On 22 March, on the occasion of the World Water Day, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, reaffirmed the importance of the management of water resource to fight against poverty and to guarantee the dignity for all.The management of water resource was among the several challenges decided during the Millennium Development Goal meeting. “Water for Cities” is the the theme of this year’s observance of World Water Day.On the one hand, urbanization could play an important role to improve both the efficiency water management and the access to safe...

The UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Margot Wallström, welcomed the decision of the African Union to appoint a Special Representative on Women, Peace and Security as a point of contact to strengthen the collaboration between the UN and the AU to eradicate sexual violence in Africa.Margot Wallström said that “without the political leadership of Africa, we will not succeed in eradicating this international crime”. In addition, she encouraged the UN Security Council to include conflict-related sexual violence as an item of the agenda in...

On the occasion of the 16th session of the Human Rights Council, held from 28 February to 26 March 2011, the Istituto Internazionale Maria Ausiliatrice  (IIMA) organized a side event on the “Right to Education of Children Living and/or Working in the Street”. The side event, held on March 4th at room XXIV at Palais des Nations, was realized in cooperation with VIDES International, Marist International Solidarity Foundation (FMSI), and Edmund Rice International (ERI), and under the  sponsorship of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR), the Embassy of Uruguay, the...

24 March 1980--- El Salvadorian human rights defender, Monsignor Oscar Arnulfo Romero, was shot to death while celebrating mass and after denouncing violations of the human rights of the most vulnerable populations and defending the principles of protecting lives, promoting human dignity and opposition to all forms of violence. Thirty years later, the UN General Assembly, marked the day as the “International Day for the Right to Truth Concerning Victims of Gross Human Rights Violations and Dignity of Victims”.  On the occasion of its first commemoration, on 24 March 2011,...

On 24th March, the Human Rights Council created a post of Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran to assess and report on the respect of human rights in the country.This is an important innovation because it implies that, henceforth, the situation of human rights in Iran will be constantly monitored by a UN expert who will submit at the Human Rights Council periodic reports. Consequently, Iran should cooperate with the Special Rapporteur, among other things, by inviting him/her to visit the country. To read more information, please...

Geneva, 17 March 2011- Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Center for International Environment Law,  Earthjustice and WaterLex led a side event at Room XXV, Palais des Nations on the topic “Climate Change and Human Rights.”  The panel was composed of Joshua Cooper (University of Hawaii), Alyssa Johl (Center for International Environment Law), Yves Lador (Earthjustice) and Maria Francisca Ize-Charin (WaterLex). Felix Kirchmeier (Friedrich Ebert Stiftung) acted as the moderator.In view of the perceived inadequacy of the establishment of United Nations Framework on Climate Change (“UNFCC”) to fully address the issue of climate...

After the creation of the UN Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) in 2006, the country has taken important steps toward peace and development. The mission was created in 2006 to face the outbreak of deadly violence. Its aim is to train the national police to maintain peace and stability in the country. After many years, the country has finally achieved consolidated peace and development through the reconstitution of the national police.The country’s Special Representative, Ameerah Haq, discussed the possibility of the peacekeeping mission withdrawing from Timor-Leste, but “this phase will be...

After a week-mission in Tunisia, four top Experts from the UN Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said in a report that currently it is vital to support the country to the transition to democracy.In the opinion of experts, to make it possible it is necessary a separation of legislative, executive and judicial powers and to put human rights and dignity at the core of the change. Tunisia is preparing itself for the new era and the population wish to break with past injustices, the experts said....

From 20 to 27 February 2011, the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Haiti, Michel Forst will visit the Country for the third time after the January 2010 earthquake.The aim of the mission is to analyse the situation of the country after his last visit on September 2010, and to verify if the recommendations reflected in his last report on Haiti presented to Human Rights Council, are being implemented.The mission will focus on the implementation of the human rights approach for the reconstruction of the country, the...

Monday, February 14, the UN Commission for Social Development met for a week of preparation for a Summit, this June, during which governments, private companies and unions of 183 UN members’ states will a common basis for a social protection worldwide.The UN has started to lay down a strategy to ensure global social security. Before the press, Director of the Department of Social Security of the International Labour Office (ILO), Michael Cichon, enumerated four pillars which form the foundation to create a comprehensive social protection system, namely: basic income security...