UN Secretary-General António Guterres Thursday appointed Austrian diplomat Volker Türk to be the next High Commissioner for Human Rights. Following approval by the UN General Assembly, Türk will replace Chilean national Michelle Bachelet, who decided not to seek a second term after she served as the High Commissioner for Human Rights from September 1, 2018, until August 31, [...]
Search Results for: Michelle Bachelet
In the last few moments of her term as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet’s office Wednesday released a long-awaited report on alleged human rights violations in China’s Xinjiang region. This comes despite immense pressure from the authorities in Beijing not to publish the report. The report, titled “OHCHR Assessment of human rights [...]
UN report concludes that forced labour claims in China's Xinjiang are credible
United Nations Special Rapporteur on slavery Tomoya Obokata released a report Tuesday on contemporary forms of slavery where he found that it was “reasonable to conclude” that forced labor “among Uygur, Kazakh and other ethnic minorities in sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing” is taking place in China’s Xinjiang region. Obokata’s assessment was made “based [...]
UN General Assembly: access to a clean, healthy environment is a human right
The UN General Assembly on Thursday adopted a resolution declaring that access to a clean, healthy environment is a universal human right. The move was lauded by UN Secretary-General António Guterres as a historic decision that evidenced the commitment of UN member states to fighting climate change and fostering a more sustainable environmental future. “The [...]
According to state media Monday, Myanmar’s military junta executed four pro-democracy activists over the weekend. The four individuals put to death were Phyo Zeya Thaw, a lawmaker from Aung San Suu Kyi’s ousted party National League for Democracy, and veteran activist Ko Jimmy, both sentenced under the Myanmar Counter-Terrorism Law, and Ko Hla Myo Aung and Ko Aung Thura [...]
Rights group files complaint against former Sri Lanka President Rajapaksa for war crimes
A human rights group Sunday filed a criminal complaint with the attorney general of Singapore, accusing former Sri Lankan President Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa of perpetrating war crimes and human rights violations during the country’s civil war. Rajapaksa fled to Singapore earlier this month as Sri Lankans gathered in protest over alleged government corruption and economic [...]
The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), the Indian government’s financial investigation agency, Saturday filed money laundering charges under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act against Amnesty India International Private Limited (AIIPL) and one of its trusts. On Friday, the ED issued a notice imposing fines of INR 51.72 crores, or more than USD 6.5 million, and INR 10 crores, [...]
UN Human Rights Council calls for equal rights for women in Taliban-led Afghanistan
The UN Human Rights Council (HRC) Friday adopted a resolution affirming its commitment to equal rights for women in Afghanistan, calling for representative participation in an organized dialogue on the issue at the next HRC session and directing the Taliban to establish institutions to protect the rights of women and victims of sexual and gender-based violence. [...]
UN human rights expert warns of arbitrary detentions and mass civilian displacement in Ukraine
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet Tuesday warned that arbitrary detentions and mass displacement of civilians as a result of the Russian war in Ukraine have become widespread. In response, experts suggest timely and effective investigation into all allegations of human rights violations in the area is imperative. Since Russia invaded Ukraine [...]
Colombia Truth Commission releases final report on six decades of conflict
Colombia’s Commission for the Clarification of Truth, Coexistence and Non-Repetition (Truth Commission) Wednesday presented its final report on the prolonged Colombia conflict, reporting that approximately 450,664 people were killed over a period of nearly six decades. The Truth Commission was constituted by a peace agreement (2016) between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces [...]