February 2010

• U.N. looks for diplomatic breakthroughs in 2010

  Foreign Policy, 5 February 2010 – Ban Ki-moon and his diplomatic envoys have been scouring the globe this week in search of a promising peace settlement for 2010, pursuing talks with Kim Jong Il's government in North Korea, Afghanistan's Taliban, and Turkish and Greek Cypriot leaders. ...click here to read more

January 2010

• Chile apologises over treatment of indigenous people

  BBC, 12 January 2010 – Chile's president has apologised to the descendants of a group of indigenous people who were shipped to Europe in the late 19th Century and exhibited. ...click here to read more

December 2009

• China rejects UK claims it hindered Copenhagen talks

  BBC, 22 December 2009 – China has dismissed claims made by a British minister that it "hijacked" efforts to reach an agreement at the climate summit in Copenhagen. ...click here to read more

• General Assembly Adopts 56 Resolutions, 9 Decisions Recommended by Third Committee

  UN.org, 18 December 2009 – The General Assembly today adopted 56 resolutions and 9 decisions recommended by its Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural), acting with new-found consensus on several historically contentious texts, including those on the rights of the child, the right to food and the report of the Human Rights Council. ...click here to read more

• The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 370 languages

  OHCHR, 7 December 2009 – Another ten translations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) may, for the second time, make it the most translated document in the world. With the addition of more versions in dialects of indigenous peoples from the Russian Federation, the total number of different language options now available for UDHR is 370. ...click here to read more

November 2009

• Human rights experts have a key role in early warning

  OHCHR, 23 November 2009 – By virtue of their independence and the nature of their mandates, human rights experts known as special procedures are “well placed to function as early warning mechanisms, as alarm bells,” according to the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay. They are “the eyes and ears of the international human rights machinery”. ...click here to read more

• Two decades on - the Convention on the Rights of the Child

  OHCHR, 20 November 2009 – On the 20th Anniversary of its adoption by the UN General Assembly, the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) has been ratified by more member States than any of the other human rights treaties. ...click here to read more

• 30 years - United Nations Convention On The Elimination of All Forms Discrimination Against Women

  UNIFEM, November 2009 – The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the international human rights treaty for women, was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly 30 years ago, on 18 December 1979. In 2009, we are also celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Optional Protocol to the Convention, which empowers the CEDAW Committee to hear complaints of rights violations brought by individuals. To date, 186 countries have ratified the Convention and 98 of these countries have ratified the Optional Protocol. ...click here to read more

October 2009

• Palestinian U-turn on Gaza report

  BBC, 7 October 2009 – PARIS (AFP) – The Palestinian Authority has backed UN Security Council talks on alleged war crimes in Gaza, days after seeking the deferral of a UN debate on the issue. ...click here to read more

• Norway is best place to live, China moves up: UN

  AFP, 5 October 2009 – PARIS (AFP) – Norway takes the number one spot in the annual United Nations human development index released Monday but China has made the biggest strides in improving the well-being of its citizens. ...click here to read more

September 2009

• Bulgarian diplomat to become first woman to head UNESCO

  UN News Centre, 22 September 2009 – A former foreign minister of Bulgaria, Irina Bokova, will become the first woman to lead the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) after she won a narrow victory today in the fifth and final round of voting for the post. ...click here to read more

• U.N. Human Rights Council bars Honduras ambassador

  GENEVA, Sept 15 (Reuters) - The U.N. Human Rights Council decided on Tuesday not to let Honduras' Geneva-based ambassador attend their proceedings, after determining he represents the post-coup government that few countries recognise as legitimate. ...click here to read more

• WFP to shut Somalia food centres

  BBC, 14 September 2009 – TAIPEI (Reuters) - The World Food Programme (WFP) is closing 12 feeding centres for mothers and children in Somalia. The WFP says it has simply run out of money and now has to make cuts. ...click here to read more

• Taiwan drops annual U.N. bid as China relations warm

  Reuterss, 4 September 2009 – TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan will drop for the first time in 17 years its annual bid to join the United Nations as island President Ma Ying-jeou seeks peace with long-time rival and U.N. heavyweight China, the foreign ministry said on Friday. ...click here to read more

