Category: Europe

“The prison sentences delivered today in Belarus against four human rights defenders, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, are deeply troubling and indicative of the ongoing repression in the country,” said Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the UN human rights office, OHCHR. UN human rights chief Volker Türk has called for an end to the persecution of human rights defenders… Read More

Raising concerns over such continuous reports of revisionism concerning atrocity crimes perpetrated during the three-year-long conflict that began in 1992, she also pointed to recent incidents reported following a decision to amend the Law on the Center for the Srebrenica-Potočari Memorial and Cemetery for the Victims of the 1995 Genocide. “The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia determined conclusively… Read More

The members of the UN Working Group on the use of mercenaries also called for greater oversight by the Government as well as stronger integration of human rights in domestic policies.  “Armenia stands out in its efforts to integrate the 1989 UN Convention on Mercenaries in its domestic legislation, specifically in Article 147 of the Criminal Code which provides for… Read More

“Every person searching for a better life deserves safety and dignity,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said. “We need safe, legal routes for migrants and refugees.” The UN refugee agency (UNCHR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in a joint statement, expressed condolences for the victims and called on countries to increase resources and capabilities to effectively meet their responsibilities.… Read More

“Every person searching for a better life deserves safety and dignity,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said. “We need safe, legal routes for migrants and refugees.” The UN refugee agency (UNCHR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in a joint statement, expressed condolences for the victims and called on countries to increase resources and capabilities to effectively meet their responsibilities.… Read More

Denise Brown is the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine. Based in the capital Kyiv, she works alongside around 20 UN agencies with some 2,600 staff, the majority Ukrainians. She spoke to UN News about the challenges of supporting communities in a country at war. “Conditions have been pretty difficult in Ukraine over the past year and we’ve had… Read More

“Since the start of the full-scale war we, along with our humanitarian partners in Ukraine, have made every effort to ramp up operations to provide life-saving support to those who need it most,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told journalists in New York.  Last year, thousands of convoys delivered vital supplies to people in all regions of the country, he said,… Read More

“Life is a living hell for the people of Ukraine,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres told the Council, which has held more than 40 debates on the conflict since Russia’s full-scale invasion one year ago. On the occasion, the 15-member organ held a ministerial-level meeting on the heels of the UN General Assembly’s new demand that Russia immediately leave Ukraine, adopted… Read More

At its resumed eleventh emergency special session, the world body adopted a new resolution calling for an end to the war, only hours before the conflict enters its second year on Friday. The results were 141 Member States in favour and seven against – Belarus, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Eritrea, Mali, Nicaragua, Russia and Syria. Among the 32… Read More

Assembly President Csaba Kőrösi said that, for almost a full year, the world body, UN Secretary-General, and international community have been consistent and vocal in calls to end this war, and to adhere to the UN Charter and international law. “Let this anniversary and the anguish of millions before our eyes over the last year serve as a reminder to… Read More