#Special Rapporteur

[vyorei]

I genuinely do not have any idea how many war crimes have been committed now, there's been too many, I know someone's gotta have kept a counter because this shit is insanity.

[albinismawarenessday]

10 years of International Albinism Awareness Day – collective progress celebrated, challenges remain.

- A UN expert today hailed the collective progress made in pursuing human rights for persons with albinism, since the UN General Assembly officially recognised 13 June as International Albinism Awareness Day (IAAD) in 2014. Muluka-Anne Miti-Drummond, the UN Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism, made the following statement:

“For the past decade, we have made remarkable headway in highlighting the human rights concerns of persons with albinism – a feat that could not be achieved without the valuable partnerships and collaboration forged among persons with albinism and stakeholders who have been important allies in this endeavour.

It is apt that this year we celebrate under the theme 10 Years of IAAD: A Decade of Collective Progress. Significant strides have been made in combatting stigma, discrimination and violence experienced by persons with albinism.

In the past decade, the inclusion of persons with albinism in human rights discourse and decisions, also within the disability movement, have been encouraging to witness. However, we also recognise that the journey to a more equitable world for persons with albinism continues to be marred by significant challenges and difficulties.

Persons with albinism are still among those who are left furthest behind when it comes to the SDG promises and there is still a dire need to strengthen their protection in legislation and policies, as well as their inclusion in data collection, public awareness campaigns and representation in all spheres of society. All of these efforts contribute to debunking dangerous myths and misbeliefs that have been among the root causes of discrimination and marginalisation against them.

While we need to capitalise on the gains that have been made so far, we recognise that there is still much work to do. Ongoing prejudice, and violence against persons with albinism in various parts of the world is still concerning. I continue to receive cases of attacks and killings, often perpetuated against the most vulnerable in our societies – our children. With regard to health challenges, the struggle remains for many persons with albinism to access a simple bottle of life-saving sunscreen -- an unaffordable luxury in some regions. This indicates how much work still remains in our pursuit to alleviate the plight of persons with albinism.

Reflecting on the achievements of the past 10 years, means we must also renew our commitment to address the remaining challenges adversely impacting the rights and well-being of persons with albinism. This requires a multi-faceted approach that engages all of us – the collective – and which will require more awareness-raising, education, advocacy, legislative and policy reforms, and community engagements.

In commemorating International Albinism Awareness Day today, we celebrate the resilience, strength, and contributions made by persons with albinism to our societies -- while continuing to strive for a world where dignity, equality, and human rights are fully enjoyed by all persons with albinism.”

[immaculatasknight]

Schooling Canada's elites

[developmentinformationday]

Unilateral Coercive Measures as a critical impediment to the realization of the Right to Development.

In her most recent reports, from 2023 and 2024, the Special Rapporteur of the Human Rights Council on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights, Professor Alena F. Douhan, reported on the increasing trend of over-compliance with so-called "sanctions" by governments, companies, and various entities.

Watch the Unilateral Coercive Measures as a critical impediment to the realization of the Right to Development!

[humanrightsday]

Driving sustainable development: the crucial contributions of human rights defenders to the 2030 Agenda.

This year's assessment of progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development stated that only 17% of the development goals were on track. The UN has highlighted the need for a 'fundamental shift in global behaviour' in order to deliver on the goals.

Human rights defenders play a key role in promoting and protecting these rights. The Special Rapporteur's report shows how they are working in every region of the world on every one of the 17 Goals, driving progress towards their achievement. They are working to ensure that no-one is left behind and furthermore, that the furthest behind are reached first. This work often goes unrecognised and unprotected while in some areas, those striving to fulfill the promise of the Goals are themselves stigmatized, criminalised or killed. The report celebrates the contribute of these human rights defenders towards the SDGs and calls on governments to recognise them as vital allies as States work towards meeting their 2030 Agenda commitments.

The side event will take place two days before the Special Rapporteur's presentation of the report to the General Assembly.  The Special Rapporteur will be joined on the panel by a young human rights defender from Brazil and a woman human rights defenders from the USA. 

