Category: Pacific

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

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

Speaking at the Afghanistan 2020 Conference, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet and UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, both listed changes that would improve the lot of ordinary Afghans and prospects for rebuilding the war-torn country.   Six asks OHCHR chief Ms. Bachelet said she had six “asks” for the people of Afghanistan, beginning with an immediate commitment to protect… Read More

The rockets reportedly were fired from vehicles, hitting several densely populated areas.  The ISIL affiliate in the country has claimed responsibility, according to media reports which cited intelligence sources. Deeply shocking and deplorable that civilians should be subjected to such indiscriminate attacks. Those responsible must face justice. Our thoughts are with the bereaved and wishing recovery to all those inured. #Afghanistan… Read More

Released on Wednesday, UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) report Geospatial Practices for Sustainable Development showcases examples from the region’s countries employing applications of space technology to advance sustainable development.   “Night-light” satellite images monitoring the impact of lockdowns, “heatmaps” to chart out communities vulnerable to the pandemic and its socio-economic consequences, real-time situational analysis, and dashboards integrating… Read More

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement (RCEP) was signed on Sunday by 15 countries including China, Japan, Australia, Vietnam and South Korea, jointly covering a total population of more than 2.3 billion people – five times the size of the European Union.  Framework for the future  “The agreement could help revive post-COVID economic growth, boost intra-regional trade and investment links at a… Read More

In a statement on Monday, Mary Lawlor, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, said she was “alarmed” by credible reports that at least 21 human rights defenders have been subjected to threats, arbitrary arrests and detentions in the past three months.  “I have reviewed publicly available footage where excessive force has been used by the security forces… Read More

Response efforts have been underway since the Typhoon, known locally as Rolly, struck the archipelagic nation on 1 November, leaving widespread devastation in its wake.   Fully funded, the six-month response will support some 260,000 disaster-affected people, many of whom were already living in poverty prior to the disaster.   Launching the appeal, Gustavo Gonzalez, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the… Read More

U Cho, a sixty-one-year-old farmer from the Mandalay region, in central Myanmar, has had to overcome severe difficulties all of his life. At the age of five, he contracted polio, which left him paralyzed in his left leg and put paid to his plans of becoming a monk after completing his primary education. “With no hope of joining public service… Read More

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), southern Luzon, one of the worst affected regions, is home to more than 35,000 Filipino migrants forced to return amid the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.   In addition, a COVID-19 case count of over 70,000 has “exacerbated the challenges” of emergency response efforts, especially in managing evacuation sites, the UN… Read More