• Show us your numbers: India challenges countries opposing UNSC expansion

  Rediffnews, 3 September 2009 – Hitting hard at countries that have been blocking the expansion of United Nations Security Council in both the permanent and non-permanent categories, India on Thursday dared such nations to schedule a straw poll in the UN General Assembly to prove that they had the numbers. ...click here to read more

• Swiss frustrated over nuclear talks blockage

  Swissinfo.ch, 2 September 2009 – The latest stalemate in Geneva's nuclear disarmament talks is a "disappointing" setback, says the Swiss ambassador involved in the process. ...click here to read more

August 2009

• Enforced Disappearances, a growing human tragedy

  OHCHR, 31 August 2009 – “It is vital to draw more attention to the issue of Enforced Disappearances as it still remains severely underreported, particularly in certain regions of the world,” said Jeremy Sarkin, chairperson of the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, presenting the Group’s statement to commemorate the International Day of the Disappeared. ...click here to read more

• China regrets ruling in WTO case

  BBC, 13 August 2009 --China has said it "regretted" a World Trade Organisation decision against its system for the import of American media products. The ruling ordered China to ease some of its curbs on foreign films, music and print. ...click here to read more

• Geneva Conventions need updating, says ICRC

  SwissInfo.ch, 12 August 2009 -- The Geneva Conventions remain highly relevant but it is vital to update certain aspects of humanitarian law, says the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The Swiss-run humanitarian agency made the statement ahead of the 60th anniversary of the four Geneva Conventions on Wednesday,which bind 194 countries to basic humanitarian principles during armed conflict. ...click here to read more

• UN Expert Commemorates International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples

  GENEVA -- "Since assuming my mandate over a year ago, I have witnessed that indigenous peoples continue to face many impediments to the enjoyment of human rights, despite some important advances," said James Anaya, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people, on the occasion of the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. ...click here to read more

July 2009

• Ban urges China to serve as model for combating impact of climate change

  UN News Centre,24 July 2009 – China can act as a model for developing countries and the wider world by investing in environmentally friendly growth and prioritizing the creation of cleaner energy, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today, urging the leaders of the planet’s most populous nation to “serve as the vanguard of tomorrow’s economy.” ...click here to read more

• Top UN climate expert faults G-8 goal without deed

  AP, 20 July 2009 –The chairman of the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said Monday that the Group of Eight nations had "clearly ignored" taking any concrete action to accomplish its new goal of limiting climate change. ...click here to read more

• UN's quiet man defends velvet glove approach

  The BBC, 20 July 2009 –Halfway through his first term in office, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is receiving mixed reviews, but how does he think he's doing in the job? ...click here to read more

• UN team arrives in Pakistan for inquiry into Benazir Bhutto's death

  The Guardian, 16 July 2009 –Armed with a modest mandate and a limited timeframe, a UN team investigating the assassination of the Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto arrived in Islamabadtoday. ...click here to read more

• High Commissioner: Make equal rights a daily reality for all women

  OHCHR, 2 July 2009 –We strive to ensure the implementation of appropriate laws to make equal rights a daily reality in the lives of all women, said High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay in a landmark lecture on the promotion of women’s rights in the next decade. ...click here to read more

June 2009

• Human Rights body finds itself on shaky ground

  Swissinfo.ch, 21 June 2009 –The latest session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, which ended this past week in Geneva, was marked by a series of attempts to weaken the body. Diplomats and non-governmental organisations have expressed concern over efforts by some states, including Cuba, China and Brazil, to muzzle independent reporting. ...click here to read more

• UN Tightens North Korea Sanctions

  Radio Free Asia, 12 June 2009 –The United Nations Security Council unanimously imposed tougher sanctions—including a stepped-up arms embargo and new financial curbs—on reclusive North Korea in response to its second nuclear test. ...click here to read more

• Egypt u-turn on publishing Israeli books

  BBC, 11 June 2009 –The Egyptian culture ministry has agreed to publish Arabic translations of two novels by Israeli writers. The decision comes in the wake of recent criticism of Culture Minister Farouk Hosni, who is bidding to become the next head of Unesco. ...click here to read more

May2009

• PRESS CONFERENCE BY HEAD OF UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE TO UPDATE STATUS OF NEGOTIATIONS

  UN DPI, 14 May 2009 –A viable climate change agreement was achievable before the critical Copenhagen meeting in December, but with only 200 days left, progress must accelerate, Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change said at a Headquarters press conference today. ...click here to read more

