Joint statement by the European Commission and the High Representative on World Refugee Day

On World Refugee Day, we commemorate the strength and resilience of refugees, who have left their homes not by choice, but due to conflict, violence, persecution or human rights violations. This year’s World Refugee Day comes at a time when a record of more than 122 million people have been forcibly displaced worldwide. The EU […]

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Why is the manosphere on the rise? UN Women sounds the alarm over online misogyny

With more than 5.5 billion people connected online – nearly all of them active on social media – digital platforms have become central to how people interact, UN Women highlights. However, they are also being weaponised to spread misogyny and hate. Once confined to fringe internet forums, the manosphere now reaches into schoolyards, workplaces, and […]

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Philippines Blocks Press Freedom Delegation from Visiting Detained Journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio

June 2025 – Tacloban City, Philippines — Press freedom groups have condemned Philippine authorities for obstructing a delegation’s attempt to visit journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio, who has been detained for over five years on charges widely viewed as politically motivated. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) denounced the denial of access, calling it a serious […]

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UN Human Rights Office Urges Immediate De-escalation in Israel-Iran Conflict Amid Civilian Toll and Legal Concerns

Geneva – June 20, 2025 — The United Nations Human Rights Office has called for the urgent de-escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran, following a deadly exchange of missile fire that has killed over 220 civilians and injured more than 1,000 since June 13. UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada Al-Nashif emphasized […]

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UN Reports Sharp Rise in Civilian Deaths in Global Armed Conflicts in 2024

Geneva – June 20, 2025 — Civilian deaths in armed conflicts rose by 40% in 2024, reaching alarming levels not seen in years, according to a new report released by the UN Human Rights Office. The data underscores a worsening global human rights landscape, with widespread violence, deepening inequality, and increased attacks on human rights […]

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From Syria, UN refugee chief calls for greater solidarity with displaced people

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, sounded the alarm on Friday, World Refugee Day, in a message from Syria. He said the abject failure to end conflicts – including in Sudan, Ukraine, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Gaza – continues to create immense suffering.  Difficulty seeking shelter “Yet the innocent people […]

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🛑 CPJ, Civil Society Groups Urge Immediate Release of Detained Journalist Mario Guevara

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), along with a coalition of national and local civil society and press freedom organizations, has called on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to immediately release journalist Mario Guevara from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody and drop removal proceedings against him. Guevara, an Emmy Award-winning Spanish-language journalist, was […]

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🇪🇺 European Parliament Committee Adopts ECLJ-Backed Measure to Enforce Age Checks on Explicit Websites

In a major step toward strengthening online child protection, a committee of the European Parliament has adopted an amendment requiring pornographic websites to implement mandatory age verification systems for users. This legislative advancement follows sustained efforts by the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ), which has supported the initiative through comprehensive research, policy papers, […]

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EU: Suspend Trade Agreement with Israel

(Brussels) – The European Union should immediately suspend its trade agreement with Israel as long as Israel’s atrocity crimes persist, Human Rights Watch and over 110 organizations and trade unions said in a joint statement on June 19, 2025. This would be the first measure taken by the EU in the last two years to ensure some accountability […]

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Refugee protection is both a shared responsibility and a legal obligation, OSCE human rights head says

WARSAW, 20 June 2025 – Greater joint efforts and international co-operation are crucial to safeguard the protection of refugees guaranteed in international law, with the challenges displacement and migration pose both unique and fundamental to our common future, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said on today’s World Refugee Day. “Refugee […]

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