Category: Human Rights

Children separated at border, suffering alarming and prolonged effects: UN rights experts

Separating children from their undocumented parents is a traumatic violation of their rights, UN independent experts said on Friday. The group of experts said in a statement that the treatment of migrants as criminals, provokes intolerance and xenophobia, in addition to posing a danger to their well-being. Criminalizing irregular migrants and addressing irregular migration through […]

Ending marginalization of persons with disabilities ‘a matter of justice’, UN-backed summit told

Inclusive education, economic empowerment and technological innovations were the focus of discussion on Tuesday as world leaders gathered in London for the first-ever United Nations-backed Global Disability Summit. Ahead of the Summit, Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed cited the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and a universally-adopted UN Convention as well-established commitments for advancing the rights of persons with disabilities. […]

UNHCR welcomes deal to end latest migrant stand-off in Mediterranean Sea

UN Refugee Agency chief Filippo Grandi, on Thursday gave a cautious welcome to the decision by several EU countries to take in some 450 migrants who have been stranded at sea for days, warning that a “ship-by-ship” arrangement was not sustainable. The development comes after the Governments of France, Germany, Italy, Malta, Spain and Portugal ended […]

World Population Day: ‘A matter of human rights’ says UN

Family planning was affirmed to be a human right 50 years ago, leading to what would become the annual observation of World Population Day, which focuses attention on the impact the number of children born, has on the world. In her message for the Day, UNFPA Executive Director Natalia Kanem took that a step further, saying: […]

Palestinian Bedouin community faces demolition after Israeli court ruling, warns UN rights office

A Palestinian Bedouin community is under threat from a demolition order within days, to make way for Israeli settlement expansion, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, warned on Tuesday. Spokesperson Liz Throssell said that the imminent destruction of buildings used by Khan al Ahmar al Helu residents comes after the Israeli High Court ruled against any […]

DPRK should release political prisoners ahead of summit with US – UN expert

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) should begin to release political prisoners ahead of denuclearization talks with the United States and engage with the United Nations on human rights, a UN expert on the country said on Thursday. Tomas Ojea Quintana, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the DPRK, made his […]