Category: Human Rights

At the current session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC), a closed meeting about human rights in Tajikistan curiously appeared on the agenda. Held in response to a complaint submitted under an opaque procedure of the Human Rights Council, there is no public information about the meeting, which only compounds the grave human […]

Burkina Faso’s military junta has approved a law requiring every Burkinabè student wishing to pursue higher education abroad—whether funded by a government scholarship or through private means—to obtain prior authorization from the Ministry of Higher Education. The Council of Ministers adopted the decree on June 25, but it has yet to go into effect. The government […]

As Europe is fighting wildfires in several Member States, the Commission is swiftly mobilising assistance via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM). Over the weekend, Portugal and France have activated the UCPM due to devastating wildfires, with several of them active simultaneously and burning thousands of hectares. France activated the UCPM on 5 July. The […]

Addressing the inaugural UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance in Geneva, the Secretary-General insisted on the need for greater accessibility for the billions of people unable to access the revolutionary tech.  He also insisted that any future agreement must be “worthy of global trust” and put safety first – and especially children’s – to protect […]

(Nairobi) – Regional authorities in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region have been abducting and unlawfully recruiting civilians, including children as young as 15, for their forces since at least April 2026, Human Rights Watch said today. Communities in towns and cities across the region said that Tigrayan forces and officials were abducting former combatants and other […]

Speaking at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, he called for urgent action from world leaders to stop the heavy fighting that has already caused a massive humanitarian emergency in Sudan and beyond. Mass atrocity crimes against civilians have been a regular feature of the war that erupted in 2023. In the space of just […]

The UN Human Rights Council held an emergency session today on the imminent risk of atrocities in and around Sudan’s El Obeid, a city in North Kordofan. The session follows an appeal by rights groups for the Council to exercise its prevention mandate by meeting in anticipation, rather than the aftermath, of another round of […]

(Beirut) – The Israel-Lebanon framework agreement signed in Washington on June 26, 2026, threatens to betray war crimes victims in Lebanon, Human Rights Watch and five human rights and press freedom organizations said today. Parts of the text appear to be aimed at preventing victims of serious international crimes from seeking justice before international forums. […]

Khin Khin Soe, the spokesperson for Myanmar’s military-controlled parliament, urged the Japanese government on June 30 to resume development aid to the country. At a news conference in Naypyidaw, Myanmar’s capital, the spokesperson said “ordinary citizens will suffer” from Japan’s continued suspension of new aid. Japan suspended development assistance—support for long-term government projects, not urgent […]

Despite sport’s ability to promote diversity and inclusion, the report noted that those from racial and ethnic minorities lack representation at many levels of global sport, with governance and access disparities reflecting broader structural inequalities. Ashwini K.P., the Human Rights Council-appointed independent expert on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, recognised […]