Category: Human Rights

For Mélida Montero, coffee is more than a drink. It’s a way of life. “I have always grown coffee; my parents and grandparents always grew coffee. I raised my children on coffee. Coffee is in my roots; this is what I’ve been given in life”. Ms. Montero lives in El Tambo, Cauca, a region of Colombia that was particularly affected… Read More

In his message for the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, commemorated on Sunday, Secretary-General António Guterres also observed that perpetrators rarely face the consequences of their actions. “It is the survivors who carry the burden of stigma and trauma throughout their lives, often doubly brutalized by harmful social norms and victim-blaming”. Stand in support And Virginia… Read More

“It promotes racism, xenophobia and misogyny; it dehumanizes individuals and communities; and it has a serious impact on our efforts to promote peace and security, human rights, and sustainable development,” underscored Secretary-General António Guterres. Dangerous words He explained that words can be weaponized and cause physical harm. The escalation from hate speech to violence, has played a significant role in… Read More

For Isatou Ceesay and Tombong Njie, the term “witch hunt” is not metaphorical. Under the regime of former dictator Yahya Jammeh, they were both literally condemned as witches. “He held people in custody, tortured them, and that was the end of them,” says Ms. Ceesay. “We were so embarrassed to go out. We are not witches,” adds Ms. Njie. During… Read More

“There are serious risks that the international law principle of non-refoulement will be breached by forcibly transferring asylum seekers to Rwanda,” said Siobhán Mullally, the UN Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children. “People seeking international protection, fleeing conflict and persecution, have the right to seek and enjoy asylum – a fundamental tenet of international human rights and refugee… Read More

Delivering her latest update on the country to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Ms. Bachelet said scores of people remain locked up in the wake of political, human rights and electoral crises over the past four years.  Widespread protests broke out in Nicaragua in April 2018 after President Daniel Ortega announced planned social security reforms.  Hundreds were reportedly… Read More

Michelle Bachelet told the Human Rights Council that her Office, OHCHR, has been looking into the allegations that youngsters have been taken from orphanages in Donbas, where Russia has steadily gained ground amidst intense fighting in recent weeks. “OHCHR cannot yet confirm these allegations or the number of children who could be in such a situation,” Ms. Bachelet said. “We are concerned… Read More

The development follows the alleged encroachment on traditional Maasai lands and housing and the potential eviction of 150,000 tribespeople, to make way for a game reserve in the north of the country. In a statement, the group of nine rights experts cited reports that Tanzanian security personnel had fired live bullets and “lobbed tear gas” at Maasai individuals who were… Read More

“Together, we can make sure that every person…can fully participate in every aspect of life – social, economic, cultural, and political”, said Secretary-General António Guterres, adding that “we can, and we will, advance our common future.” Forward motion He hailed the progress driven by the disability convention as being “broad, swift, and tangible.” “With 185 ratifications since its adoption in 2006, the… Read More

Nearly four months since the Russian invasion, Michelle Bachelet used her final keynote address to the Geneva forum, to urge Member States not to give up on the post-COVID-19 plan “to recover better”, and not repeat the kind of devastating global financial meltdown which took place in 2008. Failure to stick to what was agreed during the dark days of… Read More