Category: Europe

“I am deeply worried by the heightened tensions and increased speculation about a potential military conflict in Europe”, António Guterres told journalists, in a statement at UN Headquarters in New York. With Western powers and the Ukrainian Government voicing increasing concern over the likelihood of a Russian invasion, which Moscow has repeatedly denied it is planning, the UN chief said that… Read More

Valentina and Tetiana Denysenko were forced to flee Donetsk in eastern Ukraine after armed conflict broke out there seven years ago. They moved to the Kharkiv region and founded a mini-farm, Green for You, where they now grow lettuce, herbs, and microgreens – young shoots that are harvested as soon as they begin to grow. Every month, restaurants order 300… Read More

Two children – Illia, 15, and Afina, 9 – have shared how although they do not bear any physical scars from the war, now in its eighth year, mortar shells and shrapnel have left them with invisible wounds that are nonetheless painful.  “My life has changed a lot,” said Illia. “If it hadn’t been for the war, I wouldn’t have… Read More

When the conflict broke out between Government forces and mostly pro-Russian separatists, Yuri Zykov and his family were forced to leave their home in Horlivka, a town in the eastern Donbas region which came under heavy fire, and was badly damaged.They headed to Vinnytsia, in central Ukraine, where Mr. Zykov found that local citizens were welcoming and happy to help.… Read More

Addressing ambassadors, the UN political affairs chief reiterated the UN Secretary-General’s appeal that “there can be no alternative to diplomacy and dialogue”.  Highlighting the “complex and long-standing security concerns and threat perceptions that have been raised”, the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Rosemary A. DiCarlo, repeated that any military intervention involving Russia, or NATO alliance forces which are also now on high alert,… Read More

Eight companies, including Vietnamese labour recruitment agencies and Chinese construction firms registered in Serbia, have reportedly been implicated in serious human rights abuses, they said, citing information received.   The experts have written to the businesses and are also in contact with authorities in the three countries.   Appalling conditions  “We are deeply concerned that these migrant workers may have… Read More

If adopted, the Nationality and Borders Bill would “seriously undermine the protection of the human rights of trafficked persons, including children; increase risks of exploitation faced by all migrants and asylum seekers; and lead to serious human rights violations”, Siobhán Mullally, the UN Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, said in a statement. “The bill fails to acknowledge the Government’s… Read More

UNHCR made the appeal in recommendations to France, which holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU), and the Czech Republic, which assumes the presidency in July.   Although many EU countries remain committed to international human rights and refugee laws and principles, 2021 saw the continuation of violent pushbacks of asylum seekers at EU borders,… Read More

According to the UN agency, between 21 and 24 December more than 160 people were rescued by Greece’s Hellenic Coast Guard – with support from the navy and air force, as well as merchant and private vessels.   Commending those efforts, Maria-Clara Martin, UNHCR’s representative in Greece, said “it is heart-rending that, out of despair and in the absence of safe pathways, refugees… Read More

Dominique Day, chairperson of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, was speaking in the wake of its visit to Paris from 13 to 16 December.  Focus on development  Country visits by UN rights experts take place at the invitation of the host government and focus on fact-finding, diagnosis and recommendations.  However, the Working Group’s mission was… Read More