• Membership in UN rights council brings greater responsibility, scrutiny – Pillay

  UN News Centre, 14 May 2009 – In becoming a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council, a country not only takes on greater responsibility for tackling abuses worldwide, but also lays bear its own record for the scrutiny of others, the world body’s top rights official said today. ...click here to read more

• UN mourns Sri Lanka 'bloodbath'

  BBC, 11 May 2009 - The United Nations has described the situation in northern Sri Lanka as a "bloodbath" after reports of heavy civilian casualties at the weekend. UN spokesman in Colombo Gordon Weiss said more than 100 children died during the "large-scale killing of civilians". ...click here to read more

April 2009

• Israel protests at racism talks

  BBC, 20 April 2009 - Israel has recalled its ambassador to Switzerland "for consultations" amid ongoing controversy over an anti-racism conference being held in Geneva. ...click here to read more

• High Commissioner for Human Rights shocked by US withdrawal from Review Conference and urges States to focus on racism not politics

  OHCHR, 19 April 2009 - UN Human Rights chief Navi Pillay said Sunday she deeply regretted the decision by the United States not to attend the Durban Review Conference and urged other states to maintain their commitment to the draft outcome document that they agreed only last Friday to forward to the Conference for consideration and adoption. ...click here to read more

• Boycott blow for UN racism forum

  BBC, 19 April 2009 - A major UN conference on racism looks to be in disarray as more countries confirmed they will not take part. Australia and the Netherlands joined the US, Israel, Italy and Canada in boycotting the talks. The UK is sending a delegation, but no senior official. ...click here to read more

• China plans 'human rights action'

  VOA, 14 April 2009 - China has released a human rights action plan, following international criticism of its rights record. The two-year plan promises the communist government will do more to prevent illegal detention and torture, and to protect minorities and women. ...click here to read more

• UN Condemns North Korea Rocket Launch

  VOA, 13 April 2009 -The United Nations Security Council has condemned North Korea's April 5th rocket launch and demanded that Pyongyang not conduct further tests, saying that it would expand sanctions against North Korea. ...click here to read more

• Taiwan signs up for human rights

  VOA, 9 April 2009 -Taiwan’s legislature has ratified two of the most important international conventions for the development of human rights. On 31 March, the Legislative Yuan debated and ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on 31 March. ...click here to read more

• U.S. seeks Council seat to promote U.N. Declaration of Human Rights

  America.gov, 1 April 2009 - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and U.S. Permanent Representative to the U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice announce that the United States will seek a seat this year on the United Nations Human Rights Council with the goal of working to make it a more effective body to promote and protect human rights. ...click here to read more

March 2009

• Khmer Rouge leader admits crimes

  BBC, 31 March 2009 - A key Khmer Rouge leader has admitted responsibility for crimes committed during the regime's brutal rule. Speaking at a UN-backed tribunal in Cambodia, Kaing Guek Eav - also known as Duch - expressed "regretfulness and heartfelt sorrow" for his actions. ...click here to read more

• 8 UN agencies join the Chinese Government in its efforts to promote culturally-sensitive development

  27 March 2009, Beijing – The United Nations System Resident Coordinator for China, Khalid Malik, together with His Excellencies Minister Yang Jing from the State Ethnic Affairs Commission (SEAC), Vice Minister Yang Jianqiang also from SEAC, Assistant Minister Qiu Hong from the Ministry of Commerce and the Spanish Ambassador Mr Carlos Blasco Villa launched today a joint UN-China programme ‘Culture and Development Partnership Framework’ at the CPPCC Hall in Beijing. The Programme is the first of its kind on culture and development in ethnic minority areas in China. ...click here to read more

• Former NZ PM Clark to get top U.N. job - media

  Reuters, 24 March 2009 -WELLINGTON, March 25 (Reuters) - Former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark will be named as the head of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), local media reported on Wednesday. ...click here to read more

• UN accuses EU over climate change

  BBC, 18 March 2009 - The UN's climate change chief has accused Europe's politicians of shifting the goalposts in global talks on climate change. ...click here to read more

