Ending the stigma and persistence of leprosy requires governments to step up

by Alice Cruz, Special Rapporteur on the elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members and Geneva By invitation, Thematic human rights issues

On World Leprosy Day, organizations across the world must come together to raise awareness and work towards the implementation of concrete goals to end discrimination around leprosy. Elton (alias) was born in 1980 in Rio de Janeiro. He was born in a favela, without access to education or to the formal labor market, and he had to depend on manual …

Mapping and overcoming the risks, threats, and challenges faced by Environmental Human Rights Defenders in Latin America, with a particular focus on indigenous and rural defenders

by Mariana Montoya Environmental human rights defenders, Thematic human rights issues

On the 8th and 9th November, 2017, the URG Latin America, with the support of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment, Professor John Knox and the International Union for Conservation of Nature – National Committee of the Netherlands (IUCN-N), convened a two-days regional consultation on the situation of environmental human rights defenders (EHRD) in Latin America. Around …

Derechos Humanos y Objetivos 2030

by Lorena Fries - Subsecretaria de derechos humanos Ministerio de Justicia y Derechos Humanos de Chile By invitation, Thematic human rights issues

  Este artículo fue originalmente publicado en El Mostrador  el 13 de septiembre de 2017.  En septiembre de 2015, la Asamblea General de Naciones Unidas adoptó la Agenda 2030 para el Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS), un plan de acción para poner fin a la pobreza, proteger el planeta y garantizar que las personas, todas, gocen de paz y prosperidad. Se trata de un …

Indigenous peoples and the environment: challenges and opportunities for the UN human rights system

by Mariana Montoya, Universal Rights Group and Geneva Thematic human rights issues

On 1 August 2017, the Embassy of Turkey in Colombia, the Fundación el Nogal, and the Universal Rights Group, with the support of Club El Nogal, organised an event to raise awareness of the situation of the rights of indigenous peoples (IPs) in Colombia. This event saw the participation of high-level representatives of the Colombian Government, leaders of indigenous communities, …

El caso Argentina: la experiencia del Grupo de Trabajo sobre las Desapariciones Forzadas e Involuntarias

by Estela B. de Carlotto and Geneva By invitation, Thematic human rights issues

16 de febrero de 2017 En 2015, al cumplirse el aniversario número 35 de su conformación, el Grupo de Trabajo sobre Desapariciones Forzadas e Involuntarias viajó a nuestro país para realizar las sesiones periódicas y mantuvo reuniones con los organismos de derechos humanos y los diferentes órganos del Estado que trabajan en pos de prevenir y garantizar la justicia en …

“Los derechos humanos son parte integrante de cada uno de los ODS”

by Michael Møller, UN Under-Secretary General, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva and Geneva By invitation, Thematic human rights issues

Nota: Este artículo está basado en una nota presentada por S.E. Sr. Michael Møller, Secretario Adjunto de las Naciones Unidas y Director General de La Oficina en Ginebra de las Naciones Unidas, el jueves 19 de junio de 2017, durante una consulta informal de un día completo sobre ‘Derechos Humanos y la Agenda 2030 de Desarrollo Sostenible: Oportunidades y retos …

Es momento de borrar las restantes leyes de blasfemia del mundo

by Joelle Fiss and Geneva By invitation, Thematic human rights issues

En mayo pasado, Irlanda se despertó ante la extraña noticia de que la policía irlandesa estaba investigando comentarios hechos por el actor Stephen Fry, que, según se alega, podría considerarse blasfemo. En una entrevista televisiva de 2015, Fry había acusado a Dios de ser un maníaco egoísta, y preguntó: “¿por qué debería yo respetar a un Dios estúpido caprichoso, mezquino, …

La Organización de Naciones Unidas debería crear la ‘libertad de la corrupción’ como un derecho humano

by Matthew H. Murray* and Geneva By invitation, Corruption and human rights, Thematic human rights issues

Matthew Murray es un abogado internacional, fue un asesor principal en la administración de Obama en asuntos anticorrupción de 2012 a 2017. Fue Subdirector Adjunto para Europa, Oriente Medio y África para el Departamento de Comercio de Estados Unidos de 2012 a2015 y Asesor Principal de Gobernanza y Estado de Derecho de la Agencia de los Estados Unidos para el …

The United Nations should create freedom from corruption as a human right

by Matthew H. Murray* and Geneva By invitation, Corruption and human rights, Thematic human rights issues

Matthew Murray is an international lawyer who was a senior advisor in the Obama Administration on anti-corruption issues from 2012-2017.  He served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Europe, the Middle East and Africa for the U.S. Department of Commerce from 2012-2015 and Senior Advisor on Governance and Rule of Law for the US Agency for International Development from 2016-2017.  The …

Time to scrap the world’s remaining blasphemy laws

by Joelle Fiss and Geneva By invitation, Thematic human rights issues

Last May, Ireland woke up to the strange news that the Irish police were investigating remarks made by actor Stephen Fry, which, it was alleged, might be considered blasphemous. In a 2015 television interview, Fry had accused God of being a selfish maniac, and asked: ‘why should I respect a capricious, mean-minded, stupid God who creates a world which is …