Re-imagining human rights for New Zealand

by Paul Hunt, University of Essex (UK); University of Waikato (New Zealand) Blog, Blog, By invitation, By invitation, Contemporary and emerging human rights issues, Democracy, In focus: democracy, Thematic human rights issues

This article was first published in the Dominion Post on October 16 and re-published on the Human Rights Centre Blog of the University of Essex on 26 October 2020 There’s a global pushback against human rights. Around the world, authoritarian “strongmen” are behaving like Roman Emperors. Supported by their disaffected ‘base’, they peddle racism, xenophobia and other forms of intolerance. …

Holding the UK Government accountable against its international human rights obligations and commitments?

by Hayley Willingale and Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) Blog, By invitation, By invitation

As Britain faces a future of ever faster and deeper change, it is more important than ever that its human rights record and related compliance with its international human rights obligations and commitments is completely transparent, so that the State can be held to account and we can see where improvements might be made. That’s why the Equality and Human …

Twenty-five years later, how much do national human rights institutions matter?

by Steven L. B. Jensen, Researcher at the Danish Institute for Human Rights Beyond the Council, Blog, By invitation, By invitation, Human rights implementation and impact, Implementation, In focus: domestic implementation of universal norms

An expanding range of literature examines the effectiveness of national human rights institutions, and 25 years after the Paris Principles, a recent study draws out some of the common findings. This year – 2018 – marks the 25th anniversary of the UN General Assembly’s adoption in December 1993 of the Paris Principles. These principles defined the mandate for National Human …

The role of UN field staff in supporting national tracking systems for following up to human rights recommendations

by Emilie Filmer-Wilson, Human Rights Adviser, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Blog, By invitation, By invitation, Human rights implementation and impact, Implementation, In focus: domestic implementation of universal norms

The number of human rights recommendations made to Member States has increased rapidly over the past few years. To track progress with meeting these recommendations in a more systematic manner, a number of Member States have created specific tracking mechanisms and tools. In these efforts, they are increasingly turning to UN Country Teams for support. To enable UN field staff …