Tag: human rights

Secretary-General António Guterres credited the more than 80 per cent of those who cross borders in a safe and orderly fashion as powerful drivers of “economic growth, dynamism, and understanding”. “But unregulated migration along increasingly perilous routes – the cruel realm of traffickers – continues to extract a terrible cost”, he continued in his message marking the day. Deaths and… Read More

Victor Madrigal-Borloz, the UN Special Rapporteur on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, said in a statement that he was worried that stigma and prejudice against trans women could be behind efforts to postpone consideration of the Bill – which has one remaining stage to go in the Scottish Parliament – or weaken it. Scotland… Read More

Addressing the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Mr. Türk reported that the number of people arbitrarily detained – either for expressing their political views, or for being perceived as critics of the Government – rose from 195 in September to 225 today.  “This includes relatives of detained political opponents, allegedly to coerce the latter into surrendering,” he said.  Precarious… Read More

Speaking in Geneva, after returning from a four-day tour of war-ravaged Ukraine this week, Volker Türk confirmed that he had been forced to take shelter in a bunker during a shelling attack. His experience was what Ukrainians and UN colleagues, encountered “on a regular basis”, the High Commissioner said, before insisting that he read nothing more into the incident, other than the… Read More

The annual commemoration celebrates the UN General Assembly’s adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10 December 1948.  “Human rights are the foundation for human dignity, and the cornerstone of peaceful, inclusive, fair, equal and prosperous societies,” said Mr. Guterres.  “They are a unifying force and a rallying cry. They reflect the most fundamental thing we share –… Read More

Mohsen Shekari was hanged on Thursday morning after the Islamic Revolution Court in Tehran found him guilty of moharebeh or “waging war against God”.   This was the first execution of a protester convicted for taking part in the recent anti-government unrest sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini for violating strict dress codes, according to news media.  Meanwhile,… Read More

Moreover, he added, it was performed in the presence of local residents and some senior members of the de facto authorities.  Reminding that public executions constitute a form of “cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment”, he stressed that they are “arbitrary in nature and contrary to the right to life protected under the International Covenant on Civil and Political… Read More

Tendayi Achiume, an independent UN human rights expert, who monitors racism and related intolerance, worries that in recent years there has been an “unleashing” of formerly marginal kinds of discourse.  from anti-Semitism, to anti-black racism, and Islamophobia. “Divisions and problems at a global and planetary level are all interconnected, and we may not have the kind of time that previous… Read More

This first global survey on experiences of violence and harassment at work, aims to provide a better understanding and awareness of an issue rooted in complex economic, social and cultural factors, said ILO in a press release published on Monday. Experiences of Violence and Harassment at Work: A global first survey  assesses the extent of the problem and looks at the factors that… Read More

Highlighting the progress made by Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh/ISIL (UNITAD), he said evidence collected and analysed, substantiated preliminary findings from his previous report.  He cited crimes committed against Christians such as enslavement and forced conversion; “notable progress” on the development and use of chemical and biological weapons; and inspections on the destruction of internationally… Read More