Office – Career Meaning

Ethiopia: Prioritize victims amidst legacy of rights abuses, UN office urges

A joint report by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission emphasized the need to implement all components of transitional justice equally. These include criminal accountability, truth-seeking, reparations, and guarantees of non-recurrence, involving effective remedies for victims, legal reforms, and reconciliation. One of the recommendations…

UN rights office concerned over pre-election violence in Liberia

“We are concerned by reported instances of election-related violence, use of language that could amount to hate speech, and attacks on journalists in Liberia ahead of the general election on 10 October,” said UN Human Rights Office Spokesperson in the country, Seif Magango. Violent clashes Violent clashes between supporters of the opposition Unity Party and…

Viet Nam: UN rights office condemns crackdown on climate activists

On Thursday, Hoang Thi Minh Hong, an acclaimed climate activist and former World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) employee, was sentenced to three years in prison and fined $4,100 after being convicted for tax evasion. Her trial lasted only three hours, and access to family and defence counsel were limited throughout her detention. Moreover, the…

Uganda: UN human rights office to close on Saturday

The closure of the office in Kampala follows the recent closure of sub-offices in Gulu and Moroto sub-offices. In February, the Government decided to terminate the mandate of the High Commissioner’s Office, OHCHR, in Uganda. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and human rights defenders denounced the move and had called for its reversal, according to media reports.…

Empowering women through social protection: UN rights office

Social protection provides a safety net for the vulnerable through policies and programmes that offer financial assistance, healthcare coverage and social insurance. “It helps prevent social exclusion and promotes social inclusion,” said Mahamane Cisse-Gouro, Director of the Human Rights Council and Treaty Mechanisms Division of human rights office OHCHR. Long-term gender gap The long-term gender…

UN rights office calls on France to address ‘deep issues’ of racism in policing

In a statement released in Geneva on Friday, OHCHR Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani expressed concern over the death of 17-year-old Nahel M on Tuesday, after he was shot dead driving away from a traffic stop in the Parisian suburb of Nanterre. According to news reports, at least 875 people were arrested in major cities around the…

Sudan crisis still having devastating impact on civilians: UN rights office

“We are concerned by the continued devastating impact of the fighting in Sudan on civilians,” Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence told journalists in Geneva. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and military rival, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), have been locked in vicious clashes since mid-April. Hundreds have been killed and some 1.2 million have been displaced. UN…

Burkina Faso: UN rights office calls for probe into latest deadly attack on civilians

The incident occurred on Thursday when armed men in uniform encircled Karma village, located in northern Yatenga province, and randomly shot at people. At least 150 civilians were killed, and many more wounded, according to reports. The attackers – allegedly members of the defence and security forces, accompanied by paramilitary auxiliaries known as the Volunteers…

Peru: UN rights office calls for probe into protestor deaths

“We are very concerned at the rising violence in Peru, which on Monday 9 January saw one of the deadliest days since unrest erupted in early December,” Spokesperson Marta Hurtado said in a statement. The protests were sparked after the former President, Pedro Castillo, attempted to dissolve Congress and rule by decree, which many viewed…

Saudi Arabia: Resumption of executions for drug offences ‘deeply regrettable’, UN rights office says

Spokesperson Liz Throssell said executions have been taking place almost daily over the past two weeks, following the end of a 21-month official moratorium. “The resumption of executions for drug-related offences in Saudi Arabia is a deeply regrettable step, all the more so coming just days after a wide majority of States in the UN…