• Water deserves higher priority on development agenda – UN official

  UN News Centre, 16 March 2009 - Water must be given higher priority on the development agenda, a top United Nations official told a global gathering that opened today in Istanbul, stressing that the problems the world faces with regard to this precious resource are enormous. ...click here to read more

• UN relief chief voices concern over Sudan leader’s call for ‘Sudanization’ of aid

  UN News Centre, 16 March 2009 - The top United Nations humanitarian official said he has been “taken by surprise” over media reports today that Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir has called for all international aid groups to leave the vast African nation within one year. ...click here to read more

• Serious violations of international law committed in Sri Lanka conflict: UN human rights chief

  United Nations, 13 March 2009 - The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay expressed her growing alarm Friday at the increasing number of civilians reported killed and injured in the conflict in northern Sri Lanka, and at the apparent ruthless disregard being shown for their safety. ...click here to read more

February 2009

• U.S. eyes bid for U.N. rights council

  Washington Post, 10 February 209 - The Obama administration is weighing a bid to join the U.N. Human Rights Council (HRC), a decision that would reverse Bush administration policy and underline a more favorable U.S. attitude toward international organizations. ...click here to read more

• Sri Lanka: UN experts concerned at suppression of criticism, impunity

  9 February 2009 — GENEVA – Ten independent UN experts* on Monday expressed their deep concern at the deteriorating human rights situation in Sri Lanka, particularly the shrinking space for critical voices and the fear of reprisals against victims and witnesses which – together with a lack of effective investigations and prosecutions – has led to unabated impunity for human rights violations. ...click here to read more

• UN defines Romania-Ukraine border

  BBC News, 3 February 2009 — The International Court of Justice has established a single maritime boundary between Romania and Ukraine, settling a dispute over a part of the Black Sea. ...click here to read more

• The Power of a Declaration

  The New Republic, 4 February 2009 —Nineteen forty-eight may have begun as an unsettling year, with the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi in January, but it ended on a positive note, when the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations in December. There was a reasoned vision of lasting importance underlying the declaration; it was momentous in its time, and it remains important today. Invoking human rights has become a major way of challenging inequities and oppression in the contemporary world, and in this development the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at the fledgling United Nations sixty years ago, swayed not least by the leadership of Eleanor Roosevelt, has played an indisputably significant and astonishingly constructive role. ...click here to read more

January 2009

• US envoy backs UN's 'responsibility' to civilians

  UNITED NATIONS (AP), 30 January 2009 — U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice, in her first appearance before the U.N. Security Council, signaled Thursday that the new U.S. administration feels a "responsibility" to sometimes take on nations that abuse their own citizens. ...click here to read more

• Ban welcomes US decision to close Guantánamo Bay detention centre

  UN News Centre, 23 January 2009 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today welcomed the decision by United States President Barack Obama to begin the process of closing the detention facility in Guantánamo Bay. ...click here to read more

• NEGOTIATIONS BEGIN ON OUTCOME DOCUMENT FOR DURBAN REVIEW CONFERENCE

  UNOG, 20 January 2009 -- Members of a working group established to negotiate and finalize a draft outcome document for the Durban Review Conference, to be held in Geneva in April, began formal negotiations on Monday, 19 January. ...click here to read more

December 2008

• Timor-Leste issues UN-backed human rights guide for armed forces

  UN News Centre, 12 December 2008 – A booklet that aims to build human rights awareness among the members of the armed forces of the young nation of Timor-Leste was released today and immediately welcomed by the United Nations mission in the country, known as UNMIT. ...click here to read more

• Closing a historic gap in human rights

  UN, December 10, 2008 – NEW YORK – The United Nations General Assembly adopted an important new human rights instrument to strengthen the protection of economic, social and cultural rights during its plenary sessions commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, on 10 December. ...click here to read more

• "Economic, social and cultural rights: legal entitlements rather than charity" say UN Human Rights Experts

  UN, December 10, 2008 --GENEVA – "The decisive action of the General Assembly today makes it clear that economic, social and cultural rights, including the rights to adequate housing, food, health, education and work, are not a matter of charity, but rather rights that can be claimed by all without discrimination of any kind," said a group of United Nations Human Rights Experts*. ...click here to read more

• More impact on mankind than any other document

  OHCHR, December 9, 2008 --December 10 marks the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a single short document of 30 articles that has probably had more impact on mankind than any other document in modern history. ...click here to read more

