Category: Human Rights

Ikponwosa Ero stated that people had been turning to witchcraft “because of the mistaken belief that using their body parts in potions can bring good luck and wealth”, adding that “the majority of victims have been children.”   The Human Rights Council passed a ground-breaking resolution earlier this month condemning human rights violations committed through witchcraft accusations and ritual attacks and called for international consultation… Read More

“The Convention continues to protect the rights of refugees across the world,” said Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. “Thanks to the Convention, millions of lives have been saved.”  As relevant now as in 1951  Mr. Grandi expressed alarm over recent attempts by some Governments to disregard or circumvent the Convention’s principles, from expulsions and pushbacks of refugees and asylum seekers at land and… Read More

The first parliamentary and presidential elections in 15 years were scheduled to take place in May and July, respectively.  But they were postponed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on 29 April, amid concerns about the ability to vote in East Jerusalem.    Take all steps necessary   Expressing their deep concern over the postponement, the UN experts called on the… Read More

Affectionately known as Madiba, Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed told the General Assembly meeting celebrating Nelson Mandela International Day – officially commemorated on Sunday – that he “embodied the highest aspirations of the United Nations and the human family”.    ‘Blurring the truth’  Hate speech and the denial of facts are becoming “mainstream in liberal democracies and authoritarian regimes alike”, Ms. Mohammed said, “blurring the truth, questioning science and undermining democratic institutions”.    She pointed to an alarming trend that “people with little or no knowledge of… Read More

“The lives of Venezuelan transplant patients who are stranded in foreign countries, as well as those waiting to travel abroad for live-saving operations are under threat,” the experts said. “A trip abroad for treatment has become the only hope for hundreds of critically ill patients.” The group of Special Rapporteurs said they had alerted the US Government, and other countries… Read More

In a statement, Tom Andrews, Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar, and Mary Lawlor, Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders highlighted credible reports of activists forced into hiding after having arrests warrants issued against them, under Section 505 (a) of the Penal Code. Their homes were raided, possessions seized, and family members threatened and harassed, they said, noting that many others… Read More

“Various parts of the UN Human Rights system, including my own Office, have repeatedly raised serious concerns about the dangers of authorities using surveillance tools from a variety of sources supposed to promote public safety in order to hack the phones and computers of people conducting legitimate journalistic activities, monitoring human rights or expressing dissent or political opposition”, said High… Read More

“Each year, on this day, Nelson’s Mandela’s birthday, we pay tribute to this extraordinary man who embodied the highest aspirations of the United Nations and the human family”, Secretary-General António Guterres said in his message commemorating the 18 July celebration of South Africa’s first Black head of State.   Message true today  Affectionately known as Madiba, his calls for solidarity and an end to racism are particularly relevant… Read More

The massive protests began on Sunday and are the biggest in decades, with thousands taking to the streets across the Caribbean island nation to demand the lifting of economic measures which have restricted access to basic goods, including food, medicine and COVID-19 vaccines.  More than 100 people have been arrested, according to media reports.    Use of excessive force  UN… Read More

Released ahead of Nelson Mandela International Day, celebrating perhaps the best known political prisoner of all time, the first global research data on prisons released by the UN, examines the long-term trends of incarceration.  A shocking surge  As the global population grew 21 per cent, between 2000 and 2019, the number of prisoners worldwide jumped by more than 25 per cent, according to the UNODC data.  By the end of this period, 11.7 million people had been incarcerated – a population… Read More