Category: Human Rights

More must be done to protect refugees, respect their rights and address the reasons why people leave their homes in the first place, Mr. Guterres told the World Refugee Forum in Geneva, meeting for the first time. “Now more than ever, we need international cooperation and practical, effective responses. We need better answers for those who flee, and better help… Read More

The 30-page report based on research during the first three weeks of November, extensively details multiple allegations, including torture, rape and other forms of sexual violence by the police against people held in detention. The leader of the UN mission, Imma Guerras-Delgado, told journalists in Geneva, that the overall management of demonstrations by the police “was carried out in a… Read More

COP25: Italy and Mexico pave the way on climate education A commitment by Italy and Mexico to ramp up climate and environmental education has been welcomed by the UN office which supports global efforts to respond to climate change.  Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change (UNFCCC), expressed hope that more nations will follow their initiative, announced this week at the UN COP25 climate change… Read More

Ms. Suu Kyi was testifying in defence of her country, which is facing charges of genocide committed against the mainly-Muslim Rohingya minority group, brought by The Gambia, on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. If war crimes have been committed, they will be prosecuted within our military justice system Myanmar State Counsellor, Aung San Suu Kyi The de facto… Read More

UNICEF reports that the births of one in four children under-five, or some 166 million children globally, have never been officially recorded.  Too many children are “slipping through the cracks,” said Henrietta Fore, the agency’s Executive Director: “A child not registered at birth is invisible – nonexistent in the eyes of the government or the law,” she explained.  “Without proof of… Read More

They are the ones who are “bringing human rights to life”, as UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated in his message for the day.  “Globally, young people are marching, organizing, and speaking out: For the right to a healthy environment, for the equal rights of women and girls, to participate in decision-making, and to express their opinions freely”, he said.  “They are marching for their… Read More

Marking the day at a round table event, Chef de Cabinet Maria Luiza Viotti spoke on behalf of the UN chief, saying that, genocide remains “a scourge…causing great suffering”.  “On this day we remember and pay tribute to the victims of the horrendous crime of genocide” she stated, encouraging all to reflect on what can be done to uphold the… Read More

Inequality risks splitting society apart ‘on scale not seen since industrial revolution’ A new generation of inequalities risks splitting communities around the world on a scale not seen since the industrial revolution. That’s the message from the 2019 Human Development Report, produced by the UN Development Programme, UNDP. The report suggests that, although people worldwide have seen some… Read More

“Corruption affects people in their daily lives”, said Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in his statement for International Anti-Corruption Day, which is commemorated annually on 9 December. Mr. Fedotov maintained that corruption prevents accessing resources and opportunities, while eroding trust in public institutions and compromising the social contract. In doing so, “corruption… Read More

UN evaluates progress in improving peacekeeping performance The international community on Friday took stock of action to improve UN peacekeeping in line with a Security Council resolution aimed at enhancing performance at all levels, both at Headquarters in New York and in the field.  The UN welcomes opportunities to review its effectiveness, Secretary-General António Guterres told the meeting on Resolution 2436, adopted in September 2018. The UN chief recalled that his Action for Peacekeeping initiative renews collective… Read More