• Ban Lashkar front JuD, freeze its assets: India to UN

  Rediffnews, December 10, 2008 --India has put in a formal request to the UN Security Council seeking a ban on the Jamaat-ud-Dawah, suspected to be involved in the Mumbai terror attacks, and Pakistan promptly promised to do so if the Council decides to proscribe the group as a terrorist outfit. ...click here to read more

• Genocide Prevention Task Force Releases Report

  USIP, December 8, 2008 --The Genocide Prevention Task Force today released its final report on the eve of the 60th anniversary of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. The report makes the case for why genocide and mass atrocities threaten core American values and national interests, and how the U.S. government can prevent these crimes in the future. ...click here to read more

• Vatican stands up against further UN resolutions

  Times Online, December 3, 2008 -- Following the Vatican's controversial opposition this week to a UN declaration calling for an end to discrimination against homosexuals, Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the Vatican envoy to the UN, has confirmed that the Holy See also refused to sign a UN document last May on the rights of the disabled because it did not condemn abortion or assert the rights of foetuses with birth defects. ...click here to read more

• Official: China family planning policy doesn't contradict human rights

  BEIJING, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- China's family planning policy is not contradictory to the development of human rights, an official said here on Tuesday. ...click here to read more

• UN climate summit seeks clarity

  1 December 2008, BBC News - This year's round of UN climate talks are opening in Poland with nations attempting to set the terms of a new deal on all aspects of climate change. ...click here to read more

November 2008

• Congo atrocities test UN human rights body

  28 November 2008, Swissinfo.ch - The serious human rights abuses in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are a credibility test for the United Nations Human Rights Council, say activists. ...click here to read more

• MEPs can shore up human rights at the UN

  28 November 2008, EUOBSERVER / COMMENT - Next week, the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee votes on a report on the EU's role in the UN Human Rights Council (HRC). This comes at an embarrassing moment. The UN has been mocked for spending €18 million on a colourful ceiling for the HRC chamber in Geneva. But the European Union faces bigger problems than weird decorations. ...click here to read more

• COMMITTEE AGAINST TORTURE HEARS RESPONSE OF CHINA

  UNOG, 10 November 2008 –The Committee against Torture this morning heard the response of China to questions raised by Committee Experts on the fourth periodic report of that country, including the Hong Kong and Macao Administrative Regions, on how it is implementing the provisions of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. ...click here to read more

• COMMITTEE AGAINST TORTURE BEGINS REVIEW OF REPORTS OF CHINA, INCLUDING HONG KONG AND MACAO SPECIAL ADMINSTRATIVE REGIONS

  UNOG, 7 November 2008 –The Committee against Torture this morning began its consideration of the fourth periodic reports of China, including the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions, on efforts to give effect to the provisions of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. ...click here to read more

• Beijing Declaration WHO Congress on Traditional Medicine, Beijing, China, 8 November 2008

  UN in China, November 2008 – Participants at the World Health Organization Congress on Traditional Medicine, meeting in Beijing this eighth day of November in the year two thousand and eight; ...click here to read more

October 2008

A successful response to AIDS in China requires zero-tolerance of stigma and discrimination

UN in China, 30 October 2008,Beijing – A recent survey supported by UNAIDS revealed high level of stigma and discrimination of people living with HIV among the adult population in 6 urban centres in China: ...click here to read more

International Criminal Court at ‘critical’ stage, its President tells Assembly

UN News Centre, 30 October 2008 – The International Criminal Court (ICC) is at a “critical” juncture, with its success hinging on such factors as guaranteeing its judicial independence and universal ratification, the Court’s President said in New York today. ...click here to read more

Disability does not justify detention

OHCHR, October 2008 – In many national legal systems a disability, in particular of the mental or intellectual kind, constitutes lawful grounds for the deprivation of liberty. Born 57 years ago, John lived a normal life but in his twenties he developed a mental impairment. ...click here to read more

Massive UN vote in favour of lifting US embargo on Cuba

Times of India, 30 October 2008 – UNITED NATIONS: The UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly for the 17th year in a row on Wednesday to demand an end to the 46-year-old US trade embargo on communist-ruled Cuba, with only three countries saying no. ...click here to read more

