EU Civil Protection Forum assesses how to improve EU crisis response

Today and tomorrow, the European civil protection community will discuss lessons learned and ways forward in civil protection during the 8th edition of the European Civil Protection Forum.  The European Commission is organising this conference under the theme of shaping a disaster-resilient Union: charting a path for the future of European civil protection. The event […]

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Little protection for the vulnerable, even on major migration routes: UNHCR

A new report from the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) confirmed that each year, hundreds of thousands of people risk their lives to migrate from sub-Saharan countries in Africa without access to immediate assistance, shelter or information about the dangers they may face including from traffickers – even though the location of major movement hubs is […]

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HRP Announces 2024-2025 Henigson Fellows – Harvard Law School

HRP Announces 2024-2025 Henigson Fellows The Human Rights Program (HRP) is pleased to present its 2024-2025 Henigson Fellows. This year, we have awarded the Fellowships to two outstanding 2024 Harvard Law School (HLS) graduates: Sabrina Ochoa JD ’24 (on the left in photo above) and Deepika Singh JD ‘24 (on the right).   HRP’s post-graduate fellowships […]

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Australia Needs a Human Rights Act

Last Thursday, Australia’s Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights released a report on Australia’s human rights framework. The Committee’s first recommendation was to establish a Human Rights Act. Existing laws in Australia protect against discrimination and other human rights violations, but many rights protections are inadequate. This patchwork of laws leads to people and groups – particularly […]

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China: Closing Off Memory of Tiananmen Massacre

(New York) – The Chinese government is further suppressing any discussion and commemoration of the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre, Human Rights Watch said today. Leading up to the 35th anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre on June 4, 2024, Chinese authorities have again preempted commemorations. The government has imprisoned those in China and Hong Kong who have sought […]

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EU releases €1.2 million in humanitarian aid to assist victims of cyclone Remal in Bangladesh and India

The EU has released €1.2 million in humanitarian aid to respond to the impact of tropical cyclone Remal in Bangladesh and India. The cyclone has particularly hit communities in Bangladesh, mainly those in the South-West of the country, as well as refugees and host communities in the Cox’s Bazar district in the southeast of the […]

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Commemorating LGBTQI+ Pride Month – United States Department of State

Every June, the United States celebrates Pride Month, commemorating the uprising at the Stonewall Inn that catalyzed a global movement toward LGBTQI+ equality and the inception of Pride as many of us know it today.  Despite great strides for equality around the world, LGBTQI+ persons in many countries continue to face grave danger, including laws […]

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US Imposes Sanctions on Ex-Ugandan Military Commander

On May 30, the US government announced travel sanctions against five former and current Ugandan government officials, including Peter Elwelu, the former deputy chief of the Ugandan Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF). The US State Department announced that Elwelu was sanctioned due to “extrajudicial killings that were committed by members of the UPDF” while he was commanding Ugandan […]

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UN human rights chief sounds alarm over rising violence in Burkina Faso

Allegations of responsibility point to both armed groups and State actors. “While armed groups are presumed responsible for the vast majority of incidents and victims and should be held accountable, I am also deeply disturbed that security and defence forces and their auxiliaries, the Volontaires pour la défense de la patrie, allegedly carried out wanton […]

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