Month: December 2022
UN rights experts condemn attacks in UK on trafficking victims’ credibility
The credibility of victims of trafficking and contemporary forms of slavery – including migrants and nationals – is now under attack in the UK, the Human Rights Council-appointed experts warned, in a statement published on Monday. ‘Unsubstantiated claims’ “We are alarmed by the rise in unsubstantiated claims by public officials and Government departments regarding persons…
Read MoreUN envoy reports ‘sharp increase’ in violence this year in Israel-Palestine conflict
He reiterated deep concern over the high levels of violence in the past several months, characterized by clashes, protests, attacks, Israeli security operations and other incidents. “I am gravely concerned by the sharp increase in violence against civilians on both sides, which exacerbates mistrust and undermines a peaceful resolution to the conflict,” he said. Young…
Read MoreGuterres announces ‘no nonsense’ climate action summit; calls for practical solutions
“We owe it to people to find solutions, to fight back, and to act”, said Secretary-General António Guterres. “At times, discreetly but always with determination, we will fight back.” Building on his general call to action, Mr. Guterres announced that he would convene a Climate Ambition Summit next September, and called on every leader to…
Read MoreRights experts urge UK to redraft controversial Northern Ireland bill
The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill was introduced in Parliament in May and passed a second reading in the House of Lords last month. Further review is set to take place in January. Little access to remedy The UN experts are concerned that the Bill bans, and in some cases unduly restricts,…
Read MoreScottish Parliament urged to adopt gender recognition reform
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…
Read MoreNew UN report warns against ‘dehumanizing’ migrants looking for work
The report, We wanted workers, but human beings came, published just ahead of International Migrants Day, zeroes-in on schemes in operation across the Asia-Pacific region – the largest single migrant-producing region in the world. “Migrant workers are often dehumanized”, said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, reminding that “they are human beings entitled…
Read MoreGlobal cholera surge likely accelerated by climate change, warns WHO
“The map is under threat (from cholera) everywhere,” said Dr. Philippe Barboza, from the World Health Organization, speaking in Geneva, via Zoom. Available data points to cases of infection in around 30 countries, whereas in the previous five years, fewer than 20 countries reported infections, on average. Reversing recent successes “The situation is quite unprecedented, for…
Read MoreAs biodiversity degrades, nature’s solutions are lost for ever
The UN biodiversity conference, COP15, is due to wrap up on 19 December. This weekend, we are looking at some of the ways that humanity is reliant on biodiversity for a healthy and thriving global ecosystem. When a species goes extinct, it takes with it all of the physical, chemical, biological, and behavioural attributes that…
Read MoreInternational Migrants Day: 280 million people leave home for ‘a better life’
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…
Read MoreMali: UN chief ‘strongly condemns’ deaths of two peacekeepers in ‘heinous attack’
In a statement issued on Friday, Stéphane Dujarric said that in addition to the deaths of the male and female peacekeepers in Timbuktu town earlier in the day, four other blue helmets from the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) were injured. Possible war crime Attacks targeting UN peacekeepers “may constitute war crimes”…
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