Category: Human Rights

Briefing the UN Human Rights Council, Nada Al-Nashif detailed how the profound humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan is threatening basic rights, with women, girls, and civil society among those most affected.  Dignity or deprivation  “How the de facto authorities – indeed, and the international community – address the drastic economic and humanitarian crises in the country will determine Afghans’ enjoyment of human rights, now and into the future,” she said.  “They will mark… Read More

The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, began his official visit with a statement reminding that when conditions allow for their safe, dignified and sustainable repatriation, “the Rohingya want nothing more than to return to their homes in Myanmar”. The complex Rohingya refugee crisis erupted in August 2017, following attacks on remote police outposts in western Myanmar by… Read More

Pretoria High is a former whites-only Government school based in Pretoria, a city considered the heart of the former apartheid regime, the capital with a predominantly white population. While apartheid may be part of the history curriculum for born-free students in South Africa (those born post 1994), Zulaikha says that the apartheid mindset is still entrenched in the hearts and… Read More

They urged governments to uphold their international obligations and ease access to protection measures for civil society actors fleeing violence, including recognition of refugee status and expedited emergency visas.  Desperate need of refuge  “Around the world, courageous individuals, and their organizations at the frontlines of the struggle for human rights are in desperate need of safe refuge and urgent life-saving… Read More

The latest numbers report that at least 673 parliamentarians from 44 countries are under threat, most of them in countries wracked by political in-fighting and instability. Constant increase since 2014 The data confirms a consistent increase since 2014 in the number of cases recorded by the IPU’s Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians. The body consists of MPs from… Read More

Ms. Bachelet and UN Secretary-General António Guterres took the opportunity to take stock of progress made, lessons learned, and put forward a new Agenda for Peace that presents a multidimensional vision of global security. “This is an agenda of action – and an agenda of rights,” Ms Bachelet said. ‘Our Common Agenda’ a framework set out by the UN Secretary-General… Read More

“The international community has repeatedly failed to respond collaboratively, swiftly and decisively to prevent genocide and related atrocity crimes”, António Guterres said.   The UN chief was participating in a virtual event to celebrate the 73rd anniversary of the Genocide Convention and the International Day.   For Mr. Guterres, the Convention gave the world a better understanding of early warning signs and risk factors, but more needs to be done.  “Today, we face the… Read More

Tendayi Achiume is the half-Zambian, half-Zimbabwean professor of human rights at UCLA (The University of California, Los Angeles) and holds a key independent role within the UN human rights system, as Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, to note her official brief in full. This year, she has been playing a key role in… Read More

According to the independent expert, “unilateral sanctions hurt all, but are particularly harmful to vulnerable groups within the populations of countries targeted by the sanctions.” Negative impact For Alena Douhan, the Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights, the experience and negative effect when sanctions hit countries on a regular basis… Read More

According to the independent expert, “unilateral sanctions hurt all, but are particularly harmful to vulnerable groups within the populations of countries targeted by the sanctions.” Negative impact For Alena Douhan, the Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights, the experience and negative effect when sanctions hit countries on a regular basis… Read More