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April 19, 2012
in News EN

On March 7th, 2012 at Palais des Nations, the Human Rights Council held a “historic” panel on violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.  The panel commenced with an impassioned call to action via video message by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon for members of the Human Rights Council to respond to “disturbing” patterns of violence and discrimination committed against persons based on sexual orientation or gender identity, which set the tone for the discussion, reminding people that “lives are at stake.”  High Commissioner Ms. Navy Pillay...

April 18, 2012
in News EN

On March 5th, 2012, as part of the Human Rights Council at Palais des Nations, the UN held an interactive dialogue on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.  The focus of this discussion centered around accounts in recent years of harassment undergone by human rights defenders and citizen journalists in particular, usually at the hands of the State, in an invidious effort to silence their reports of human rights violations.  Mr. Mendes, Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, highlighted, in...

April 17, 2012
in News EN

On March 2nd 2012, Ms. Navy Pillay, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, presented her annual report to the Human Rights Council. Ms. Pillay said that 2011 was a critical year for human rights, a year characterized by “challenges to human rights linked to the global economic, climate, energy and food crises, famine in the Horn of Africa, armed conflict, racism and xenophobia, and lingering poverty.ˮ Ms. Pillay also recalled the mobilization of civil society against authoritarian governments in the Arab world.Next, the High Commissioner addressed the issue of human...

April 17, 2012
in News EN

On February 29th, 2012, the Human Rights Council held the first ever panel discussion of freedom of expression on the internet.  There were some complaints before the discussion even got under way that the panel was being moderated by an Al-Jazeera English journalist rather than the president or vice-president of the Council (according to UN protocol, they said) and admonitions that the United Nations  is “not a TV talk show.”  Such complaints, which appeared purely technical on the surface, seemed to aptly limn the conflict underlying the following debate: on...

April 17, 2012
in News EN

Geneva, 28 February 2012 – For the first time ever and more than twenty years after the official recognition of their rights, children can access justice at the international level thanks to the active campaigning promoted by an NGO coalition from across the world since 2006, which has resulted in the adoption of a new Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child.The official United Nations signing ceremony took place today, 28 February 2012, during the United Nations Human Rights Council session in Geneva. Twenty States signed...

April 17, 2012
in News EN

On the 28th of February, the Human Rights Council held a panel discussion on human rights mainstreaming and international cooperation. The panel opened with a message from United Nations Secretary-General Ban-ki Moon recalling that respect for human rights is a responsibility for all United Nations Member States and agencies. The message was followed by the speech of Navi Pillay, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, which affirmed that an increasing number of United Nations agencies were integrating human rights into their internal policies and were actively involved, through their...

April 16, 2012
in News EN

On February 28th, 2012 the Human Rights Council held an urgent debate on the human rights and humanitarian situation in the Syrian Arab Republic.Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser (President of the UN General Assembly) opened the meeting affirming that the report on Syria published by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria painted a dire picture of the situation on the ground. The Syrian Government has clearly failed in its responsibility to protect its people; on the contrary, its forces have committed serious human rights violations. Then Mr. Al-Nasser highlighted the...

March 29, 2012
in News EN

On February 27, 2012 the Human Rights Council opened its 19th session at Palais des Nations, Geneva. In the opening remarks, senior officials underlined how the United Nations’ commitment in protecting and promoting human rights is now as vital as ever, as demonstrated by the recent uprisings in the Arab region.The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms. Navi Pillay, stressed that the public request for the enjoyment of human rights against exclusion, inequality and discrimination has also emerged on other continents and that, despite its budgetary restrictions, the Office of...

March 29, 2012
in News EN

From the 20th to the 24th of February 2012, the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee held its 8th session at Palais des Nations, Geneva. The experts addressed, among other things, the issues of the right to peace and traditional values of humankind.With regard to the right to peace, a draft declaration on this subject has been reviewed. While opening the session, Mr. Heinz affirmed that both individuals and peoples are entitled to the right to peace, which nevertheless must be implemented by States individually, jointly, or as part of multilateral...

March 29, 2012
in News EN

On February 21, 2012 the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women considered the combined second, third, fourth and fifth periodic reports of Zimbabwe relating to how that country is implementing the provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.Introducing the report, Ms. Olivia Muchena, Minister of Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Development, said that Zimbabwe had embarked on a Constitution making process in 2009, which would enhance the full citizenship and equality of women. In April 2009, a women's conference was held...

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