UN mission in Sudan deplores killing of four Chinese oil workers

UN News Centre, 28October 2008 – The United Nations peacekeeping mission established at the end of the north-south civil war in Sudan today condemned the kidnapping and murder of four Chinese oil workers in the country’s centre and called for the immediate release of all other hostages. ...click here to read more

Japan executes two more despite UN rights review

TOKYO (AFP), 28 October 2008 — Japan on Tuesday hanged two more death-row inmates as the country steps up executions to a pace unseen in three decades, despite an ongoing UN review of its rights record. ...click here to read more

New UN human rights chief in Colombia as indigenous flee violence

UN News Centre, 27 October 2008 – The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights today begins a week-long review of the situation in Colombia amid concerns that indigenous groups continue to be forced to flee their territories by armed groups. ...click here to read more

UN forum on upholding human rights while countering terrorism kicks off

UN News Centre, 27 October 2008 – The United Nations today convened a gathering of more than 60 delegates from 17 countries across the Middle East and North Africa in Amman to discuss the responsibility of States to protect human rights while countering terrorism, in the first event of its kind in the region. ...click here to read more

Strong states hurt international institutions

Swissinfo.org, 21 October 2008 – Ten years ago, the rise in power of international justice rattled the impunity of the world's dictators, but realpolitik has left institutions constrained. ...click here to read more

National human rights institutions play a key role in the administration of justice

OHCHR, 20 October 2008 – Over 150 representatives of national human rights institutions (NHRIs) worldwide gather at the 9th International Conference of NHRIs in Nairobi, Kenya, from 22 to 24 October, to strengthen cooperation and discuss their important role in advancing the rule of law, especially in relation to the administration of justice. ...click here to read more

Iran declares moratorium on executions of juveniles

Pinknews.co.uk, 20 October 2008 – A moratorium has been placed on death sentences for people who were under 18 when they committed capital crimes in Iran. ...click here to read more

Five non-permanent members of Security Council elected today

UN News Center, 17 October 2008 – The General Assembly today elected Austria, Japan, Mexico, Turkey and Uganda to serve as non-permanent members of the Security Council for two-year terms starting on 1 January next year. ...click here to read more

Preparation for Anti-racism Review Conference Underway

OHCHR, October 2008 - The Preparatory Committee for the 2009 anti-racism review conference is holding its second substantive session, from 6 to 17 October, in Geneva to prepare for a draft outcome document for the 2009 review conference. ...click here to read more

Q&A: 'Engagement, Not Collaboration With Business'

BARCELONA, Oct 13 (IPS/Terraviva) - The IUCN has elected Ashok Khosla its new president. Widely recognised as a bridge between conservation and development, theory and practice, the traditional and the new, and between the North and the South, Khosla chairs the India-based Development Alternatives Group, a non-profit organisation established in 1983 "for creating large-scale sustainable livelihoods." He is also president of the Club of Rome, a global think-tank and centre of innovation and initiative. ...click here to read more

60th anniversary of Universal Declaration on Human Rights: spotlight on the courage of human rights activists

Europe Parliament, 9 October 2008 – "60 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: the defenders take the floor" was the title of a joint conference held by the European Parliament, the European Commission and the United Nations at the EP on 7 and 8 October to mark the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration (10 December 1948) and the 10th anniversary of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders (9 December 1998). ...click here to read more

Applications pour in to join UN’s intangible cultural heritage list

UN News Centre, 7 October 2008 – Dozens of applications from around the world have been received for inscription on a new UN-endorsed list that will work to protect and enhance awareness about intangible cultural heritage, such as oral traditions and expressions, performing arts and rituals. ...click here to read more

Dignity and Justice for Detainees Week

OHCHR, October 2008 - When launching the Dignity and Justice for Detainees Week initiative, the High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay called on national human rights institutions, non-governmental organizations, the media and other partners worldwide to pay special attention to the rights of people who are deprived of their liberty in prisons and other places of detention. ...click here to read more

UN seeks World Court Kosovo view

BBC, 8 October 2008 - The UN General Assembly has voted to refer Kosovo's independence declaration to the International Court of Justice. ...click here to read more

