Category: Geneva News

Ireland: UN experts raise alarm over growing number of homeless people in Cork with no access to water  GENEVA (6 June 2016) – Two United Nations experts on the human rights to water and sanitation and adequate housing today expressed concern over the increasing number of homeless people in the city of Cork, Ireland, and their lack of access to water and sanitation. Over 700 people are homeless in the city of approximately 120,000 inhabitants. “Widespread homelessness is evidence of the failure of the State to protect and ensure the…

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“Economy should serve the people, not vice versa” – UN expert says after assessing EU adjustment policies BRUSSELS / GENEVA (3 June 2016) – Recent austerity policies are hitting the most vulnerable and are undermining economic, social and labour rights within the European Union, today said United Nations Independent Expert Juan Pablo Bohoslavsky at the end of his fact-finding visit* to EU institutions in Brussels. “I am concerned about a policy shift undermining the previously balanced approach of ensuring economic stability, equality and social cohesion, in favour of a disproportionate…

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Journalists’ killings: UN experts urge Philippines president-elect to stop instigating deadly violence GENEVA (6 June 2016) – Two United Nations independent experts on summary executions, and on freedom of expression today urged Philippines president-elect Rodrigo Duterte to stop instigating deadly violence immediately. The experts strongly condemned Mr. Duterte’s recent statements suggesting that journalists are not exempt for assassination. Speaking at a press conference, Mr. Duterte reportedly stated that most journalists killed in the country have done something wrong. ‘You won’t be killed if you don’t do anything wrong,’ the President-elect…

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Press briefing notes on Flogging in Iran, unfair restrictions on NGO access to the UN and executions in Gaza Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: Rupert ColvilleLocation: GenevaDate:  31 May 2016 (1) Flogging in Iran We condemn the outrageous flogging of up to 35 young men and women in Iran last week, after they were caught holding a graduation party together in Qazvin, north of Tehran. According to State media, the students were arrested on Thursday, interrogated and sentenced by the Prosecutor’s Office to 99 lashes each and then…

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Ukraine: after two years of conflict, situation in east remains “grim” – UN report French | Russian | Ukrainian GENEVA/KYIV (3 June 2016) – A new report by the UN Human Rights Office shows that, after two years of conflict, the situation in eastern Ukraine remains volatile and continues to have a severe impact on human rights, especially for those living near the contact line and in territories controlled by armed groups. According to the latest report on Ukraine by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights*,…

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Iran: Most recent backlash against Baha’is exposes authorities’ extreme intolerance for religious minority group  GENEVA (8 June 2016) – Two United Nations human rights experts today said that the current wave of incitement of hatred of the Baha’i community reflected in speeches made by religious, judiciary and political officials in the Islamic Republic of Iran “has exposed the Iranian authorities’ extreme intolerance for adherents of the religious minority group.” “Verbal attacks by state officials against an already vulnerable community like the Baha’is are extremely troubling not only because they directly…

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Civilians fleeing Fallujah “facing double jeopardy” – Zeid Arabic | French GENEVA (7 June 2016) – UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein on Tuesday urged the Iraqi Government to take immediate measures to ensure that all people fleeing the ISIL-occupied city of Fallujah are treated in strict accordance with international human rights and international humanitarian laws. “There are extremely distressing, credible reports that some people who survive the terrifying experience of escaping from ISIL, then face severe physical abuse once they reach the other side,” the…

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