In a news release issued by his Office, Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, denounced “constant shrinkage” in Cambodia’s democratic space in recent years, which he said is undermining citizen’s fundamental freedoms and their right to participate in the public square. In the lead up to the elections, Cambodia’s National Election Committee disqualified…
In his first briefing to the Security Council since being appointed to the position, Leonardo Santos Simaõ recalled elections in Benin, the Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. He said they had “marked important steps towards democratic consolidation, offering opportunities for citizens to choose their leaders and representatives at the national and subnational level”….
File photo America has expressed concern over the incident of stripping two women naked in India. US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller described the incident as brutal and horrific. It should be noted that in the Indian state of Manipur two months ago two women were paraded naked on the streets after alleged rape. After…
Lisa Singh, who is the UN Resident Coordinator in Mauritius and Seychelles, was speaking ahead of the UN Food Systems Summit +2 which is taking place in Italy from 24 to 26 July. “This is a particularly compelling time to be the Resident Coordinator for a small island state like Mauritius. Since my arrival here in…
Social protection provides a safety net for the vulnerable through policies and programmes that offer financial assistance, healthcare coverage and social insurance. “It helps prevent social exclusion and promotes social inclusion,” said Mahamane Cisse-Gouro, Director of the Human Rights Council and Treaty Mechanisms Division of human rights office OHCHR. Long-term gender gap The long-term gender…
The commemoration of Nelson Mandela International Day, which is celebrated on 18 July, pays tribute to his fight for freedom and equality, both at home and around the world. Mr. Mandela, who was affectionately known by his Xhosa clan name, Madiba, spent nearly three decades in jail for standing up to human rights abuses and…
“I will continue to stand with you as we shape a more prosperous, equal and resilient future for all,” he said in a video message to launch his latest Progress Report on Youth. The world is facing multiple and far-reaching crises, including conflicts, climate change, poverty, inequality and discrimination, he said, and “nobody has a…
The annual celebration pays tribute to Mr. Mandela’s 67 years of service to humanity as a human rights lawyer, prisoner of conscience, international peacemaker and the first democratically elected President of post-apartheid South Africa. Honour the legacy The UN chief described the former leader, who died in 2013, as “a colossus of courage and conviction”….
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that while ambition, urgency and solidarity have been lacking to overcome the myriad challenges, many countries are now staring into “a financial abyss”, strangling the resources needed to realize the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. “The annual SDG funding gap has risen from $2.5 trillion before the pandemic to an…
File photo Heat is predicted to reach dangerous levels in many areas of the United States. From Florida to California to Washington, nearly a third of the US population has been issued a severe heat warning. Temperatures are expected to reach 54 degrees Celsius in California’s Death Valley, one of the hottest regions in the…
