New York,N.Y. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) today expressed alarm over reports of serious rights violations in Myanmar’s northern Rakhine state that cite allegations of extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests and sexual violence, and a renewed spike in hate speech – including on social media. […]
Tag Archives: human rights
LGBT expert urges partnership to end violence and discrimination
New York, N.Y. Global partnership is needed to end discrimination and violence against the worldwide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, a United Nations human rights expert has told an international conference in Bangkok, Thailand, outlining five key steps that should be taken. […]
‘Philosophy is an Art of Living Together’ on World Philosophy Day
New York, N.Y. Marking World Philosophy Day, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is encouraging people of the world to share their philosophical heritages and “dare to open spaces for free, open and tolerant thinking.” Sculpture “The Thinker” by Auguste Rodin. World Philosophy Day takes place every November. Photo: Hans Andersen. The […]
‘Global Open Day’ Emphasizes Afghan Women’s Role in Fighting Extremism
New York, N.Y. Following a meeting with Afghan civil society representatives today in Kabul, senior UN officials stressed that securing women’s rights is essential to strategies that combat violent extremism and encouraged the Government to develop and implement human-rights based and gender sensitive polices to address to address its drivers. Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan Pernille […]
Protecting Cultural Heritage from Combatants and the Universal Values
New York, N.Y. Safeguarding cultural property that combatants aim to damage encompasses part of larger endeavours to defend human rights and universal values, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today, calling on the international community to intensify efforts to protect such treasures and end their illicit trafficking. Residents of Timbuktu pass by Djingareyber Mosque, one […]
U.N. Stresses Need for Coherent Policies to End Child Labor
New York, N.Y. With some 168 million children working in various sectors globally, the fight against child labour requires coherent policy packages to support legislation focused on quality education, social protection and decent jobs for parents, the United Nations International Labour Organization (ILO) said today. Child labor on family farms should be addressed in an […]
Ireland: U.N. Experts Urge Amending Abortion Ban
New York, N.Y. A woman in Ireland who was forced to choose between carrying her foetus to term, knowing it would not survive, or seeking an abortion abroad was subjected to discrimination and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment as a result of Ireland’s legal prohibition of abortion, United Nations experts have found. UN Human Rights […]
Human Rights Chief Welcomes Pfizer Decision to Bar Execution Drug
New York, N.Y. The United Nations human rights chief today warmly welcomed the initiatives announced by pharmaceutical company Pfizer to ensure that the drugs it produces will not be used by States to carry out executions by lethal injection. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein addresses the 31st regular session of the Human […]
