Category: Human Rights

On 16-19 June 2024, Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), to see first hand the humanitarian crisis affecting parts of the country due to conflicts and violence. During the visit, which included meetings with the authorities as well as visiting the troubled eastern part of the country, […]

The de facto authorities in Afghanistan, the Taliban, swept back into power in August 2021 and swiftly began curtailing women’s rights, including imposing stricter dress codes, banning higher education for girls, excluding women from the job market, and restricting freedom of movement in public spaces.  This repression is bolstered by the Taliban’s use of violence, […]

On World Refugee Day, marked annually on 20 June, meet some of the multi-talented teachers and principals of migrant learning centres in Thailand along the border with Myanmar, who, with UN support, are doing all they can to keep up with the influx of children seeking sanctuary. Overcoming challenges beyond the classroom is a daily reality for […]

(New York) – United Nations member countries should use the Summit of the Future in September 2024 to commit to concrete steps to strengthen human rights while confronting climate change, growing poverty and inequality, and other global crises, Human Rights Watch said. Human Rights Watch wrote to UN delegations with specific recommendations for the next […]

Ninety-three member countries of the International Criminal Court (ICC) have declared their “unwavering support” for the court in the face of recent threats.  The June 14 statement by an unprecedented number of ICC members across the globe follows a slew of threats, particularly after ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan announced on May 20 that he was seeking arrest […]

The United States condemn the unjust sentencing of independent journalist and women’s rights activist Huang Xueqin (Sophia Huang) as well as labor rights activist Wang Jianbing.  The People’s Republic of China government sentenced Ms. Huang to five years of imprisonment and Mr. Wang to three years and six months of imprisonment after a lengthy pre-trial detention […]

Special Representative for International Labor Affairs (SRILA) Fay Rodríguez and USAID Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Hub and Inclusive Development Hub Deputy Assistant Administrator Bama Athreya will travel to the Dominican Republic June 16-20 to discuss President Biden’s Memorandum on Advancing Workers’ Rights, Empowerment, and High Labor Standards Globally  and the importance of equality and inclusion in the workplace with government officials, […]

(Bangkok) – The Cambodian authorities are trying 10 environmental activists on politically motivated charges to muzzle criticism of governmental policies, Human Rights Watch said today. The trial in Phnom Penh of the members of Mother Nature, an award-winning, youth-led Cambodian environmental group, is expected to conclude on June 17, 2024, after nearly three weeks. On June […]

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard R. Verma and President of the Republic of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan opened the U.S.-Armenia Local Democracy Forum on June 17 in Yerevan, Armenia. The Forum, which is the first of its kind, brings together U.S. and Armenian mayors and regional, state, and provincial leaders for a two-day exchange about […]

(Abuja) – African governments should accelerate plans to guarantee free quality education from preschool through secondary education before 2030, Human Rights Watch said today on the African Union (AU)’s Day of the African Child, June 16, 2024. Africa is the region with the world’s highest out-of-school population. In 2021, 98 million children and older adolescents of primary […]