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
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Mali Conflict: Concerns Persist for Protection of Human Rights, Displaced Populations, Minority Groups
The West African nation of Mali, previously hailed as a democratic model for other regional governments, has become engulfed in a human rights and political crisis that is now the target of international attention and military intervention. Government and foreign forces are attempting to reclaim territory from separatist rebel groups, while the International Criminal Court and UN and African human rights
Read moreUN Special Rapporteur Initiates Investigation into Drone Strikes and Other Targeted Killings
On January 24, 2013, the UN Special Rapporteur on counterterrorism and human rights, Ben Emmerson, launched an investigation of States’ use of armed drones and other forms of targeted killing. The investigation will focus on the legal framework applicable to the use of drones and the technology’s impact on civilians by examining 25 case studies of strikes carried out by the
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 moreIsrael and the Human Rights Council: Challenges to the Universal Periodic Review
The first cycle of the UN Human Rights Council‘s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) ended in March 2012 with participation from all 193 UN Member States. However, at the start of the UPR’s second cycle in May 2012, Israel formally suspended all relations with the Council and the UN Office of the High Commission for Human Rights (OHCHR), which serves as the
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 moreDevelopments in Sri Lanka, Honduras Cause Concern for Judicial Independence
Recent developments in Honduras and Sri Lanka have caused concern among civil society and human rights monitoring bodies for the judiciary’s independence in those countries. In Honduras, the National Congress removed four of the five justices who sit on the Constitutional Chamber of the nation’s Supreme Court. According to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), the Honduran Congress ousted the justices due to their
Read moreUN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous People Seeks New Members
The Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous People (Expert Mechanism) is currently accepting nominations for two new expert members, one from Latin America and Caribbean countries, and the other from Eastern European countries. Individual candidates must be nominated by January 15, 2013. In 2007 the UN Human Rights Council created the Expert Mechanism as a subsidiary body, also know
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Five UN Meetings on Human Rights: January – March 2013
Universal Periodic Review (UPR): 15th Session The 15th session of the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review will take place from January 21 through February 1, 2013. During this session, the Council will review and confirm reports on the human rights situation in France, Tonga, Romania, Mali, Botswana, the Bahamas, Burundi, Luxembourg, Barbados, Montenegro, the United Arab Emirates, Israel,
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A Look at Human Rights Day 2012
What is Human Rights Day? Human Rights Day began in 1950 to commemorate the UN General Assembly’s adoption of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) on December 10, 1948. Although the UDHR is not legally binding on UN Member States, it is the origin for binding human rights instruments that followed, including the International Covenant on Civil and
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