Category: Human Rights

In a letter to the Nicaraguan Government last Monday, the group of 16 UN experts upheld that the action “represents a clear pattern of repressing civic space”. The UN experts echoed a statement earlier this year by the High Commissioner for Human Rights regarding the crackdown. They expressed shock over the extent of the shutdowns by the National Assembly at the request… Read More

The warning from UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, Reem Alsalem, follows President Recep Erdogan’s announcement in March last year that Türkiye was pulling out of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, effective 1 July. The accord is better known as the Istanbul Convention, after the Turkish city where it… Read More

The violence is having a devastating impact, particularly on women and children, indigenous peoples, Afro-descendants, community leaders and human rights defenders.  Colombia’s new government takes office next month, and the report outlines a series of recommendations that should be implemented urgently to protect lives and uphold the rights of those affected.  Prevent further violence  The report, which is in Spanish, also… Read More

Yusuf Zahab, 17, had been taken to Syria when he was 11 by older relatives who had become radicalized, according to various media reports.   He is believed to have died from injuries sustained during and after the ISIL siege on Al Hasakah camp in January, compounded by lack of adequate medical treatment.  Never should have happened  The extremist group… Read More

Costa Rica, the Maldives, Morocco, Slovenia and Switzerland presented the draft text to the 193-member Assembly, the UN’s most representative body, last June, following the landmark resolution adoption of a similar text adopted in October 2021 by the UN Human Rights Council. The resolution recognizes the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment as a human right essential for… Read More

“Polarization has been deepening over recent months and there are troubling indications that an anti-rights movement is gaining ground. With local and regional elections due in October, I am concerned that hate speech, discrimination and violence could further increase,” she said.  Ms. Bachelet recalled that although Peru already has “important tools” in place to counter any regression in upholding human… Read More

In her formal presentation of the Secretary-General’s report, Virginia Gamba, highlighted current trends, patterns of grave violations, and existing and emerging challenges facing children put in harms way.   Prolific abuses From South Sudan to Afghanistan and elsewhere, last year the UN verified 23,982 grave violations – over 19,165 of which were “grievous” abuses against children, the senior UN Official said.  … Read More

“A blue dress, black tights and boots. That’s what I was wearing,” said Jessica Long, a sexual violence survivor who has been campaigning for the rights of survivors, for the past six years. “That’s what I was wearing the night I was drugged. I was raped. And I was left alone to die”.  This and other offensive questions are consistently… Read More

Special Representative Virginia Gamba, said the guidelines would aid monitoring and reporting on the abduction of children in armed conflict, and help “address this complex grave violation of children’s rights in times of war.” There are six grave violations identified by the UN which serve as the basis for gathering data and reporting, namely the killing and maiming of children;… Read More