Stewart M. Patrick says President Obama's address to the United Nations General Assembly this year will be his most challenging yet.

The bid for Palestinian statehood at the UN sets President Mahmoud Abbas on a collision course with Hamas, the United States, and Israel. It is crucial to get back on track to a negotiated settlement, say experts.

As world leaders prepare to convene for the sixty-seventh session of the UN General Assembly, they will face renewed calls for UN recognition of Palestine and a redoubling of diplomatic efforts in a volatile Middle East.

Ray Takeyh states, "The Islamic Republic has entered its post-authoritarian stage."

Ryan Kaminski says that time and time again, criticism of the new UN Human Rights Council has been, at best, half-baked.

The Washington Post's Colum Lynch analyzes the Palestinian quest for UN state recognition, which highlights the role of the international organization despite its inability to resolve the Israeli-Palestine conflict.

Robert Danin argues that by adopting a publicly confrontational approach, the Palestinians risk undermining the goodwill and security that Fayyad's nation-building program has so painstakingly created.

Gayle Tzemach Lemmon discusses the challenges facing Michelle Bachelet as the leader of UN Women.

Max Boot says the fall of Muammar al-Qaddafi will create a dangerous situation in Libya, and NATO and the UN will likely have to send economic aid and peacekeeping troops.

CFR's Director of Studies James Lindsay and Director of the International Institutions and Global Governance Program Stewart Patrick preview major world events in the week ahead.

In this week's podcast: The famine in the horn of Africa continues to unfold; Rebel gains in Libya may accelerate talk of an end to the conflict; and the UN Security Council debates its peacekeeping operations.

As the uprising continues in Syria, the international community moved to condemn the Assad regime in the aftermath of the government's attacks on the city of Hama. CFR's Elliott Abrams and Robert Danin discuss how these developments affect U.S. foreign policy toward the Middle East.

Experts discuss the importance of prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, as well as the need for the United States and the United Nations to play a larger role.

UN Security Council resolution 1999 was adopted without vote on July 13, 2011. In the resolution, the Council recommended to the General Assembly that South Sudan be admitted to the UN.

Matthew C. Waxman examines whether cyberattacks are a use of force as defined by the UN Charter.

Experts discuss the advancements on AIDS prevention during the last three decades. Robert Orr, the UN assistant secretary general for strategic planning and policy coordination, argues that policymakers should continue addressing the social functions of AIDS to maintain UNAIDS' bold platform.

Writers for the Economist argue that President Obama will have a difficult time trying to convince Palestinians that they should direct their arguments and conduct negotiations for statehood through Washington as opposed to through the United Nations in September.

In this New York Times op-ed, Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority, lays out his case as to why the General Assembly, meeting in September, should admit Palestine to the United Nations.

Leslie H. Gelb discusses the African Union's cease-fire proposal in Libya.

Michelle Bachelet, Executive Director of UN Women and former president of Chile, discusses the empowerment of women around the world with CFR's Director of Studies, James Lindsay. Bachelet emphasizes the importance of contextualizing the support provided in each country, and the need to combine both top-down and bottom-up approaches.