The Committee on the Rights of the Child is composed of independent experts who monitor the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by its States parties. It also monitors the implementation of the Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, and on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. All states parties are required to report to the committee on how the rights are being met.  On May 9 and 10, 2023,...

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women – 85th Session on Venezuela 18 May 2023 The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations system. It requires countries to eliminate discrimination against women and girls in all areas and promotes women’s equal rights to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. On May 18, 2023, Venezuela was reviewed by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) at the Palais des Nations, Geneva. The...

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women – 85th Session on Spain 16 May 2023 The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations system. It requires countries to eliminate discrimination against women and girls in all areas and promotes women’s equal rights to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. Issues of Concern & Spain’s Progress The main concerns the committee had was Spain’s treatment of migrant, refugee, Roma, and disabled women and...

On 15 April, an armed conflict broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces (led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan) and the paramilitary force Rapid Support Forces (led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo). The two groups were allies in the uprising against Sudanese dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2019 and successfully overthrew his regime. The conflict broke out during civil reconstruction discussions where both sides were to cede power and allow civilian oversight. They were also to integrate the Rapid Support Forces into the regular military. There were disagreements and on 15...

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a cyclical review process of all 193 UN Member States. Once every four years the human rights situation in each State is reviewed. The State under review declares what action has been taken and the measures to be adopted to improve human rights within the Country. During the UPR, specific recommendations are made by the Member States of the Human Rights Council to the State under review. The 43rd UPR session was held from May 1 to 12 in Palais des Nations, Geneva. Among other...

Water is the driving force of all nature. - Leonardo da Vinci Since early times it has been clear to us that water is crucial for our existence and development. Since 1993, this has been officially emphasized by celebrating the 22nd of March as World Water Day. This day serves for all of us as a reminder of the importance of clean water and to become more aware of how we use and manage the water available to us. It is addressed to governments and businesses to create policies and practices...

Calling all Youth!  Are you interested in sharing your vision to help shape the future of human rights?  Consider joining the Human Rights 75 Youth Advisory Group! Established by UN Human Rights, this group will aim to include youth perspectives to promote youth rights globally. The qualifications to join are: Be 18-29 years old (as of March 2023) Have a minimum of 2 years of experience advocating for human rights at a local, national, regional, or international level Have English language proficiency (working level) The Youth Advisory Group will run until the end of...

On 8 March 2023, the United Nations will celebrate International Women’s Day with the theme: “DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality.” The session will highlight the importance of and need for “inclusive and transformative technology and digital education” (UN Women), as well as introduce the goal of bridging the gender inequality gap that exists in the digital and technological fields. In doing so, the UN predicts that: Online violence against women will decrease The GDP of low and middle-income countries will increase due to an increased participation of women’s skills...

On 27 February, 2023, the UN began its 52nd Human Rights Council.  In the afternoon, a high-level mainstreaming panel was held at Room XX of Palais des Nations. The theme of this year’s panel is “A Reflection on Five Years of the UN Youth Strategy (Youth 2030): Mapping a Blueprint for the Next Steps.”   There were many speakers in attendance, including representatives from South Africa, Uzbekistan, Lithuania, El Salvador, Qatar, and the European Union. One of the keynote speakers was Vulker Türk, the present High Commissioner for Human Rights. He spoke...

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a cyclical review process of all 193 UN Member States. Once every four years the human rights situation in each State is reviewed. The State under review declares what action has been taken and the measures to be adopted to improve human rights within the Country. During the UPR, specific recommendations are made by the Member States of the Human Rights Council to the State under review. The UPR sessions for Argentina, Benin, and Zambia were held between the 23rd and 30th of January...