Category: Pacific

“Criticism of Government policy, including through political satire and cartoons, is permitted under the rights to freedom of expression and cultural rights, and should not be criminalised,” the three Special Rapporteurs said in a statement.   In their appeal, the three UN Special Rapporteurs said that Ahmed Kabir Kishore – who needs insulin to treat diabetes – should be released immediately, as his health is worsening.  ‘Digital security’ charges  Mr. Kishore was… Read More

Mary Lawlor, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, said lawyers in China continue to be “charged, detained, disappeared and tortured”, five years on from a law enacted as an apparent national security measure. Criminalized profession “Since the so-called ‘709 crackdown’ began on 9 July 2015, the profession of human rights lawyer has been effectively criminalised in… Read More

Vidyut Mohan has been named as a UNEP Young Champion of the Earth for 2020., by UNEP Vidyut Mohan has pioneered a portable machine which burns agricultural waste without releasing harmful greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere turning it into charcoal and fertilizer which can be used by farmers in India. Farmers have traditionally burnt waste in their fields which not… Read More

“I acknowledge the efforts made by the Afghan authorities over the years to ensure the justice system is fair, equal and does not discriminate against anyone, including women. However, it is clearly not enough”, High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said in a statement. The report, In search of justice for crimes of violence against women and girls, examined 303… Read More

“Any transfer must follow a voluntary, informed decision,” Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said on Twitter on Sunday.  I am concerned by reports of #Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh being moved to Bhasan Char. UNHCR and UN partners seek access to them in order to hear their voices, understand their wishes and see conditions on the island. Any transfer must… Read More

I am in charge of the Volunteer Leader programme for the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) which is part of the I Am UNICEF initiative. We have some 22 volunteer leaders in communities across Thailand, who told me that while there is sufficient information and support for parents about COVID-19, there is nothing specifically for children. So, I had the idea of… Read More

The graduation is “testimony to years of effort resulting in hard-won sustainable development gains,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in a message.  #Vanuatu is celebrating, and so are we‼️ Vanuatu is the latest country to graduate out of the category of Least Developed Countries. We join the @UN family and all development partners in extending our best wishes to the people and… Read More

“We are disturbed by escalating violence over the past weeks and months in the Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua and the increased risk of renewed tension and violence”, Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), said in a statement. She said OHCHR was concerned by reports that reinforced military and security… Read More

According to UN data, one in three women worldwide experience physical or sexual violence mostly at the hands of an intimate partner. In 2019, 243 million women and girls, aged between 19 and 49, were affected by sexual and/or physical violence by an intimate partner.  in a rally on ending gender-based violence. The problem only worsened with the outbreak of… Read More

Javaid Rehman, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, and Agnes Callamard, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, said in a statement they were alarmed by the reports that Mr. Djalali had been transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for his execution.  “We are horrified by the reports that Mr. Djalali… Read More