Earlier in November, Norway introduced a draft resolution on the protection of human rights defenders at the UN General Assembly. This important draft text was tabled at a time of shrinking civil society space in many parts of the world and against a backdrop of an increasingly threatening climate for human rights defenders. Unfortunately the draft resolution has become subject …
Beyond matters touching upon religion or belief, or on so-called ‘traditional values,’ it is difficult to think of an issue that divides members of the Human Rights Council (the Council) as much as the perceived disconnect between the importance placed on civil and political rights on the one hand, and economic, social and cultural rights (ESCRs) on the other. Twenty …
The weeks after a Human Rights Council session are a good time for reflection, a moment to take a step back and refocus. It is now almost one year since I took over as Head of the European Union Delegation to the UN here in Geneva, and much has happened during that time. For me, Geneva represents many things, but …
Quick summary The 30th regular session of the Human Rights Council (HRC30) was held from 14th September to 2nd October 2015. At the opening of the session the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, gave his regular update on the global human rights situation, the text of which can be found here . 6 panel discussions …
Size matters in international relations. Small States do not perform any fundamentally irreplaceable role in the international system; yet it is hard to imagine a world without big countries such as the United States, China, India, Russia, Indonesia and Brazil, or even without medium-sized States like Japan, South Africa and Germany. The only viable strategic response for small States is …
When UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan spoke for the last time to the Commission on Human Rights he emphasised that “the era of declaration is now giving way, as it should, to an era of implementation.” [1] In the past, human rights implementation was often narrowly understood to mean passing a law and securing a favourable judicial decision. Of course, laws and …
‘By Invitation’ URG Insights blogs aim to offer an inclusive platform for all stakeholders to express and share information and opinion. The views expressed are the authors’ own, and do not necessarily represent the position of the URG. The 2015 edition of Freedom House’s Freedom in the World reported that observance of civil and political rights saw a decline for the ninth …
In December this year, world governments will meet in Paris to agree a new binding treaty to halt and ultimately reserve global climate change. COP21 is one of the most important environmental conferences ever to be held, but also one of the most important human rights gatherings of the past half-century. The ability of States to reach – or not …
In October 2013, before taking office as the Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations Office in Geneva, I led the Chinese delegation that participated in our second cycle review under the Universal Periodical Review (UPR). The review took place, of course, in Room 20 of the Palais des Nations, and I was deeply impressed by the colourful ceiling designed by the …
In October 2012, US Under Secretary of State for terrorism and financial intelligence, David Cohen, delivered a talk at Chatham House in London on the growing trend of ‘kidnapping for ransom’ (KfR). This monetary-driven form of terrorism, led by al-Qaeda and similar groups, seeks to use kidnapping and ransoms as a means of generating revenue to support further terrorist activities. In this regard, the extremist militant …