Wellington ('Wallito') Gabriel de Jesus dos Santos, from the Pitanga dos Palmares Quilombola community in the north of Bahia State works to defend the rights of his community, including their right to the titling of their land, as guaranteed under the Brazilian Constitution.  In 2017, his father was shot dead outside the communities' school, and in 2023, his grandmother was also brutally killed in response to her human rights work.

Emily Donovan is co-founder of Clean Cape Fear, a grassroots community action group in North Carolina working to restore and protect their air, soil, water and food supply from PFAS contamination, and spotlight deficiencies in government regulations that adversely impact their right to these basic needs. The group formed in June 2017 after learning Chemours, formerly DuPont, dumped large quantities of PFAS into the Cape Fear River—their primary source for drinking water.

Event organized by the Permanent Mission of Ireland to the United Nations.

Concept note

Watch Driving sustainable development: the crucial contributions of human rights defenders to the 2030 Agenda!

[russianlanguageday]

HRC - Press conference -Special Rapporteur on the Russian Federation.

Situation of human rights in the Russian Federation

Watch the HRC - Press conference: Special Rapporteur on the Russian Federation!

[humanrightsupdates]

UN Should Ensure Continued Scrutiny of Rights Crisis in Eritrea

Council Should Extend Mandate for Special Rapporteur

“Patterns of gross human rights violations, including the widespread use of arbitrary and incommunicado detention and enforced disappearance persist unabated” in Eritrea, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea, Dr. Mohamed Abdelsalam Babiker, told the UN Human Rights Council.

Despite consistent concerns being raised about the dire rights situation across the country, he reported there had been “no indications of any measures taken to improve” it.

This assessment, detailed in the report he presented during the council’s 56th session, was sadly unsurprising, given Eritrea’s track record of refusing to cooperate or engage with international and regional human rights mechanisms, despite its membership of the UN Human Rights Council.

Eritrea remains one of the only countries in the world to have never accepted a visit by a UN independent human rights expert, and the country has consistently ignored recommendations made by UN experts. It has also ignored repeated calls by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights over the last two decades, including to release detainees and to guarantee the rights to a fair trial, freedom of opinion and expression, religious freedoms, and peaceful assembly.

Despite consistent appeals from the UN, the African Commission and civil society, the Government has maintained a policy of indefinite national service, including compulsory military conscription, and has failed to stop abuses against conscripts, including children.

Civic space within Eritrea is completely closed: no independent media, independent civil society organizations, or political opposition parties are able to operate within the country, resulting in little to no checks on the executive. Impunity remains the norm and due process rights are systematically flouted. Given this context, international engagement and support for Eritrean human rights defenders is all the more important.

In the face of Eritrea’s flagrant and persistent violations, total disregard for human rights mechanisms, and erasure of domestic civic space, the work of the Special Rapporteur shines a much-needed spotlight on the situation in Eritrea, and much-needed support to beleaguered Eritrean civil society.

Countries with a vote at the UN Human Rights Council should respond positively to civil society appeals to support a resolution renewing his mandate when it is presented next week, despite moves by Russia, Iran and other rights-abusing Governments to counter the initiative. They should stand with victims of abuses and the courageous Eritrean human rights defenders, not with rights-abusing governments seeking to undermine international protections.

[bakrishna]

[protecteducationday]

‘Dire year’ for children caught in conflict, as hospital and school attacks double.

Violations of international law regarding children and armed conflict continued to have a “devastating impact”, the UN’s top official on the issue said on Tuesday, with a 112 per cent rise in the number of attacks on schools and hospitals.

Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict Virginia Gamba unveiled the Secretary-General’s latest annual report, for 2022, which showed there were 27,180 grave violations overall, an increase from the previous year.

The recorded violations only refer to verified information, with the likely toll much higher, and cover four categories: recruitment and use of children into armed groups or forces, killing and maiming, rape and sexual violence, and abduction.

Two thirds of violations involved boys, spanning 24 different conflict situations. A total of 8,831 children were killed or maimed, and another 7,622 were recruited by armed groups or forces.

