Category: Human Rights

At the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Ms. Bachelet maintained that the inability of countries to uphold fundamental liberties – such as justice, quality education, decent housing and decent work – had “undermined the resilience of people and States”. Multiple shocks This had left them exposed to what she called a “medical, economic and social shock”, highlighting that an additional… Read More

These are a result of a war that spiralled out of the 2011 uprising against President Bashar al-Assad’s rule. Based on the “rigorous work” of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), she said that the tally, which includes civilians and combatants, is based on “strict methodology” requiring the deceased’s full name, the date of death, and… Read More

Gender-based violence is of serious concern, with reports that approximately 30 per cent of those arbitrarily detained were women and girls, Michelle Bachelet told the Human Rights Council in Geneva.  Freedoms under assault  Severe restrictions on fundamental freedoms have also continued since the disputed re-election of President Alexander Lukashenko in August last year, Ms Bachelet said.  She highlighted ongoing police raids against… Read More

“When children and families are sent back without adequate protection, they find themselves even more vulnerable to violence, poverty and displacement – factors that drove them to migrate in the first place”, said Executive Director Henrietta Fore. A rocky road Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere and has been long plagued with poverty, civil unrest, political and economic instability.… Read More

Marking the 20th anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA), Heads of States and Governments gathered in the General Assembly hall as part of UNGA76, to discuss reparations, racial justice and equality for people of African descent. “People of African descent, minority communities, indigenous peoples, migrants, refugees, displaced persons, and so many others – all continue to confront hatred, stigmatization,… Read More

Brightly coloured posters, murals and displays appeared at bus stops, in subway stations and on landmark buildings across New York City in the Spring of 2021, part of a project commissioned by the City’s Commission on Human Rights called “I Still Believe In This City”, featuring works by Ms. Phingbodhipakkiya, the Commission’s artist-in-residence. ‘They lift us up as guardians’ Ms.… Read More

Joenia Wapixana With a law degree from the Federal University of Roraima, Ms. Wapixana has been advocating on behalf of indigenous communities in the Brazilian Amazon since the 1990s. In 2018, at the end of a long campaign, financed at the grassroots level by crowdfunding, she became the first indigenous woman elected to Brazil’s federal parliament. In that same year,… Read More

In its second report mandated by the Human Rights Council, the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, alleged that judges allowed evidence submitted by prosecutors to be used that had been obtained by torture, among other “recurrent” due process violations.  “In some of the cases reviewed, judges also failed to protect victims of torture by ordering that they… Read More

While there is a place for asset bans, visa restrictions and other punitive measures against individuals who perpetrate severe human rights violations, the High Commissioner for Human Rights believes sanctions which target whole countries or sectors of economic activity, should be avoided.  “When sanctions target an entire country, or address entire economic sectors, it is the most vulnerable people in… Read More

Urgent action is needed as it can take time to assess and address the serious risks this technology poses to human rights, warned the High Commissioner: “The higher the risk for human rights, the stricter the legal requirements for the use of AI technology should be”.  Ms. Bachelet also called for AI applications that cannot be used in compliance with international human rights… Read More