News Clips- June 24, 2016

Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights

• Nobel Laureate, Auun San Suu Kyi, arrived in Thailand on Thursday where she is expected to lobby for the rights of migrant workers. [The Guardian]
• Over 2,000 police have been deployed in Paris in preparation of protests over new labour legislation. Extra precautions have been taken in light of the last set of protests on June 14th that became violent. [BBC]
• A new UN report, Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, reports that more than half of the population of Yemen is facing food insecurity. [UN Press Release]

International Criminal Law

• Former UN secretary, Kofi Annan, raised concern over the way in which the ICC dealt with the cases of Kenyattta and Ruto. [BBC]
• The International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh (ICT-BD) has indicted four men for war crimes in 1971 during the Liberation War. [BD News]
• Former Vice President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bemba, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for crimes against humanity by the ICC. [The Guardian]
• A new OHCHR report warns that human rights abuses against the Rohingya in Myanmar may amount to crimes against humanity. [The Jurist]

Conflict and Humanitarian Emergencies

• Colombia has agreed to a ceasefire with the rebel group, FARC, in an effort to preserve peace in the region. [Al Jazeera]
• Senior UN officials raised concern over the “credibility of the international community” in regard to the response to the civil war in Syria. [UN Press Release]
• The Independent Expert to the UN on the situation of human rights in the Central African Republic expressed concern over the security of citizens there because of the ongoing armed conflict. [OHCHR Press Release]
• Fighting in Libya earlier in the week between ISIL and Libyan forces resulted in 36 Libyans dead and over 150 injured. [Al Jazeera]
• Special UN envoy to Yemen urges both parties to come to a peace deal as soon as possible. [Washington Post]
• Jordan seals its borders after 36 die in a suicide bomb attack outside a Syrian refugee camp. [The Guardian]
• Israel cut the water supply to the West Bank, prompting civil society organizations accused Israel of using water as weapon of war. [Al Jazeera]

Arrest and Detention

• Over 50 Palestinian prisoners are on a hunger strike to show solidarity with Bilal Kayed, an activist who was put on administrative detention after completing his sentence after being convicted of membership in Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. [Al Jazeera]
• In a joint statement UN human rights experts called on Member States to double their effort  in protecting LGBT+ people in detention centers. [UN Press Release]

Freedom of Assembly, Expression, and Religion

• Bahrain stripped Sheikh Isa Qassim, a religious leader, of his nationality for alleged involvement with Islamic radicalism. [Al Jazeera]
• Six people were killed in Mexico as teachers continued to protest. [Al Jazeera]

Refugees and Migrants

• A new UNHCR report, Global Trends, warns of record setting rates of forced displacement. [UNHCR Press Release]
• UN experts warn that the fight against ISIL in Iraq could displace millions. [The Guardian]

Regional Bodies 

• The Organization of American States (OAS) is facing severe budget cuts which will have ramifications of human rights and stability throughout the region. [UN DISPATCH]
• After citizens of the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union, David Cameron announced his resignation. [BBC]

Crime and Impunity

• Independent researchers have called for a formal investigation into the disappearance of 43 students from Mexico. [The Guardian]