In its 2023 State of World Population report, UNFPA said that while reaching the milestone of eight billion people on Earth was a reminder of “our unprecedented gains”, concerns over the number were “causing anxiety, and driving more governments to try to influence fertility rates.” However, the agency notes that thriving and inclusive societies can…
The Afghanistan Socio-Economic Outlook 2023, released by the UN Development Programme (UNDP), provides an overview of the fallout resulting from the takeover of Afghanistan by its present-day de facto rulers, the Taliban, in August 2021. Immediately after the Taliban assumed power, the Afghan economy collapsed, accelerating Afghanistan’s decade-long slide into poverty; with a population estimated…
“Sudan has already endured so much pain and suffering. The fighting is born out of power games and personal interests that only serve to alienate the democratic aspirations of the population,” said Mr. Türk, adding, “Do those responsible not understand that the civilian population now only craves a peaceful life?” The Sudanese army and a…
Since 2014, over 26,000 people have died or gone missing crossing the Mediterranean Sea. Most of these deaths or disappearances, over 20,000, occurred in the Central Mediterranean, considered among the deadliest migration routes in the world. “We are seeing a steep increase in the number of desperate people putting their lives at grave risk,” said…
José Francisco Calí Tzay, UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, expressed hope that governments will follow the Holy See’s lead, noting that its impact is still being felt today. ‘Open wound’ “The doctrine of discovery is still an open wound for many Indigenous Peoples around the world,” he said. “It must be…
File photo: The United Nations Human Rights Council overwhelmingly approved the OIC resolution against the Israeli occupation. Pakistan presented OIC resolution against occupation of Beit al-Maqdis and Golan Heights. There were 38 votes in favor of the resolution and 4 against. 5 countries did not participate in the voting. United States and Great Britain were…
Special Rapporteur Margaret Satterthwaite expressed grave concern over interference in the investigation, including threats against Judge Tarek Bitar, who has been leading the process since February 2021. “Judges should never be threatened or subjected to criminal or disciplinary action simply for doing their job,” she said. Justice delayed More than 200 people died as a…
The appeal comes in the latest report by the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances, which visited the country in November. The report examines five “waves of disappearance” in Iraq, including enforced disappearance. It covers the period starting with the Ba’ath era from 1968-2003 – characterized by the authoritarian rule of Saddam Hussein – through to…
An independent expert mandate on Haiti had been created by the Council in 1995 but then discontinued in 2017. The current resolution, calling for “coordinated and targeted international action”, was sponsored by Haiti itself. Country-specific abuses As a subsidiary body of the UN General Assembly, the Council examines human rights violations in specific countries as…
“We extend our heartfelt support and solidarity to the hundreds of thousands affected by Freddy, the longest-lasting tropical cyclone ever recorded in the southern hemisphere,” the UN-appointed human rights experts said in a statement. “The cyclone has had a devastating toll on people across 14 districts – nearly half the country – causing loss of lives,…
