Category: Human Rights

(Baku) – Governments participating in the 29th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) should fulfill their human rights obligations, Human Rights Watch said in a question-and-answer document released today. This includes transitioning away from fossil fuels in an equitable, time-bound, and rights-respecting manner. The conference will take place in Baku, Azerbaijan, from November 11 to […]

(Sydney) – The Australian government’s human rights sanctions process should be strengthened through better civil society engagement and bolder steps to sanction corrupt or rights-violating individuals and entities in Asia, Human Rights Watch said in a recent submission to the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee. The Committee is currently reviewing the Australian government’s […]

The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) has outlined concrete steps governments should take to address racial discrimination in health care.  Racism and prejudice have a global impact on health rights. Racism can shape the social determinants of health, such as income, employment, education, food, and housing; the benefits and burdens of financing […]

South Korea’s commitment to equal rights has suffered a dangerous setback with the appointment of Ahn Chang-ho as chairperson of the government’s National Human Rights Commission of Korea. A former Constitutional Court justice, Ahn has drawn widespread criticism for his opposition to antidiscrimination protections, particularly for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. Ahn has taken several […]

Vietnam’s new president, To Lam, is one of many world leaders with poor human rights records visiting New York City this week for the United Nations General Assembly high-level meeting. He will meet with United States President Joe Biden on Wednesday and is expected to meet with Meta and Google executives. As minister of public security, […]

In an oral update to members, Erik Møse, chair of the Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, said it has documented new cases of torture committed by Russian authorities against civilians and prisoners of war in occupied areas of Ukraine and in the Russian Federation.  “We gathered evidence of sexual violence used as torture, mainly against […]

The United States congratulates President-elect Anura Kumara Dissanayake on his victory in the Sri Lankan presidential election, as confirmed by the vote results on September 22. We commend the people of Sri Lanka for peacefully exercising their right to vote. This election is a testament to the strength of Sri Lanka’s democratic institutions and the […]

The following is the text of a joint statement by the Governments of Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Begin text: The Governments of Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States note with deep concern the announcement by South Sudan’s leaders of an extension of the country’s transitional period by two years. […]

(New York) – World leaders gathering for the United Nations General Assembly’s annual General Debate should call for action to end the global human rights crises, Human Rights Watch said. During the sessions from September 20 to 30, 2024, the situations in Palestine, Sudan, Ukraine, Haiti, Myanmar, Venezuela, and Afghanistan should top the agenda. At the UN Summit of the Future, leaders […]

In a modest tent in a makeshift camp for displaced people west of the town of Al-Zawaida in Deir al-Balah governorate in Gaza, children whose lives have been turned upside down by a deadly war and widespread destruction are meeting speech therapist Amina Al-Dahdouh. She is there to help them regain confidence in speaking. An […]