September 2008

• UNICEF and WHO China Statement on contaminated infant formula

  BEIJING, 24 September 2008 - UNICEF and WHO Offices in China have observed with great sadness and concern the unfolding story of tainted infant formula produced by Sanlu and other companies. Whilst any attempt to deceive the public in the area of food production and marketing is unacceptable, deliberate contamination of foods intended for consumption by vulnerable infants and young children is particularly deplorable. ...click here to read more

• HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL CONCLUDES NINTH REGULAR SESSION

  UNOG, 24 September 2008 - - The Human Rights Council closed its ninth regular session this afternoon, adopting 24 texts on a wide range of issues, appointing four new Special Procedure mandate holders and extending the mandates of seven Special Procedures. ...click here to read more

• Europe’s UN human rights problem

  Human Rights Tribune, 18 September 2008, Richard Gowan and Franziska Brantner/European Voice.com - - If the EU struggles to achieve a common foreign policy, it is a relatively coherent bloc at the United Nations. European leaders attending the UN General Assembly this week should congratulate their diplomats for a massive coordination effort. There are a 1,000 EU coordination meetings a year in New York alone. But do the results match the effort? ...click here to read more

• Genocide is the ultimate form of discrimination, says new High Commissioner

  OHCHR.org, GENEVA, 8 September 2008 – The new UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, in her maiden speech to states attending the Human Rights Council on Monday, highlighted the need to tackle discrimination and inequality, and urged greater efforts to prevent genocide, which she described as "the ultimate form of discrimination." ...click here to read more

• Death sentence in rampage sparks debate in China

  LA Times, 3 September 2008 - An unemployed man charged with killing six Shanghai police officers in a knife attack was sentenced to death Monday, state media reported. ...click here to read more

• New U.N. rights chief "will speak out for victims"

  GENEVA (Reuters), 1 September 2008 - The United Nations' new High Commissioner for Human Rights, South African judge Navanathem Pillay, said on Monday she would speak out firmly for victims of rights abuses around the world -- and against the abusers. ...click here to read more

August 2008

• UN split over Georgia resolutions

  BBC, 22 August 2008 -The UN Security Council is deadlocked over the situation in Georgia with the US and Russia rejecting rival resolutions on the crisis. ...click here to read more

• WHO sees healthier Beijing as Olympic legacy

  UN in China, Press Release, 21 August 2008, Beijing -The World Health Organization (WHO) ispleased with the progress China has made on key public health issues in preparation for the Olympic Games. The challenge is to see the investments made by the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG), WHO and IOC translate into lasting health impacts on food safety, air quality, tobacco control, and outbreak prevention and control.

• Tribes object to fighting fire in sacred places

  AP, 14 Aug 2008 - GRANTS PASS, Ore. - Indian tribes from the Klamath River canyon are worried that the U.S. Forest Service is violating some of their sacred lands by fighting a remote wilderness wildfire rather than letting it burn naturally.GRANTS PASS, Ore. - Indian tribes from the Klamath River canyon are worried that the U.S. Forest Service is violating some of their sacred lands by fighting a remote wilderness wildfire rather than letting it burn naturally. ...click here to read more

• Statement by Acting UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Kyung-wha Kang, and S. James Anaya, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people on the International Day of the World's Indigenous People

  Geneva, 5 Aug 2008 - This year's International Day of the World's Indigenous People, celebrated on 9 August, is the first to take place following the landmark adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by the General Assembly in September 2007. ...click here to read more

July 2008

• New UN human rights chief speaks of personal understanding of discrimination

  UN News Centre, 29 July 2008 – The newly appointed United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights says she comes to her work with a personal understanding of human rights violations, based on her experience of living in South Africa during the apartheid regime when non-whites such as herself suffered from institutionalized discrimination. ...click here to read more

• FOLLOWING GENERAL ASSEMBLY APPROVAL, SECRETARY-GENERAL APPOINTS NAVANETHEM PILLAY OF SOUTH AFRICA AS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

  UN DPI, 28 July 2008 – The Secretary-General, following approval by the General Assembly, has appointed Navanethem (Navi) Pillay of South Africa as the new High Commissioner for Human Rights. ...click here to read more

• Ban joins General Assembly’s call for Olympic truce during Beijing Games

  UN NEWS CENTRE, 28 July 2008 – Less than two weeks before the 2008 Summer Olympics begin in Beijing, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today joined the General Assembly in calling on all those who are at war to observe the traditional two-week Olympic Truce. ...click here to read more

