international human rights – Page 23 – International Justice Resource Center

UN Senior Official Visits Honduras Following Threats to Human Rights Defenders

August 1, 2017 IJRC civil society, discrimination, economic, social & cultural rights, environmental rights, human rights defenders, indigenous communities, Inter-American System, international human rights, regional human rights protection, right to life, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Special Procedures, Universal system, women's rights

The United Nations Assistant Secretary General for Human Rights, Andrew Gilmour, visited Honduras last week to assess the human rights situation in the country – particularly regarding the protection of human rights defenders and indigenous peoples – a visit that took place in the context of continued threats to human rights defenders in the country. [OHCHR Press Release: Honduras; IACHR

August 2017: United Nations Bodies and Inter-American Court in Session

July 31, 2017 IJRC children, discrimination, economic, social & cultural rights, environmental rights, Inter-American System, international human rights, migrants, monthly overview, persons with disabilities, regional human rights protection, torture, UN Human Rights Council, UN Special Procedures, UN treaty bodies, Universal system, women's rights

Several universal bodies and experts and one regional court will review States’ compliance with their human rights obligations through the review of State reports, debates, review of individual complaints, and country visits in the month of August. Three United Nations treaty bodies will meet throughout August to engage with States regarding their treaty obligations related to torture, racial discrimination, and

News Clips- July 28, 2017

July 28, 2017 IJRC armed conflict, assembly and association, civil society, democracy & political rights, discrimination, due process & judicial protection, economic, social & cultural rights, environmental rights, immigration & asylum, indigenous communities, international criminal law, international human rights, LGBTI rights, migrants, News Clips, thought, expression & association, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Universal system

Violence & Humanitarian Crises On Wednesday, several international aid organizations in the Central African Republic halted operations due to violence between armed groups and the targeting of aid workers. [Reuters] On Monday, suicide attacks targeted two camps for internally displaced persons in Nigeria resulting in the deaths of at least eight people. [UN News Centre] On Monday, at least 24

UN Reports Civilian Casualties, Rights Abuses Remain High in Afghanistan

July 24, 2017 IJRC armed conflict, children, education, health, International Criminal Court, international criminal law, international human rights, international humanitarian law, right to life, Universal system, women's rights

On July 17, 2017, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) released its mid-year report on the situation of civilians in Afghanistan, revealing that the level of civilian casualties remains high. [UNAMA Press Release] UNAMA confirmed a total of 5,243 civilian casualties (1,662 deaths and 3,581 injured) from January 1 to June 30, 2017, which represents a decrease of

News Clips- July 21, 2017

July 21, 2017 IJRC assembly and association, civil society, corporate accountability, democracy & political rights, economic, social & cultural rights, environmental rights, human rights defenders, Inter-American System, international human rights, liberty & security of person, News Clips, regional human rights protection, thought, expression & association, torture, UN Special Procedures, Universal system

Civil Society Around the world, people went to the ocean this week to commemorate the death of Liu Xiaobo, a Chinese dissident who recently died in custody, after his ashes were spread in the sea. [Guardian] A journalist in Russia reported this week that he received threatening text messages demanding he halt his current work. [CPJ] A court in Turkey

News Clips- July 14, 2017

July 14, 2017 IJRC African System, armed conflict, assembly and association, civil society, democracy & political rights, economic, social & cultural rights, environmental rights, health, human rights defenders, international human rights, News Clips, regional human rights protection, thought, expression & association, UN Special Procedures, Universal system

Civil Society Liu Xiaobo, a Chinese dissident who previously won the Nobel Peace Prize, died from cancer on Thursday. [New York Times] On Wednesday, protesters in Zimbabwe demonstrated in favor of fair elections but were met with tear gas and water cannons. [Al Jazeera] Last weekend, tens of thousands of protesters in Istanbul, Turkey demonstrated against the state of emergency

Inter-American Commission Selects Soledad García Muñoz as Inaugural ESCER Special Rapporteur

July 11, 2017 IJRC cultural rights, economic, social & cultural rights, education, environmental rights, health, Inter-American System, international human rights, regional human rights protection, UN Special Procedures, UN treaty bodies, Universal system

On July 5, 2017, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) selected Soledad García Muñoz to be the first Special Rapporteur on Economic, Social, Cultural, and Environmental Rights (ESCER). [IACHR Press Release: Muñoz (in Spanish)] The mandate of the newly established Rapporteurship is to promote, protect, and defend economic, social, cultural, and environmental rights in the Americas by addressing issues

African Commission Declaration Recommends Expanded Protections for Human Rights Defenders

July 10, 2017 IJRC African System, assembly and association, civil society, discrimination, enforced disappearance, health, human rights defenders, international human rights, liberty & security of person, regional human rights protection, reproductive and sexual rights, right to life, thought, expression & association, torture, Universal system, women's rights

The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) recently published the Cotonou Declaration on strengthening and expanding the protection of all Human Rights Defenders in Africa that recommends repealing harmful and discriminatory laws, ensuring compliance with existing international standards that impact human rights defenders, and developing standards on women human rights defenders, among other recommendations. Adopted earlier this year during the 2nd

News Clips- July 7, 2017

July 7, 2017 IJRC assembly and association, civil society, democracy & political rights, discrimination, human rights defenders, International Criminal Court, international criminal law, international human rights, liberty & security of person, News Clips, right to life, Universal system, women's rights

Civil Society On Thursday, Turkish police arrested nine human rights activists, including Amnesty International’s Turkey director, Idli Eser. [BBC News] On Thursday, a student activist in Hong Kong pleaded guilty to a contempt of court charge related to his participation in pro-democracy protests in 2014. [Al Jazeera] On Sunday, anti-G20 summit protesters clashed with local police in Hamburg, Germany. [Guardian]

Human Rights Council Establishes Special Rapporteur on Leprosy, Renews Ten Others

July 3, 2017 IJRC corporate accountability, discrimination, education, equal protection, international human rights, persons with disabilities, UN Human Rights Council, UN Special Procedures, Universal system, women's rights

The United Nations Human Rights Council created or extended 11 special procedure mandates during its 35th regular session through the adoption of resolutions, including one that created the Special Rapporteur on the elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members. During the session, held from June 6 to June 23, 2017 in Geneva, Switzerland, the Human Rights