On June 18, the United Nations' intergovernmental Human Rights Council took an important step toward eliminating the artificial divide between freedom from fear and freedom from want that has characterized the human rights system since its (...)
For 13 years each April, the international community has commemorated the anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda with a mixture of shame, contrition and solemn pledges not to let this most heinous of crimes happen again.
Such pledges are bound to (...)
A year-long campaign has been launched to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which falls on December 10, 2008. This campaign will engage the whole UN system in promoting the Declaration's ideals and (...)
As we celebrate the International Day of the World's Indigenous People on 9 August this year, the focus of attention for many of these most marginalized peoples will be the decision that is due to be taken in the next days by the United Nations (...)
The plight of victims of sexual attacks during conflict has come to the fore once again when last week, the International Criminal Court's Prosecutor requested summons for two Sudanese connected with atrocities in Darfur.
According to the (...)
A veil of silence covers violence against children, yet abuses are so pervasive that no country can ignore them, and no society can claim to be immune from them. Despite almost universal acceptance of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, (...)
