On November 19th the UN Human Rights Committee issued its decision in Irina Fedotova v. Russian Federation, Communication No. 1932/2010, a complaint involving a form of codified discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation that has become increasingly prevalent. The Human Rights Committee found that the applicant’s conviction under the Ryazan Law on Administrative Offenses (Ryazan Region Law) which prohibits “public
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Syrian Opposition Coalition Formed as Human Rights Situation Continues to Deteriorate
On Sunday, November 11, Syrian opposition groups signed a draft agreement to form the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary Opposition Forces. [BBC] Sheikh Moaz al-Khatib, a former imam of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus who is considered a moderate and unifying force, was chosen to lead the new coalition. The Gulf Arab States have recognized the coalition as the sole legitimate
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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
Read moreUN Human Rights Council to Gain 18 New Members in Criticized Election Process
On November 12, the UN General Assembly will hold elections to fill eighteen soon-to-be vacant membership positions on the UN Human Rights Council. As in the past, this election is controversial both for the lack of competition on most regional slates, thereby depriving the General Assembly of the ability to choose from among multiple States to fill the open slots, and
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Death Penalty & Human Rights: Comments of UN Special Rapporteurs
Although a growing number of countries have abolished the death penalty, 50 of the 193 UN Member States continue to either impose the death penalty or legally allow for it, and thus the death penalty continues to be widely debated internationally. During their presentations to the UN General Assembly in October 2012, two UN Special Rapporteurs presented their findings on
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International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia Commences its Final Trial
The final case pending before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) involves Goran Hadžić, the former president of the self-proclaimed Republic of Serbian Krajina, who is indicted for persecution and murder of non-Serbs, as well as unlawful imprisonment, torture, inhumane acts, cruel treatment, forcible transfer, deportation and wanton destruction, and plunder of private or public property. Hadžić was
Read moreWhy the Fuss? Understanding the Human Rights Council’s Resolution on Traditional Values
On September 27, the UN Human Rights Council adopted a contentious resolution on the relationship between human rights and traditional values. Though only two pages long, the resolution reignited concerns that State claims of traditional values might be used to thwart the existing human rights framework rather than strengthening it. Specifically, human rights advocates remain wary of traditional values language
Read moreThe Gambia Suspends Executions after International Outcry
President Yahya Jammeh of the Gambia announced on September 15 that he will be suspending further executions of death row inmates. [BBC] In August, President Jammeh had unexpectedly announced all of the remaining forty-eight prisoners on death row would be executed by September, ending the country’s over twenty-five year old moratorium on executions. [BBC] The following Sunday, nine prisoners were executed
Read moreVacancy: UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights
The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) announced a call for applications for the position of Deputy High Commissioner with the deadline of October 15, 2012. The OHCHR, led by High Commissioner Navi Pillay since July 2008, is the main UN entity responsible for creating policies and programs to promote and protect human rights. The OHCHR
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First UN High-Level Meeting on the Rule of Law Focuses on Human Rights, Accountability
On September 24, 2012, the UN General Assembly held a High-Level Meeting on the Rule of Law during its 67th Session at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. This was the first-ever high-level meeting by the General Assembly devoted to the Rule of Law and took place a day before the general debate opened. The meeting was over-subscribed with approximately
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