5th September 2016, Jakarta On 2nd August I landed back in Jakarta after three-and-a-half years with the Indonesian team at the Human Rights Council. As well as giving me time to readjust to life back home, the intervening weeks have given me time to reflect on the nature and extent of the ‘on the ground’ impact of my work at …
The UN Human Rights Council endorsed the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in 2011. Though an important milestone, the debate continues on the scope, content, and legal status of companies’ responsibility to respect human rights asserted in those Principles. To gain closer insights into this debate, between 2014 and 2015, the Universal Rights Group, together with partners including …
The world is currently experiencing an unprecedented demographic revolution to an ageing population, and no regions are exempt. Globally, there are approximately 700 million persons aged 60 years old and over, and this figure will double by 2025. By 2050, older persons will constitute 20%of the global population—higher than it has ever been. In light of these projections, in 2013 …
“Albinos are being hunted in Africa!” Headlines like these are not uncommon these days. They sound sensationalist but in fact reflect a grim reality: that in some countries, people with albinism are being attacked—usually with machetes and knives—for the purpose of obtaining their body parts. These attacks are based on a witchcraft-led belief that the body parts of people with …
At the 27th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union, held in Kigali, Rwanda, from 17 to 18 July 2016, African Heads of State and Government unanimously adopted the Declaration on ‘The African Year of Human Rights with Particular Focus on the Rights of Women.’ The adoption of the Declaration was inspired by Africa’s continued quest for the …
Quick summary The 32nd regular session of the Human Rights Council (HRC32) was held from 13 June 2016 to 8 July 2016. HRC32 marked the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Council. At the opening of the session, statements were delivered by Mr Choi Kyonglim, President of the Human Rights Council, Mr Didier Burkhalter, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign …
The Council blew out the candles on its 10th birthday cake in June. As delegates working from different perspectives, who were there at the birth, who saw the Council take its first baby steps, and who have seen it grow and develop, here’s a shared view on how far we’ve come. Ten years ago there was optimism that …
During the last week of the 32nd session of the Council, the URG, with the support of the Government of Germany and the Canton of Geneva, brought 7 journalists – from Afghanistan, Belarus, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Ecuador and Kenya – to Geneva to follow developments, especially during voting. During their time in Geneva, the journalists benefited from briefing sessions with URG analysts, key diplomats, …
This article first appeared on openGlobalRights , and has been reproduced with their kind permission. The existing approach taken by the World Bank to human rights is incoherent, counterproductive and unsustainable. It is based on an out-dated legal analysis and shaped by deep misperceptions of what a human rights policy would require. In its operational policies in particular, the Bank treats human rights more …
On 17th May, Marc Limon, Universal Rights Group’s Executive Director, offered testimony during a US Congressional Hearing (House of Representatives) entitled: ‘Ten Years Later: The Status of the United Nations Human Rights Council.’ The hearing was organised by the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission and sought to examine the current functioning and effectiveness of the Council, and also look assess …
