Pacific workshop pushes for universal ratification of UNCAT

by Marc Limon, Executive Director of the Universal Rights Group and Olivia Bebe Contemporary and emerging human rights issues BORRAR, News BORRAR, Prensa BORRAR, URG News BORRAR

Friday 28th October 2016, Fiji  On 27-28 October 2016, the Universal Rights Group supported the organisation of a Convention against Torture Initiative (CTI) workshop for Pacific Island States in Natadola, Fiji. The regional workshop, entitled ‘Benefits of, and challenges to, the ratification and implementation of the UN Convention against Torture in the Pacific region: sharing experiences and building capacity,’ represented …

URG holds third global media HRC engagement programme

by the URG team HRC BORRAR, Human rights institutions and mechanisms, URG News BORRAR

During the last week of the 33rd session of the Council, the URG, with the support of the Government of Germany and the Canton of Geneva, brought 11 journalists – from Albania, Argentina, Burundi, DRC, Dominican Republic, Maldives, Rwanda, Slovenia, Thailand, United States, and Venezuela – to Geneva to follow developments, especially during voting.  During their time in Geneva, the journalists …

URG holds second global media HRC engagement programme

by the URG team URG News BORRAR

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, …

URG provides testimony at US Congressional hearing on functioning and effectiveness of Human Rights Council

by the URG team HRC BORRAR, Human Rights Council BORRAR, Human rights institutions and mechanisms, URG News BORRAR

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 …

Christof Heyns joins URG Board of Trustees

by the URG team Prensa BORRAR, URG News BORRAR

The Universal Rights Group (URG) is pleased to welcome Professor Christof Heyns, UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions , to its Board of Trustees. Commenting on his appointment, Professor Heyns said: “I am very happy to join the URG Board. I am a solid supporter of the URG approach: they facilitate important discussions, conduct relevant and credible research (often with a welcome historical perspective); and offer …

URG launches UN human rights media engagement project

by the URG team Human rights institutions and mechanisms BORRAR, Prensa BORRAR, URG News BORRAR

As the Human Rights Council hits its 10th birthday, it is important that it strengthens both the effectiveness and the visibility of its work. If the Council is to remain a credible institution, it is important not only that it fulfills its mandate to promote and protect human rights, but that the wider public, around the world, sees that it …

URG Board Member, Nazila Ghanea, addresses Human Rights Council during panel discussion on preventing violent extremism

by the URG team Contemporary and emerging human rights issues BORRAR, HRC BORRAR, Human Rights Council BORRAR, Human rights institutions and mechanisms, Istanbul process BORRAR, Prensa BORRAR, Resolution 16/18 BORRAR, Thematic human rights issues, URG News BORRAR

On 17th March 2016, URG Board member Nazila Ghanea participated in the Human Rights Council “Panel discussion on preventing violent extremism,” alongside Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the UN; Kate Gilmore, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights; Gastón Garatea, Professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru and former Chair of the National Bureau for the Fight against Poverty; Mehreen …

URG co-organises ‘From Resolution to Implementation’ photo exhibition

by Marc Limon, Executive Director of the Universal Rights Group and the URG team HRC BORRAR, Human rights implementation and impact, Human rights institutions and mechanisms, Human rights institutions and mechanisms BORRAR, Implementation BORRAR, Prensa BORRAR, URG News BORRAR

From 7th to 11th March, Universal Rights Group (URG), together with the Permanent Mission of the Netherlands and World Press Photo, was pleased to begin a project to showcase the real-world impact of important Human Rights Council initiatives, using the medium of photography. Between those dates, URG brought five press photographers to attend and photograph the 31st session of the UN Human …