On Thursday, March 7, the United Nations Human Rights Council held its “Annual full-day meeting on the rights of the child.”  In accordance with resolution 19/37, this year’s session featured a panel discussion focused on the right of the child to the highest attainable standard of health. IIMA Human Rights Office and the participants in 10th training course organized by the Office had the opportunity to observe the discussions. Navi Pillay, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, opening the discussion, said that 6.9 million children around the world died each...

The Salesian community in Veyrier and the IIMA Human Rights Office joyfully welcomed Sister Yvonne Reungoat, the Superior Mother General of the Salesian Sisters, from March 3rd through 6th, 2013. During her visit, Mother Yvonne took part in the second week of the 22nd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council. She observed presentations from several Special Rapporteurs: Olivier De Schulter, Special Rapporteur on Right to Food, Raquel Rolnik, Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing, Juan Mendez, Special Rapporteur on Torture, and Margaret Sekaggya, Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders.   Afterwards, she had the opportunity to witness the interactive dialogue among States...

“Education is a major driving force for human development”, stated UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the opening of the High Level Panel on Human Rights Mainstreaming, held on the 1st of March during the 22th Session of the Human Rights Council. In addition, he argued that education “opens doors to the job market, combats inequality, improves maternal health, reduces child mortality, fosters solidarity, and promotes environmental stewardship. Education empowers people with the knowledge, skills and values they need to build a better world” Furthermore, The UN Secretary General launched his new...

Yesterday evening, Wed. March 13, 2013, the cardinals met in conclave and elected the new Pope: the Jesuit Argentine Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who chose the name Francesco. A crowd of thousands welcomed him, despite poor weather. With his smile and his simple words, the new Pope has now established a relationship of mutual exchange between himself and the whole community. After praying for Bishop Emeritus Benedict XVI before the blessing and the final plenary, in fact, he asked the community for a moment of silence to pray and bless his mandate. The first South American Pope deserves...

From February 18th through February 21st, an Open-Ended Inter-Governmental Working Group (OEWG) met to discuss the Draft United Nations Declaration on the Right to Peace. Delegations from nearly 80 States, and nearly 30 Civil Society Organizations, along with several intergovernmental organizations participated in the meeting. IIMA participated in all sessions, and had the opportunity to give an Oral Statement during the session of the meeting focused on Article 4 on Peace Education. Maria D’Onofrio spoke on behalf of the Institute, underlining the importance of peace education for child development and for...

On Thursday, February 21st, 2013, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay participated in an event to launch the, “Rabat Plan of Action on the prohibition of advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence.”   The plan was inspired by several events in recent decades, from the role of media in spurring the Rwandan genocide to the recent film, “The Innocence of Muslims,” that led to retaliatory riots across the world.  As the High Commissioner said, “this spiral of violence has...

The Platform on the Right to Education is composed of NGOs committed to this Right. On 29th of January, the platform met to prepare a statement for the High Level Panel discussion on human rights mainstreaming which will be held on March 1st, 2013, during the 22nd session of the HRC. This Panel will focus on human rights and the post-2015 development agenda, with a particular focus on the right to education. The NGOs agreed to say that the failure to achieve education for all is in part due to the politics surrounding education in developing countries. Several activities will be...