Category: Human Rights

The Principal Situation Coordinator for the region at the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), Toby Harward, told journalists in Geneva that the agency is deeply concerned about the situation.   According to him, nearly 10,000 Sudanese have fled a wave of intercommunal violence in the Jebel Moon, a locality in West Darfur, one of the five Darfur States. Over 2,000 of them, mostly women and children, have sought refuge in neighbouring Chad.  Tensions remain high in… Read More

In a joint statement, the experts said they were “appalled and gravely concerned” by repeated riots that have resulted in the death of so many prisoners, and the “clear risk” of further incidents.  The statement was signed by Morris Tidball-Binz, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, and Nils Melzer, Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.  Ongoing insecurity  During… Read More

This feature has been edited for clarity and length. Mr. Chatzis was talking to Melissa Fleming, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications. You can hear the full interview on the UN podcast, Awake at Night. “Human trafficking and migrant smuggling have evolved a lot since I first took over this job. They have become more severe, in the sense… Read More

“COVID-19 has laid bare the persistent barriers and inequalities faced by the world’s one billion persons with disabilities”, he said.  Now, Mr. Guterres argued, a disability-inclusive pandemic response and recovery should be guided by persons with disabilities themselves.   It should also “forge partnerships, tackle injustice and discrimination, expand access to technology and strengthen institutions to create a more inclusive, accessible, and sustainable post-COVID-19 world.”  Human… Read More

More than three dozen UN experts endorsed a statement calling for greater transparency and rigorous follow up on the commitments made in Glasgow last month, such as the 100-strong pledge to end deforestation by 2030; cut emissions of methane by 30 per cent by the end of this decade; and establish a ratchet system requiring States to strengthen their commitments… Read More

Samuel believes that being visually impaired in Haiti is a punishment. After being fired from his job because of his disability, he found it impossible to find work. “It has been extremely challenging to feed my family, let alone pay for my children’s tuition,” the father of two says. Visually impaired for more than a decade, 48-year-old Samuel spent most… Read More

In an alert to coincide with the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery on 2 December, they warned that global challenges such as COVID-19, climate change and armed conflict have amplified existing vulnerabilities.   According to figures released by UNICEF and ILO in June, almost 80 million children aged 5 to 17, are subjected to hazardous work which is classified as a contemporary form of slavery.  Now, according to the experts, these children may be working… Read More

António Guterres was speaking at a meeting in New York of Foreign Ministers of the Group of 77 developing nations (G77) and China, where he noted that the pandemic continues to wreak havoc on developed and developing countries alike.   He said that the UN stands behind the vaccination strategy set out by the World Health Organization (WHO), with the goal of getting vaccines into the arms of 40 per cent of people… Read More

Those are some of the key findings shared by the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances, at the end of a visit between 15 and 26 November, noting that more than 100 disappearances allegedly took place just during the course of their fact-finding mission.   In a statement, the Committee urged Mexican authorities to quickly locate those who have gone missing, identify the deceased and take prompt action to investigate all… Read More

In a message to mark International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. The UN chief warned that persistent violations of the rights of Palestinians, along with the expansion of Israeli settlements, risk eroding the prospect of a two-State solution.  Despite being ‘encouraged’ by recent engagements between senior Israeli and Palestinian officials, the UN chief said that “containing the situation is not sufficient”.  The situation in the Occupied… Read More