Afghanistan: Taliban ‘may be responsible for gender apartheid’ says rights expert

Afghanistan: Taliban ‘may be responsible for gender apartheid’ says rights expert

Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, expressed similar concerns on the opening day of the Council’s summer session, adding that the de facto authorities had “dismantled the most fundamental principles of human rights, particularly for women and girls”.  In a joint report presented to the Council by the Special Rapporteur for Afghanistan and…

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‘Vital’ human rights cooperation must be above fray of politics: Türk

‘Vital’ human rights cooperation must be above fray of politics: Türk

In his annual review presented to the Human Rights Council, which opened its 53rd regular session on Monday, Mr. Türk insisted that such cooperation was “vital” in a world plagued by conflict, climate disasters and development setbacks. Rights monitoring ‘in the interest of all Malians’ Human rights “must always be above the fray of politics”, Mr….

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Sudan crisis still having devastating impact on civilians: UN rights office

Sudan crisis still having devastating impact on civilians: UN rights office

“We are concerned by the continued devastating impact of the fighting in Sudan on civilians,” Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence told journalists in Geneva.  The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and military rival, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), have been locked in vicious clashes since mid-April.   Hundreds have been killed and some 1.2 million have been displaced. UN…

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Bangladesh must suspend plans to return Rohingya refugees to Myanmar: Rights expert

Bangladesh must suspend plans to return Rohingya refugees to Myanmar: Rights expert

Tom Andrews, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, insisted that current conditions there were “anything but conducive” for the return of Rohingya refugees. Death trap He stressed that the very generals who had launched “genocidal” attacks against the Rohingya, causing hundreds of thousands to flee the country, were now…

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Counter-terrorism 'rhetoric' used to justify rise of surveillance technology: human rights expert

Regulation essential to curb AI for surveillance, disinformation: rights experts

In a statement on Friday, the experts said that emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence-based biometric surveillance systems, are increasingly being used “in sensitive contexts”, without individuals’ knowledge or consent ‘Urgent red lines’ must be drawn “Urgent and strict regulatory red lines are needed for technologies that claim to perform emotion or gender recognition,” said the experts,…

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‘Toxic tidal wave’ of plastic pollution putting human rights at risk

‘Toxic tidal wave’ of plastic pollution putting human rights at risk

The appeal comes as countries continue negotiations towards an international treaty on plastic pollution, and ahead of World Environment Day on 5 June. “Plastic production has increased exponentially over recent decades and today the world is generating 400 million tonnes of plastic waste yearly,” said David R. Boyd, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and…

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