Let youth lead, urges new advocacy campaign

As crises continue to unfold, there has been a lack of unity among world leaders in solving challenges for the “collective good”, the Youth Office said in a letter kickstarting the campaign.  The office says it deems it important to have leaders and institutions include young people in roles where their voices can be heard, […]

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From the Field: Transforming lives in Darién jungle

Migrants come ashore from the Chucunaque River after crossing the Darién jungle. A rising number of migrants are attempting the dangerous journey across the Darién jungle spanning the Colombia-Panama border. For Etzaida Rios, 35, the impact of providing hope and help runs deep. She works as a Community Officer with the International Organization for Migration […]

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Brazil: Reject Bill That Entrenches Failed Drug Policy

(São Paulo) – Brazil’s Congress should reject a proposed constitutional amendment that would entrench the criminalization of drug possession for personal use. The Senate is expected to vote in the coming days on an amendment to article 5 of Brazil’s Constitution, which guarantees the right to privacy, that would restrict that right by criminalizing the […]

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Desperate Afghan returnees from Pakistan face uncertain future: IOM

According to IOM, in the past two months alone, nearly 375,000 Afghans left Pakistan, primarily utilizing the Torkham and Spin Boldak border crossings, near Kabul and Kandahar, respectively. The number of daily border crossings has skyrocketed from 200 to a staggering 17,000, creating an unprecedented strain on resources and infrastructure. Desperate situation “Their situation is […]

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Germany: Scholz Should Stand Firm on Rights in China

(Berlin) – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz should stress the importance of human rights in the Sino-German relationship during his visit to China and meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Human Rights Watch said today. Scholz arrived in Beijing on April 13, 2024, and is expected to meet with Xi on April 16. “Chancellor Scholz should […]

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Protect those on the move using deadly Darién crossing

That figure is more than double the crossings made in all of 2022. Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, underscored the scale of the crisis. “The challenges that the unprecedented population movements in the Americas pose are formidable…no country on its own is equipped to address them,” he said. “Only by coming together with […]

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Saudi Arabia: Free Award-Winning Activist

(Beirut) – Saudi authorities should immediately release Waleed Abu al-Khair, an award-winning Saudi human rights defender and lawyer, 17 human rights groups including Human Rights Watch said today, on the 10th anniversary of his arrest. He is serving a 15-year prison sentence due to his peaceful human rights activism. “This grim anniversary of Waleed Abu […]

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Global Refugee Forum opens amid ‘crisis of humanity’

The world’s largest gathering dedicated to refugee issues, the Forum is co-hosted by UNHCR and Switzerland and convened by Colombia, France, Japan, Jordan and Uganda. It brings together Member States, civil society, financial institutions, private companies and more than 300 refugee advocates. Shattered dreams, disrupted lives Setting the tone for the discussion, Mr. Grandi said […]

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Justa Libertad: A Movement to Decriminalize Abortion in Ecuador

Justa Libertad, an Ecuadorian coalition of eight civil society organizations, recently filed a lawsuit before the Constitutional Court of Ecuador seeking to decriminalize abortion. This crucial initiative seeks to ensure that women, girls, and other pregnant people can access safe abortion care. It follows similar coalitions that achieved progress in other Latin American countries like […]

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Migration is a fact of life and a ‘force for good’

In a message marking International Migrants Day, the UN chief emphasized that migration promotes the exchange of knowledge and contributes to economic growth, but at the same time, “poorly governed migration is a cause of great suffering.” “It forces people into the cruel realm of traffickers, where they face exploitation, abuse, and even death. It […]

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