GENEVA – The largest body of independent experts in the United Nations Human Rights system today urged all Governments around the world to integrate human rights standards and principles in the current negotiations taking place at the Lima Climate Change Conference, from 1 to 12 December 2014, and in the agreement to be adopted in Paris in 2015. In a joint statement* issued today in Geneva ahead of Human Rights Day (10 December 2014), the group of 76 human rights experts urged the UN member States to ensure that the principle of climate justice… Continue reading →
GENEVA – A group of United Nations experts on minority issues, racism, people of African descent, the right to peaceful assembly, and on extrajudicial executions have expressed “legitimate concerns” over the decision not to bring to trial the cases of Michael Brown and Eric Garner in the United States. The human rights experts voiced deep concern over the broader pattern reflected in this week’s decision of the Staten Island grand jury not to bring to trial the case of Eric Garner, an African-American who died after a police officer put him… Continue reading →
The rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association are among the most fundamental human rights in international law. Today, however, they are increasingly under assault by repressive governments. From the Global North to the Global South, States are harassing activists, spying on their citizens, breaking up protests, erecting legal obstacles for civil society organizations, and generally closing off civic space. In October 2014, UN Special Rapporteur Maina Kiai launched a new project designed to combat this trend in a different way: Through… Continue reading →
GENEVA – A group of United Nations human rights experts* have urged the Parliament of Kyrgyzstan to reject a bill that would introduce criminal and administrative sanctions for acts aimed at forming “a positive attitude towards non-traditional sexual orientation.” “Instead of adopting legislation which de facto condemns lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities to silence, the authorities should be fighting against all forms of violence and discrimination in Kyrgyzstan,” the independent experts said. “The UN has already… Continue reading →
United Nations Special Rapporteur Maina Kiai has released a concise, easy-to-use fact sheet on the right to freedom of association, which summarizes key principles in international law and best practices for promotion of the right. A companion fact sheet for the right to freedom of peaceful assembly was released earlier this month. Both fact sheets, which each fit on a single page front and back, draw heavily from the Special Rapporteur’s 2012 report on best practices to promote and protect the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of… Continue reading →
