Desigualdad es una preocupación importante para los observadores de derechos humanos de la ONU

by Steven L. B. Jensen, Senior Researcher at the Danish Institute for Human Rights By invitation, Human rights implementation and impact, Inequality and social rights, Thematic human rights issues

Los organismos de derechos humanos de la ONU están enfatizando la desigualdad al hacer recomendaciones a los Estados, mostrando que la consideración y acción sobre el tema debe ser una preocupación central de los derechos humanos. ¿Los derechos humanos tienen algo que decir sobre la desigualdad material? Vale la pena hacer la pregunta, especialmente a la luz de críticas recientes. …

Spotlight on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights at the UN

by Grace Kennedy, former Universal Rights Group NYC Human rights implementation and impact, Human rights institutions and mechanisms, SRHR, Thematic human rights issues, UN General Assembly/Third Committee

In Michelle Bachelet’s address at the 74th session of the Third Committee at the UN General Assembly (GA) she highlighted recent ‘pushbacks on women’s equality’ and the need for a ‘pushback to the pushback.’ Indeed, over the last several years, women’s rights, and especially women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), have been a point of contention at the UN. …

Foco en salud y derechos sexuales y reproductivos en la ONU

by Grace Kennedy, former Universal Rights Group NYC Human rights implementation and impact, Human rights institutions and mechanisms, SRHR, Thematic human rights issues, UN General Assembly/Third Committee

En su discurso en la 74ª sesión de la Tercera Comisión en la Asamblea General de las Naciones Unidas (AGNU), Michelle Bachelet destacó los recientes “retrocesos contra la igualdad de género” y la necesidad de una “oposición al retroceso”. De hecho, en los últimos años, los derechos de las mujeres, y especialmente la salud y derechos sexuales y reproductivos (SDSR) de …

Towards a new accountability? EU adds to growing momentum behind ‘Magnitsky acts’

by Louis Mason, Universal Rights Group Accountability, Corruption and human rights, Human rights institutions and mechanisms, Justice, Prevention, Prevention, accountability and justice, Thematic human rights issues

On 9th December, the day before International Human Rights Day, EU foreign ministers took the historic decision to begin work on an EU-wide ‘Magnitsky act.’ The decision came just over a year after the Dutch Foreign Minister, Stef Blok, gave a landmark speech to his European counterparts in which he drew attention to the crucial importance of accountability for serious human …

Women’s rights and freedom of religion or belief

by Marie Juul Petersen By invitation, Thematic human rights issues

In China, women from the Muslim Uighur minority are allegedly subject to rape and forced sterilisation in the so-called ‘re-education camps’ where hundreds of thousands of people are detained solely because of their religious affiliation. In Egypt, religiously justified family laws on e.g. marriage, divorce and custody of children discriminate not only against women, but also religious minorities, leaving religious …

‘Unfriending’ online hate: The contribution of the World Jewish Congress

by Leon Saltiel, WJC’s Representative in Geneva and Project Manager on Countering Antisemitism and Yfat Barak-Cheney, WJC’s Director of International Affairs By invitation, Thematic human rights issues

There is little doubt that one of the modern world’s principal political challenges is the rise of hate speech, particularly in the cyber arena. Such hateful and intolerant expression, especially when widely circulated via the internet, promotes populism, extremism and radicalisation and deplorably leads to violence and murderous attacks. This incitement tears societies apart, threatens democracy and the rule of …

URG Insights :

Incendios en el Amazonas: los derechos en llamas

by URG LAC Team Thematic human rights issues

El 24 de septiembre, el presidente de Brasil, Jair Bolsonaro dio un discurso de alto nivel durante el debate general de la sesión número 74 de la Asamblea General (AG) de las Naciones Unidas (NU). En este, afirmó que su gobierno está firmemente comprometido con la protección y conservación del medio ambiente, así como con el desarrollo sostenible en el …

URG Insights - The Amazon fires: the burning of rights.

The Amazon fires: the burning of rights

by URG LAC Team Environmental human rights defenders, Thematic human rights issues

On 24th September, the President of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, delivered a high-level speech during the general debate of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly (GA). In it, he claimed that his Government is firmly committed to environmental protection and conservation, as well as to sustainable development more broadly. Yet, in the same speech, he questioned claims about the …

Do digital technologies hurt or support human rights?

by the URG team Thematic human rights issues

On 14 May this year, the San Francisco city council voted to ban the use of facial recognition technology by local authorities and agencies, including the police. Several other US cities, and even some States, are now considering following suit. These important developments come in the wake of the release of a recent study by Georgetown University, which found that the use …

The UN Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech: tackling discrimination, hostility and violence

by Rodrigo Saad, former Universal Rights Group - NYC Thematic human rights issues

‘Hate speech is a challenge from which no country is immune,’ stated Adama Dieng, Special Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide at the launch event  of the  UN Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech . The system-wide strategy was launched amid a backdrop of surging levels of xenophobia, racism, and overall intolerance throughout the world. This trend has been amplified by social media and information communication technologies, which have …