Special Rapporteur Maina Kiai has released 34 country background reports that he consulted in drafting his recent report comparing the enabling environments for businesses and civil society around the world. The Special Rapporteur’s report, which is available here, was presented to the United Nations General Assembly in October 2015. It found that States and others often impose more burdensome regulation upon civil society, both in law and in practice, with businesses receiving more favourable treatment. The net result is that for businesses the… Continue reading →
UN Special Rapporteur Maina Kiai has co-authored a commentary for the Guardian’s Global Development blog urging the governments of Sweden and Norway not to cut international development aid to support the recent influx of refugees. The piece was co-authored by former Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Thomas Hammarberg, former Swedish ambassador for human rights Jan Axel Nordlander, Civil Rights Defenders executive director Robert Hardh; and Norwegian Helsinki Committee secretary general Bjørn Engesland. Sweden is currently studying… Continue reading →
GENEVA – United Nations Special Rapporteur Maina Kiai has published a legal analysis warning that pending changes to Chile’s criminal procedure code – which liberalize police powers to stop, search and identify people – may violate international law. Chile’s draft bill number 9985-07, which is currently being considered by lawmakers, proposes two significant changes to the country’s Procedural Penal Code (Código Procesal Penal). The bill would introduce a new provision in the law, article 12, giving police the general power to stop and… Continue reading →
GENEVA – Welcoming the adoption by the Security Council of a new resolution yesterday strongly condemning the ongoing killings and human rights violations in Burundi, a group of UN independent experts has expressed outrage at the situation and warned that the central African “is going towards an unacceptable path of atrocities.” The experts welcomed the “clear message and alert” sent by the Council’s unanimously adopted resolution, which condemned the increased cases of human rights violations and abuses in Burundi, the seven UN Special… Continue reading →
NAIROBI/GHENT/STRASBOURG – Special Rapporteur Maina Kiai has joined with Ghent University’s Human Rights Centre to file a third party intervention in four cases before the European Court of Human Rights. The cases, Mahammad Majidli v. Azerbaijan (no. 3) and three other applications, concern the exercise of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly in Azerbaijan. At issue is the Court’s interpretation of Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which enshrines the right to freedom of peaceful assembly. The submission from the… Continue reading →
