The UN Secretary-General calls for countering a ‘tsunami of hate’ in the wake of COVID-19

by Danica Damplo, Universal Rights Group NYC Blog BORRAR, Blog BORRAR, Contemporary and emerging human rights issues BORRAR, Hate speech BORRAR, Prevention, accountability and justice BORRAR

On May 8 the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres launched a global Appeal to Address and Counter COVID-19 Hate Speech . A few days later, the UN published a Guidance Note on Addressing and Countering COVID-19 related Hate Speech . Both of these follow (and can build upon) steps taken by the UN in response to COVID-19, as well as the 2019 UN Plan of Action on Hate Speech . The SG’s appeal also comes amid an increased awareness of how hate speech and discrimination …

UN Secretary-General report puts human rights at centre of COVID-19 response

by Danica Damplo, Universal Rights Group NYC Blog BORRAR, Blog BORRAR, Contemporary and emerging human rights issues BORRAR, New York City BORRAR

Today the UN Secretary-General (SG) Antonio Guterres launched a report on how human rights can and should guide coronavirus response and recovery. This report is intended to be read in conjunction with the SG’s Call to Action on Human Rights (launched this February) and the SG’s other reports and statements related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including his report ‘ Shared responsibility, global solidarity: responding to the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19 ’, his appeal for governments to …

Is UN Secretary-General António Guterres committed to human rights?

by Marc Limon, Executive Director of the Universal Rights Group Blog BORRAR, Blog BORRAR, Call to Action BORRAR, Human rights institutions and mechanisms, Prevention, Prevention, accountability and justice BORRAR

Much of the criticism of UN SG Guterres for his “silence” on human rights is misplaced—he is rather making a good faith effort, alongside High Commissioner Bachelet, to balance the public and private diplomacy aspects of his mandate. Is Secretary-General António Guterres really committed to human rights? That’s a question that has been vexing diplomats, civil society representatives and journalists …

Posicionando el Consejo de Derechos Humanos en el centro de la agenda de prevención de las Naciones Unidas: Un breve análisis del informe del Grupo de Expertos Eminentes sobre ‘la contribución del Consejo de Derechos Humanos a la Prevención’

by Marc Limon, Executive Director of the Universal Rights Group Blog INVALID 6, Blog INVALID 7, Call to Action BORRAR, Human rights institutions and mechanisms, Instituciones, procesos y mecanismos de derechos humanos internacionales BORRAR, Más allá del Consejo BORRAR, Prevention, Prevention, accountability and justice BORRAR

Desde el estabelecimiento de las Naciones Unidas en 1946, la Organización ha reconocido la importancia y el valor central de la prevención y ha declarado su determinación de colocar ese enfoque en el centro de su actuación. De hecho, las primeras palabras de la Carta de las Naciones Unidas dejan evidente que la misión primordial de la ONU es prevenir …

The selection and appointment of the next High Commissioner for Human Rights: Right person, shame about the process

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

In March 2018, a coalition of some 60 NGOs, led by the Universal Rights Group, the UN Association of the UK, and Human Rights House Foundation, sent a letter to the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, encouraging him to enhance the selection procedure for the new High Commissioner for Human Rights. The sponsors of the letter argued that the process used …