Category: Human Rights

Roseann Rostoker moved to New Orleans in 2010 to open the Red Gravy café. According to some estimates, women make up just 20 per cent of chefs working in the United States.  “I always wanted to run a restaurant since the age of 10-years-old. While other kids were watching Bugs Bunny cartoons on TV, I was watching cooking programmes. When my mom went out to work, I… Read More

Beneath the brackish water are crawfish, small freshwater crustaceans which resemble lobsters, and before long they will be drawn into the cages, lured by fish scraps.  Heath Leger works for Chez Francois Seafood, a family crawfish business originally set up by his father and now run by his brother. “Today, I’m setting pots to catch the crawfish. Two thousand pots can be set in 120 acres and each pot can… Read More

Heath Leger works for Chez Francois Seafood, a family business run by his brother in Scott, Louisiana. He harvests freshwater crawfish, small crustaceans which resemble lobsters. The farm is 120 acres in size and was set up by the brothers’ father.  Heath Leger worked in Louisiana’s oil fields for 11 years, but automation led to the loss of some 70-80 jobs.  “When I grew up crawfish was not a delicacy, only… Read More

We are “deeply disturbed that the reported use of excessive force by the Iranian security forces led to an untold number of casualties, including deaths”, the experts said in a statement. After the Government announced a new fuel policy in November, some 200,000 people took to the streets in protests. Official sources state that at least 7,000 were arrested and… Read More

Maud de Boer-Buquicchio issued the charge in a statement welcoming the decision by Pope Francis to abolish a Roman Catholic Church policy which maintains secrecy in child abuse cases.  “The veil of secrecy which surrounded these abominable crimes and which prevented victims obtaining justice and reparation has been lifted”, said Ms. De Boer-Buquicchio, who is the Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, appointed by the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. … Read More

First-ever Global Refugee Forum ends The first Global Refugee Forum ended in Geneva on Wednesday with more than 770 pledges to support refugees and the communities where they live. The Forum is a key element of the Global Compact on Refugees, signed last December, and saw participation from over 3,000 representatives from governments, international financial organizations, business, civil society, and… Read More

Speaking at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Michelle Bachelet described ongoing misery for the country’s poorest citizens, as they live with hyperinflation. Today, their minimum wage “only covers 3.5 percent of the basic food basket”, she added, amid “failures in public service” including life-saving healthcare for children. Alleged extrajudicial killings have also taken place since August, Ms. Bachelet insisted,… Read More

António Guterres issued the charge in his message for International Migrants Day, observed annually on 18 December.  “Safe, orderly and regular migration is in the interest of all. And national priorities on migration are best achieved through international cooperation,” he stated.  Globally, there are more than 270 million migrants, according to UN estimates.   Last December, countries agreed the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly… Read More

World must ‘reboot’ approach to refugees: UN chief The world needs to transform the way it responds to refugee situations and do more for the struggling countries that shelter almost all of them, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Tuesday, at a high-level forum seeking solutions to a turbulent decade of mass displacement. More must be done to protect refugees,… Read More

“Every fortnight, at least one indigenous language vanishes from the face of the earth”, spelled out Tijjani Muhammad-Bande. “This translates into two extinct indigenous languages each month”. Turning to the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the President pointed out that the 2007 milestone calls on States, among other things, to enact policies and laws aimed at preserving and… Read More