Read on to remain up to date with the latest international human rights news, views and developments!
States at the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) have voted to pick the 19 members of the Committee on NGOs, electing a majority of States with grave records of repressing or obstructing civil society at home and at the UN.
Several sitting members of the Human Rights Council are among the States showing weak cooperation with UN Special Procedures, whether by leaving country visit requests unanswered for years or by failing to provide substantive replies to communications. The pattern raises serious concerns about whether Council members are meeting the level of cooperation expected of States elected to the UN’s principal human rights body.
The UN General Assembly adopts a much awaited resolution to streamline and improve how mandates are created, implemented and reviewed, aiming for a more focused and efficient UN. States should ensure that future mandate review discussions take into full consideration the specificities of human rights mandates, and fully consult civil society.
The Human Rights Council was confronted with stark new evidence of the scale, sophistication, and transnational reach of repression by Nicaraguan authorities. The latest report of the Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua and public calls by States and civil society at the Council and the General Assembly, underscore the pressing need for accountability and coordinated international action.
In this piece opening ISHR's new Annual Report, Executive Director Phil Lynch and Board Chair Taaka Awori explore the metaphor of fire as both a destroying and regenerative element - and how it applies to the human rights movement and institutions.
The UN General Assembly adopted a historic resolution acknowledging the scope, gravity and continued impact of the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans and the racialised slavery it underpinned.
A new report prepared by Oxford Pro Bono Publico for ISHR shows that, though UN and regional human rights systems increasingly recognise transnational repression of human rights defenders, States still lack clear, binding obligations to prevent and address it.
At the 61st Human Rights Council session, civil society organisations shared reflections on key outcomes and highlighted gaps in addressing crucial issues and situations.
ISHR, the Center for Constitutional Rights, Advocates for Human Rights, the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee and Human Rights First delivered a joint statement at the Human Rights Council on the United States' refusal to cooperate with the Universal Periodic Review.
ISHR is pleased to launch its updated practical guide for civil society and human rights defenders who engage with UN Special Procedures experts to support their human rights work. This tool assists civil society actors in engaging in a more strategic, autonomous and safe manner with the Special Procedures to increase the impact of their work around the world.
The UN Human Rights Council is likely to hold two urgent sessions to address regional hostilities across the Middle East, with each session addressing human rights violations on a selective rather than universal basis.
Human rights organisations have raised concerns over proposals at the UN Human Rights Council to reduce how often Special Procedures report to the General Assembly, warning this would weaken oversight, visibility, and political support for critical human rights issues.
