UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Mr. Juan Méndez, presented last week a controversial report to the UN Human Rights Council asserting that certain acts under national healthcare systems may violate the Convention against Torture (CAT). Special Rapporteur Méndez recognized that the report may arguably extend beyond his mandate as traditionally defined and into the realm of the “right to health,”
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UN Compensates Zimbabwe Staffer, but Haitian Victims' Struggle for Justice Continues in Cholera Outbreaks Attributed to UN
At the end of February, the United Nations (UN) issued two decisions concerning its role is the spread of cholera in Haiti and Zimbabwe. In Haiti, victims of cholera and their advocates claim that UN peacekeepers from Nepal introduced cholera to the country, but the UN has stated it will not hear their complaint. [UN] In Zimbabwe, a UN official claims
Read moreILO Expert Meeting Aims to Develop New Standards on Forced Labor and Trafficking
The International Labour Organization (ILO) will hold a Tripartite Meeting of Experts at its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland from February 11 to 15, 2013 to begin developing standards to address gaps in international legal protections against forced labor. [ILO] The experts, chosen in consultation with States and employers’ and workers’ groups, are to report on the additional standards deemed necessary to complement existing ILO
Read moreIACtHR Swears in New Judges, Hears Cases on Range of Issues during Ongoing 98th Session
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR) is holding its 98th Ordinary Session from February 4 through February 15, 2013 at its seat in San José, Costa Rica. [IACtHR Press Release (Spanish)] During this session, the Court will hear evidence and legal arguments from the parties in six cases pending before it, preside over private hearings on States’ compliance with three previous judgments,
Read moreOptional Protocol Brings New Opportunities for Realizing Economic and Social Rights
On 5 May 2013, the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) will take effect, creating new possibilities for individuals and groups to hold State Parties accountable for violations of economic, social and cultural rights. The ICESCR enshrines a variety of rights, including the right to work (article 6), the right to social security
Read moreInternational Human Rights Experts, States Call for Inquiry into Human Rights Abuses in North Korea
The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, human rights advocates, and some States are publicly supporting the creation of an expert committee to more fully investigate and address the human rights situation in North Korea. Recent reports by victims have revealed shocking allegations, but relatively little is known about the extent of suspected abuses, given the
Read moreStruggle for Economic and Social Justice in the United States Continues on MLK Day
President Barack Obama highlighted the importance of economic and social equality in his second inaugural address today, the day on which the country also commemorates civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King., Jr. In the United States today, a record number of people are living in poverty. [NCLEJ] Economic and social inequality in the United States remains remarkably high, particularly relative to countries of
Read moreStates to Negotiate, Adopt Treaty Regulating Mercury Emissions which Advocates Hope Will Address Health and Environmental Concerns
This week, governments are gathered in Geneva to negotiate the final text of an international treaty to regulate the uses and handling of mercury. [WP] In direct response to a 270-page United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report citing a lack of uniform global oversight on mercury emissions, the UNEP Governing Council recognized in 2009 that a legally binding document on
Read moreEuropean Committee of Social Rights Considers Labor Rights, Social Assistance, Access to Abortion and Environmental Contamination Complaints in 261st Session
The European Committee of Social Rights held its 261st Session from December 3 to 7, 2012 to consider seventeen collective complaints and examine States’ reports on their implementation of various articles of the European Social Charter. The European Committee of Social Rights, which typically meets seven times annually, is tasked with monitoring State compliance with the European Social Charter. Adopted in 1961 and revised in
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UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty Reports on Individual Access to Justice
On November 5, U.N. Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Magdalena Sepúlveda Carmona, presented her annual report to the U.N. General Assembly. The Special Rapporteur highlights the obstacles faced by individuals living in extreme poverty when they attempt to access courts and other remedies. Linking access to justice to numerous other human rights, her report concludes that States
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