[womenindiplomacyday]

Remind to people of the importance of UNSC Resolution 1325 and why women’s participation in peace and security processes matters!

On this International Day of Women in Diplomacy, OSCEPA Special Rapporteur on Gender Issues joins the celebration of #womendiplomats and their achievements: “Today we are once more reminded of the importance of #UNSCR1325 and why women’s participation in peace and security processes matters!”

[luthienne]

Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, Francesca Albanese

Injustice: Palestinian children’s experience of the Israeli military detention system

[vyorei]

I'm sickened to my fucking core

[immaculatasknight]

Defying world opinion

[indigenouspeopleday]

Advocating for the Visibility and Rights of Mobile Indigenous Peoples: The Dana+20 Manifesto (UNPFII Side Event).

This side event aims to amplify the voices of Mobile Indigenous Peoples and review the challenges faced by Mobile Indigenous Peoples to achieve rights, recognition and self-determination.

The side event will serve to disseminate the Dana+20 Manifesto of Mobile Peoples (2022) and will offer an opportunity to support the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples in his preparation for a thematic report on the situation of Mobile Indigenous Peoples to be submitted to the UN General Assembly in October 2024. This is a critical time to focus on the situation of Mobile Peoples, especially women and youth within these groups, and find avenues that affirm their rights and self-determination. The event will identify initiatives to recognize and respect the rights of Mobile Peoples including existing UN mechanisms, ILO instruments and their gaps.

Related Sites and Documents

Watch the Advocating for the Visibility and Rights of Mobile Indigenous Peoples: The Dana+20 Manifesto (UNPFII Side Event)!

[thoughtlessarse]

The European Union should suspend its trade and institutional ties with Israel to deter war crimes that amount to genocide in the Gaza Strip, the UN's special rapporteur on Palestine has said. Francesca Albanese - who recently concluded that the threshold of the crime of genocide has been met Gaza - told Euronews on Wednesday that the EU has "an obligation" to suspend its Association Agreement with Israel given that its offensive violates that agreement's provisions on human rights. "Israel has the political, financial, economic means to continue operating business as usual. It has no incentive whatsoever to change conduct," Albanese explained. "Europe is the main trading partner - which accounts I think for 30% of Israel's trade - so it has a huge power and it should use that power. In the end, this is not an option, it's an obligation because Article 2 of that association agreement foresees the suspension in case of violations of human rights," she added. A recent initiative by the leaders of Ireland and Spain calling on the European Commission to suspend the EU-Israel agreement has been met with resistance by other member states eager to uphold the bloc's stance of solidarity with Israel. A decision to halt the agreement would require the unanimous backing of all 27 EU member states. But the bloc's leaders have consistently clashed over their collective stance on the conflict that erupted following Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7th. Albanese said the EU's reluctance to use the measures in its power to hold Israel to account perpetuates Israel's impunity and reveals a "disconnect" between Europe's political class and the large portion of European society that has persistently called for a ceasefire in the besieged Gaza Strip. She also said EU leaders need to take more concrete counter-measures against Israel, including revoking diplomatic recognition and targeted sanctions on government officials.

continue reading

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

The Special Rapporteur's report is out. “The cost of torture is the annihilation of the rights of victims of terrorism.” It’s no secret that torture is the rot at the core of the military commissions. Ní Aoláin’s press conference clearly and powerfully captures what that means for 9/11 victims and family members. Here’s how she put it in her report:

The SR unequivocally states that the systematic rendition and torture at multiple (including black) sites and thereafter at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba—with the entrenched legal and policy practices of occluding and protecting those who ordered, perpetrated, facilitated, supervised, or concealed torture—comprise the single most significant barrier to fulfilling victims’ rights to justice and accountability. In her view, the use of torture was a betrayal of the rights of victims.

…

Systematic torture cannot be hidden from all of those whose human rights are impacted by its use. The practice of systematic torture goes to the heart of the now available justice for victims. It must be recognized as such.

[Just Security]