Read on to remain up to date with the latest international human rights news, views and developments!
During Guatemala’s fourth universal periodic review (UPR) this week, states repeatedly called on Guatemala to take steps to deal with three ongoing crises: attacks against human rights defenders, endemic corruption and a lack of judicial independence.
ISHR sheds light on the attempts by Chinese diplomats to exert undue influence over the UN expert bodies that oversee compliance with major international human rights treaties and covenants, and makes recommendations for how stakeholders can strengthen the system’s ability to fight back.
In solidarity with SouthernDefenders, ISHR supports the urgent call for an immediate investigation into the assassination of human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko in Eswatini, as well as the appeal for swift action by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) amid a mounting political crisis in the country.
ISHR hails the adoption of a groundbreaking guidance on land rights by the UN Committee on economic, social and cultural rights (CESCR). The General Comment provides welcome guidance on the obligations of States parties in relation to land rights.
Each year, the Martin Ennals Award provides recognition and protection to human rights defenders who strive for freedom, justice, equality and accountability in their communities and countries, often at the risk of their own lives. Discover the 2023 laureates!
ISHR joins letter calling for the release of Dr. Abduljalil Al-Singace, an academic, award-winning activist and blogger who is serving a life sentence in Bahrain solely for exercising his human rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
ISHR joins calls by the international community and stakeholders to take urgent action to stop the escalation of systemic violence against Sudanese women.
As 2023 kicks off, the Geneva Advocacy team at Human Rights Watch shares reflections on the work of the Human Rights Council (HRC) over the past year. Despite alleged ‘polarisation’ and ‘inefficiency’, the HRC is an important space for human rights dialogue and protection and a multi-lateral body that can effectively respond to human rights crises across the world, even when the perpetrators are powerful States, writes Lucy McKernan, Deputy Director of Geneva Advocacy with Human Rights Watch.
In the face of existential threats, human rights and multilateralism are making a remarkable comeback. Advocates and activists around the world are turning to international human rights laws and systems to seek justice, equality and accountability - and they are starting to win.
Together with leading human rights organisations, ISHR stands in solidarity with all victims of Saudi authorities’ deepening repression of political dissidents and human rights defenders.
During a Human Rights Council debate with High Commissioner Volker Türk on the human rights impact of recent municipal elections in Nicaragua, the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) and 33 organisations, including from the Colectivo 46/2 coalition, launched a global call for the two-years renewal of the Council’s resolution on Nicaragua.
On 9 December 2022, the Human Rights Council’s Organisational Meeting took place. UNOG announced that hybrid modalities during HRC sessions will be provided for the first quarter of 2023. The presidential statement decided that more discussions were required to reinstate general debates in the June session. The latter is considered an encouraging outcome, as it does not completely exclude the return of these important debates in the June session.