• South African to be next U.N. human rights commissioner

  LA Times, 18 July 08 -- The secretary-general will name South African Judge Navanethem Pillay as the next U.N. human rights commissioner as early as today, diplomats and U.N. officials said Thursday. ...click here to read more

• The real India shining story

  Rediff.com, 18 July 08 -- Usha Chaumar stands in the lobby of the Millennium UN Plaza Hotel that overlooks the green-tinted glass tower that is home to the United Nations in New York. ...click here to read more

• China gets ivory imports go-ahead

  BBC, 15 July 08 -- The UN has given China the green light to bid in a one-off sale of ivory. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) voted in favour of China's request during a meeting being held in Geneva. ...click here to read more

• Indonesian leader admits rights abuses in East Timor

  International Herald Tribune, 15 July 08 -- President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia acknowledged Tuesday that his country carried out gross human rights abuses during East Timor's 1999 break for independence, but he stopped short of offering a full apology for murders, torture and other crimes. ...click here to read more

• Fury as Zimbabwe sanctions vetoed

  BBC, 12 July 08 -- Britain and the US have condemned Russia and China for vetoing a draft UN Security Council resolution to impose sanctions on Zimbabwe's leaders. ...click here to read more

• CHINESE COMPANIES CAN LAY FOUNDATION FOR SUSTAINABLE, PROSPEROUS WORLD, SAYS SECRETARY–GENERAL AT MEETING WITH GLOBAL COMPACT CHINA

  UNDPI, 3 July 08 -Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks at a meeting with the Global Compact China in Beijing yesterday, 2 July: ...click here to read more

• At end of tenure, UN advocate for rights expresses hope

  IHT, 1 July 08 -GENEVA: She has been doing a job with an objective that many would call impossible: to safeguard human rights around the globe. Yet as Louise Arbour steps down after four years as the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, she is not entirely pessimistic. ...click here to read more

June 2008

• Symbol of Tibetan resistance addresses Council

  Human Rights Tribune, 5 June 08 - Tibet’s longest serving political prisoner and a symbol of resistance to Chinese rule addressed the 8th session of the Human Rights Council Wednesday (June 4). Despite spending 32 years in various prison camps, 82-year old Takna Jigme Sangpo is far from being chastized by this experiences. ...click here to read more

• UN food summit hammers out plan for world's hungry

  Times Online, 4 June 2008 –Delegates to the UN summit on the world food crisis today began hammering out an emergency plan to reduce hunger and help Third World farmers despite often testy disagreement behind the scenes over the future of biofuels. ...click here to read more

• Words must be put into action to fight human trafficking – Assembly President

  UN News Center, 3 June 2008 – Global and regional pacts must be put into action if the world is to tackle the scourge of human trafficking, a $32 billion annual industry, General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim said today in New York. ...click here to read more

May 2008

• WHO rushing more medical aid to China, sending expert team for health system reconstruction

  WHO, 22May - Beijing/Manila 22 May 2008—The World Health Organization (WHO) is rushing additional medical supplies to the People's Republic of China. The supplies will be able to treat 130 000 people. WHO is also sending an expert team to collaborate with the government on rebuilding its health infrastructure following the devastating May 12 earthquake. ...click here to read more

• Fifteen countries elected to UN Human Rights Council

  TheEarthTimes, 21 May - The UN General Assembly elected Wednesday 15 countries to serve three-year terms on the 47-nation Human Rights Council, including France and Britain, two of the seven seats for Western Europe. The re-election of France was particularly watched because of its recent clashes with China on the issue of Tibet, and with Myanmar over its refusal to accept international relief aid for Cyclone Nargis victims. France had denounced those two countries for failing to uphold human rights. ...click here to read more

• Canada a wallflower at UN dance

  TheStar.com, 19 May - A seat on the United Nations Security Council is the most sought-after property on the international stage. ...click here to read more

• Statement From The Carter Center on Upcoming U.N. Human Rights Council Elections

  Carter Centre, 16 May - The Carter Center calls on the General Assembly not to re-elect Sri Lanka to the Human Rights Council in the upcoming Council elections. Recently adopted reforms of the former Commission on Human Rights, including competitive elections, call for the conduct of a government to be a factor in whether it is selected for a seat on the Council. ...click here to read more