Report on the 28th Session of the Human Rights Council

by the URG team Human Rights Council reports, Regular session

Quick Summary The 28th regular session of the Human Rights Council was held from 2nd to 27th March 2015. Opening the session , the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein drew attention to the the disconnect between the obligations and commitments of states under international law and the alarming regularity with which human rights are disregarded and violated. The high level segment was attended by, …

Le Conseil des droits de l’homme: trop de paroles, pas assez d’action?

by Marc Limon, Executive Director of the Universal Rights Group and Subhas Gujadhur Human rights institutions and mechanisms

En 2016, le Conseil des droits de l’homme de l’ONU célèbrera son dixième anniversaire. Bien que celui-ci ne sera pas accompagné d’un examen formel de son travail et de son fonctionnement, contrairement au cap des 5 ans d’existence du Conseil, il représente une importante opportunité de faire le point sur l’organe des Nations Unies et sur ses accomplissements et échecs. …

The Human Rights Council at 10: too much talk, too little action?

by Marc Limon, Executive Director of the Universal Rights Group and Subhas Gujadhur Human rights institutions and mechanisms

In 2016 the UN Human Rights Council will celebrate its tenth birthday. Although the anniversary—unlike the Council’s five-year mark—will not be accompanied by any formal review of its work and functioning, it represents an important opportunity to take stock of the UN body’s achievements and failures. And what is immediately clear is that although the Council is good at debating …

HRC28 and the Special Procedures: celebrating three steps forward, and avoiding one step back

by Marc Limon, Executive Director of the Universal Rights Group and the URG team Human rights institutions and mechanisms, Special Procedures

The 28th session of the Human Rights Council (HRC28) saw a number of developments with highly significant implications for the future of the Special Procedures mechanism, the ‘jewel in the crown’ of the UN’s human rights protection system. Some of these developments were undoubtedly positive and in line with the recommendations put forward in the recent  Universal Rights Group-Brookings Institution policy report on Special Procedures . Others, with potential implications …

The JIU report: what’s all the fuss about?

by Subhas Gujadhur and Marc Limon, Executive Director of the Universal Rights Group Human rights institutions and mechanisms

Casual observers of the Human Rights Council may have been forgiven, in the run up to the body’s 28th session (2nd to 27th March), for a degree of bafflement at repeated and sometimes quite excitable references to a three letter acronym: JIU. The reason for all the excitement was the publication of a  report by the JIU  (Joint Inspection Unit – the UN system’s independent external oversight …

The Council’s full-day panel debate on climate change should be a springboard for further and deeper action in the run-up to COP21 in Paris

by Professor John H. Knox, former UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment Climate, Human rights institutions and mechanisms, Thematic human rights issues

The 28th session of the Human Rights Council marks the end of the initial three-year term of the mandate of the  Independent Expert on human rights and the environment . Over the past year, in my capacity as the Independent Expert, I have focused on identifying, promoting and exchanging views on good practices relating to the use of human rights obligations to inform, support and strengthen environmental policymaking. …

A way forward for the 16/18 process

by Caka A. Awal* By invitation, Thematic human rights issues

A policy report of Universal Rights Group (URG) on ‘ Combatting Global Religious Intolerance: the Implementation of Human Rights Council resolution 16/18 ’ has rightly pointed out the complexities of the issues surrounding freedom of religion or belief and the fight against global religious intolerance. The report provides useful historical insights about the UN’s journey to confront and combat racial and religious intolerance. It is interesting to note that on 25th November 1981 …

Climate change and human rights in 2015: what is the role of the international human rights community in contributing to an effective and just Paris agreement?

by Marc Limon, Executive Director of the Universal Rights Group and Kelsey Skaggs Climate, Thematic human rights issues

At the end of 2015, climate policymakers will meet in Paris for the 21st Conference of Parties to the United Nations Convention Framework on Climate Change (COP21). There, it is hoped, countries will sign a universal, legally binding agreement to tackle global warming. It is well understood that a new, ambitious accord on climate change is vital for the planet …

Human Rights Council failing to fulfil its core mandate, finds new think tank analysis

by the URG team Human rights institutions and mechanisms

Thursday, 29th January 2015, Geneva When the Human Rights Council was established in 2006 following a decision of UN Heads of State, its founders envisioned it as a body with a core mandate to ‘address situations of violations of human rights, including gross and systematic violations, and make recommendations thereon.’ Nine years on, state enthusiasm for the Council continues to grow …

La estrategia de la ONU para combatir la intolerancia religiosa: ¿es apta para su propósito?

by Marc Limon, Executive Director of the Universal Rights Group, Nazila Ghanea and the URG team Thematic human rights issues

De acuerdo con un informe reciente del  Pew Research Center , la violencia y la discriminación de los gobiernos contra los grupos religiosos, así como la hostilidad social por parte de una variedad de actores, han alcanzado niveles sin precedente en todas las regiones, excepto en América. El  informe sobre la libertad religiosa  más reciente del Departamento de Estado de EE. UU. refuerza este sombrío panorama: concluye que …