Everyone at the Universal Rights Group (URG), board members and staff, are shocked and greatly saddened by the news that our friend and colleague, Professor Christof Heyns, passed away yesterday (28 March 2021). Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family. Christof was a giant of the human rights world. He allied a brilliant mind with a fierce determination …
Placing human rights at the heart of the UN’s prevention agenda would reduce suffering and save world governments over US$35 billion per year
UN efforts over the past thirty years to shift its approach to crises and conflicts from reaction to prevention have largely failed for two main reasons, according to a new report by the Universal Rights Group (URG) think tank. First, because it is far easier for world governments to invest political and financial capital in responding to humanitarian disasters (especially …
URG officially opens New York office
On 1st July, Universal Rights Group New York (URG NYC) was formally incorporated, with the primary aims of strengthening URG’s engagement with States, UN officials and NGOs active at UN headquarters, and more effectively covering and analyzing developments in key New York-based UN bodies and organizations, including the General Assembly (especially the Third Committee), the Security Council, the High Level …
Pablo de Greiff joins URG Board of Trustees
The Universal Rights Group is pleased to announce that renowned human rights expert Pablo de Greiff (Colombia) has joined the organisation’s Board of Trustees upon the invitation of the Board. Pablo de Greiff has over 20 years experience in global policy development of country level initiatives to prevent and recover from mass atrocities and human rights violations. His work focuses …
New policy paper demonstrates the impact of corruption on internationally protected human rights
5 June, 2018 Corruption has major negative implications, both direct and indirect, for the enjoyment of human rights and the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals’ ‘leaving no one behind’ Findings from new policy paper presented in Geneva on 22 May provides policymakers and other stakeholders with an empirical basis to tackle corruption from a human rights perspective Corruption is …
URG Latin America officially incorporated in Colombia
17h May 2018, Bogota One of the primary purposes of the Universal Rights Group (URG) is to deliver real change and real on-the-ground impact on human rights issues of immediate relevance and importance around the world. With that in mind, in 2015, the URG took the decision to explore opening regional offices in different regions of the world, including Latin …
URG granted UN ECOSOC special consultative status
On 17thApril the Universal Rights Group (URG) was granted special consultative status by the UN’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Consultative status provides NGOs with access to UN bodies that are open to NGOs, including ECOSOC and the Human Rights Council, and the various UN human rights mechanisms. Commenting on the news, URG Executive Director Marc Limon said: ‘It has …
The Catalytic Role of Thematic Special Procedures on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights
On 18th and 19th November, the Universal Rights Group (URG GVA & URG LAC) and the Institute for the Study of Human Rights of Columbia University (ISHR) hosted a two-day expert consultation at Columbia University. The meeting convened former Special Procedures mandate-holders on economic, social, and cultural rights; as well as key stakeholders of these mandates, including civil society representatives, …
Mapping and overcoming the risks, threats, and challenges faced by Environmental Human Rights Defenders in Latin America, with a particular focus on indigenous and rural defenders
On the 8th and 9th November, 2017, the URG Latin America, with the support of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment, Professor John Knox and the International Union for Conservation of Nature – National Committee of the Netherlands (IUCN-N), convened a two-days regional consultation on the situation of environmental human rights defenders (EHRD) in Latin America. Around …
Climate Vulnerable Forum delegation meeting and thematic debate spotlights impact of climate change on human rights
14 June 2017 On the margins of the 35th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, a delegation meeting of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) focused on the growing recognition of the impact of climate change on the enjoyment of a wide spectrum of human rights. The thematic debate, included Ambassadors and other senior officials of the CVF members, and was chaired by H.E. …