world leaders, have to be vaccinated against Covid-19 to attend.

Here, AFP answers the key questions surrounding the snafu, which started when New York issued a vaccine directive that the assembly initially supported, before reversing course after complaints from members.

– Where are we now? –

It appears delegates will not have to show proof of vaccination to enter the UN headquarters but they should have their vaccine cards ready if they want to eat or drink in any of New York’s many bars and restaurants.

The Big Apple began enforcing a vaccine mandate on Monday, requiring proof of at least one shot for many indoor activities, including dining, entertainment venues and gyms.

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But UN officials say the city’s jurisdiction does not extend to the UN headquarters itself.

The United States does not require proof of vaccination to enter the country, only negative tests from some countries, so there is no enforcement at airports.

– How did this all start? –

In a letter dated September 9, the city government told the General Assembly president that “all persons” entering the UN headquarters for the purposes of attending the debate in the main hall would have to show proof of vaccination.

The mayor’s office cited its local vaccine mandate law and said the UN debate hall was classified as a “convention center,” meaning all attendees must be vaccinated.

“They must also show proof of vaccination prior to dining, drinking or exercising indoors on the UN campus, and in order to partake in all of New York City’s wonderful entertainment, dining and fitness activities,” it said.

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– What was the UN’s response? –

On September 14, assembly president Abdulla Shahid of the Maldives wrote to members saying he “strongly supported” the proof of vaccination requirement laid out by the city authorities.

That was met with a quick backlash, led by Russia’s ambassador to the UN, who disputed that New York had the authority to enforce the mandate.

Vassily Nebenzia wrote to Shahid on September 15, saying the agreement between the United States and the UN about the headquarters prohibited US actors from regulating the running of the world body.

He added that preventing delegates to access the hall was a “clear violation of the UN charter” and that the directive failed to take into account the “rights of people who have received vaccines that are not approved by the CDC.”

Russia’s Sputnik V has not received approval from the World Health Organization, meaning it is not recognized in New York.

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– Then what happened? –

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he no authority to issue a vaccine mandate for entry into the high-level dialogue.

But all public-facing UN staff are subject to a vaccine mandate, his spokesman added.

“Member states will have to come to a resolution amongst themselves,” his spokesman said Thursday.

That day, Shahid wrote to member states again, this time assuring them that entry to the UN headquarters for the debate will be based on an “honor system” regarding their vaccination status.

The city will host a vaccine pop-up site outside UN HQ next week to try to tempt anyone who hasn’t been vaccinated with a single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

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International

U.S. allows Venezuela to fund Maduro and Cilia Flores’ legal defense

Until now, the U.S. administration had blocked the Venezuelan government from covering the legal fees of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who is also jailed and facing drug trafficking charges, due to international sanctions imposed on Venezuela.

The couple’s legal team had relied on that argument in an attempt to have the indictment dismissed, claiming that preventing a defendant from accessing counsel of their choice violates rights guaranteed under the Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

However, the U.S. Treasury Department will now allow “defense attorneys to receive payments from the Government of Venezuela under certain conditions,” New York prosecutor Jay Clayton wrote in a letter dated Friday to Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who is overseeing the case.

According to the letter, the funds must have become available after March 5, 2026, and cannot come from Venezuelan oil sales regulated in the United States.

Since Maduro’s removal from power in early January, former Vice President Delcy Rodríguez has served as Venezuela’s interim leader.

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The United States effectively controls Venezuelan crude exports, with revenues deposited into special accounts supervised by Washington.

Court documents filed on Friday show that the defense acknowledged the sanctions exemption and, for now, withdrew its motion seeking dismissal of the charges.

International

U.S. Sanctions Network Linked to Fentanyl Trafficking Across India, Guatemala and Mexico

The United States Department of State announced sanctions on Thursday against 23 individuals and companies allegedly linked to an international fentanyl production and smuggling network operating in India, Guatemala and Mexico.

According to the State Department, the network supplied precursor chemicals to the Sinaloa Cartel, which the United States has designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.

Washington declared fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid, a weapon of mass destruction last year due to its role in the ongoing overdose crisis in the United States.

“By targeting the entire supply chain — from chemical suppliers in Asia to logistical intermediaries in Central America and cartel-linked networks in Mexico — the Trump Administration is dismantling networks that destabilize governance across our hemisphere and threaten U.S. security,” the State Department said.

In a separate statement, the Office of Foreign Assets Control detailed sanctions against three Indian chemical and pharmaceutical companies: Sutaria, Agrat and SR Chemicals, along with a sales executive accused of supplying precursor chemicals to contacts in Guatemala and Mexico.

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In Guatemala, authorities sanctioned J and C Import and Central Logística de Servicios, as well as intermediary Jaime Augusto Barrientos.

The OFAC also designated several intermediaries and import companies operating in the Mexican state of Sinaloa.

As part of the investigation, U.S. authorities identified Ramiro Baltazar Félix as a member of Los Mayos, a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, and Alejandro Reynoso, accused of operating clandestine drug laboratories in Guadalajara.

International

Pope Leo XIV Says Countries Have Border Rights but Migrants Deserve Respect

Pope Leo XIV said Thursday that migrants must be treated with dignity as he addressed the global migration crisis during a press conference aboard the plane returning from his tour of Africa.

The pontiff answered questions from journalists regarding his upcoming trip to Spain, which will include a visit to the Canary Islands, a region heavily affected by migration flows and growing political polarization surrounding the issue.

“Obviously, migration is a very complex issue and affects many countries — not only Spain, not only Europe, but also the United States. It is a global phenomenon,” the pope said.

Pope Leo XIV also questioned the role of developed nations in addressing the crisis.

“My response begins with a question: What is the Global North doing to help the Global South and those countries where young people no longer see a future and dream of going north, even when the North sometimes has no answers to offer?” he asked.

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While acknowledging that “a state has the right to establish rules for its borders,” the pope insisted that the debate must go beyond border control and address the structural causes that force people to leave their home countries.