El lunes 24 de febrero, el primer día de la 43ª sesión del Consejo de Derechos Humanos (CDH43) , el Secretario General de la ONU, António Guterres, lanzó un nuevo “Llamado a la acción por los derechos humanos” . Rumores de un “anuncio importante” del Secretario General circulaban desde fines del año pasado, y el propio Guterres los confirmó en un discurso de apertura ante la Asamblea General el 22 de enero. En esa ocasión, el Secretario …
The Human Rights Council in 2020 – Views of the 14th President of the Human Rights Council H.E. Ms. Elisabeth Tichy-Fisslberger
Geneva, 20 February 2020 It is a very special honour for me to preside over the Human Rights Council during this year, and I am fully aware of the responsibility I have assumed from my predecessor. The Human Rights Council is unique in many ways. Unlike many other UN bodies, the Council provides a place where States and civil society …
Inequality a prominent concern for UN human rights monitors
UN human rights bodies are highlighting inequality when making recommendations to states – showing that this issue should be seen and acted on as a central human rights concern. Do human rights have anything to say about material inequality? The question is worth asking, especially in light of recent critiques. In his 2018 book Not Enough – Human Rights in an Unequal World, historian Samuel Moyn argued that “… …
Desigualdad es una preocupación importante para los observadores de derechos humanos de la ONU
Los organismos de derechos humanos de la ONU están enfatizando la desigualdad al hacer recomendaciones a los Estados, mostrando que la consideración y acción sobre el tema debe ser una preocupación central de los derechos humanos. ¿Los derechos humanos tienen algo que decir sobre la desigualdad material? Vale la pena hacer la pregunta, especialmente a la luz de críticas recientes. …
Spotlight on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights at the UN
In Michelle Bachelet’s address at the 74th session of the Third Committee at the UN General Assembly (GA) she highlighted recent ‘pushbacks on women’s equality’ and the need for a ‘pushback to the pushback.’ Indeed, over the last several years, women’s rights, and especially women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), have been a point of contention at the UN. …
Foco en salud y derechos sexuales y reproductivos en la ONU
En su discurso en la 74ª sesión de la Tercera Comisión en la Asamblea General de las Naciones Unidas (AGNU), Michelle Bachelet destacó los recientes “retrocesos contra la igualdad de género” y la necesidad de una “oposición al retroceso”. De hecho, en los últimos años, los derechos de las mujeres, y especialmente la salud y derechos sexuales y reproductivos (SDSR) de …
Report on the 74th session of the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly
Quick summary During the 74th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), the Third Committee, the UNGA Committee tasked with addressing human rights issues and concerns, ran from 1 October 2019 through 21 November 2019, at UN Headquarters in New York. This year’s Third Committee featured presentations by a number of senior UN officials, including Ms. Michelle Bachelet, the High …
Prevention first and foremost: speaking at the UN General Assembly, the High Commissioner and HRC President highlight cross-cutting human rights work
As part of the 74th Session of the UN General Assembly, the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the President of the Human Rights Council (Council) gave statements to the Third Committee at UN Headquarters in New York City and engaged in an interactive dialogue with member States. These interactions provided an opportunity for a discussion of cross-cutting human rights …
2019 Human Rights Council elections: good news overshadowed by complacency and short-termism
Yesterday’s elections to the Human Rights Council for the three-year membership term (2020-2022) brought some good news, but also served to demonstrate – again – the complacency and short-termism that characterises most States’ approach to these important polls. First, the good news. Overall, the elections strengthened the composition of the Human Rights Council. In the Asia-Pacific Group (APG), for example, …
How can yourHRC.org help voting States navigate the upcoming Human Rights Council elections?
When it was established in 2006, the Human Rights Council (Council) was given the mandate to ‘promote universal respect for the protection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all.’ In order to assist the Council in realising this mandate, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Universal Rights Group (URG) launched yourHRC.org , an innovative online tool designed …