Refusal to waive IP rights for COVID-19 vaccines violates human rights: Experts

Refusal to waive IP rights for COVID-19 vaccines violates human rights: Experts

The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) adopted a decision under its “early warning and urgent action” procedures, stating that developed countries’ “persistent refusal” to waive COVID-19 vaccine IP rights – such as patents and trademarks – violated non-discrimination guarantees under international human rights law.  CERD is one of the UN’s human rights…

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Better data on corruption can reduce its impact, support sustainable development

Better data on corruption can reduce its impact, support sustainable development

Ghada Waly, Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), was speaking at the opening of the first global conference on the topic.  Corruption costs the world roughly $2.6 trillion annually, according to the UN Development Programme (UNDP) – money that could go towards fighting hunger, providing healthcare, and ensuring all children have access to quality education.  “Developing a…

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Rights experts call for second UN Decade for People of African Descent

Rights experts call for second UN Decade for People of African Descent

They stressed that more than ever, the world urgently needs humanity to unite and collaborate in a spirit of equality and non-discrimination. “This demands political will to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination, inequality and stratification at both the domestic and international levels,” they said in a statement. Achieving this goal means that inequalities within and among countries…

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UN Women welcomes FIFA’s suspension of Spanish football federation chief

UN Women welcomes FIFA’s suspension of Spanish football federation chief

UN Women issued a statement on Tuesday hailing the decision by the global football organization FIFA to suspend Spanish soccer federation president Luis Rubiales for kissing star player Jennifer Hermoso on the lips without her consent, after the national team won the Women’s World Cup earlier this month. “UN Women, as a supporter of women’s…

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