| | |
|
| |
|
|
UN: Reject Sri Lanka’s Bid for Human Rights Council Don’t Reward Failed Promises to Improve Rights Sri Lanka’s worsening human rights record and failed promises for improvement undermine its claim for a place on the UN Human Rights Council, a coalition of more than 20 national and international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) said in a letter released today. May 6, 2008 Press Release Printer friendly version Universal Periodic Review of Pakistan Human Rights Watch's Submission to the Human Rights Council Ongoing human rights concerns in Pakistan include arbitrary detention (including of lawyers and human rights defenders); lack of fair trials; mistreatment, torture and enforced disappearances of terrorism suspects and political opponents; harassment, intimidation and censorship of the media; violence against women; and discrimination against religious minorities. Since November 2007, the Government has severely interfered with democratic institutions and dissolved the independent judiciary. May 5, 2008 Written Statement Printer friendly version Universal Periodic Review of Sri Lanka Human Rights Watch's Submission to the Human Rights Council Major hostilities between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) resumed in mid-2006 and in January 2008 the government formally withdrew from the ceasefire in place since 2002. Since then the fighting has claimed hundreds of civilians lives, and tens of thousands more have been displaced. Human Rights Watch has long documented serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law by both parties to the conflict. We are deeply concerned that with the ceasefire’s end, abuses will intensify. May 5, 2008 Written Statement Printer friendly version Universal Periodic Review of Switzerland Human Rights Watch's Submission to the Human Rights Council Human Rights Watch is concerned about a number of practices which in Switzerland have led to serious instances of human rights violations that erode the implementation of international standards of human rights protection in the country. Human Rights Watch is particularly concerned about the use of “diplomatic assurances” against torture and ill-treatment and the recently adopted Law on Asylum. May 5, 2008 Written Statement Printer friendly version Universal Periodic Review of France Human Rights Watch's Submission to the Human Rights Council Over the past five years, France has forcibly removed dozens of foreign residents accused of links to terrorism and extremism. Available government figures indicate that 71 individuals described as “Islamic fundamentalists” were forcibly removed from France between September 2001 and September 2006. Fifteen of these were described as imams. Though not a new policy, national security removals now form an integral part of France’s national strategy to counter violent radicalization and recruitment to terrorism. May 5, 2008 Written Statement Printer friendly version Universal Periodic Review of Guatemala Human Rights Watch's Submission to the Human Rights Council The country continues to face high levels of violence associated with both electoral politics and common crime. Guatemala’s weak and corrupt law enforcement institutions have proven incapable of containing the powerful organized crime groups that, among other things, are believed responsible for continuing attacks on human rights defenders. May 5, 2008 Written Statement Printer friendly version Universal Periodic Review of Peru Human Rights Watch's Submission to the Human Rights Council Justice for past abuses is a leading human rights concern in Peru. While authorities have made some progress in holding accountable those responsible for some abuses committed during its 20-year armed conflict (1980-2000), most perpetrators continue to evade justice. Investigations of massacres and “disappearances” by government forces have been held up in part by lack of military cooperation. Other human rights concerns in Peru include torture and ill-treatment of criminal suspects , violence against journalists in some parts of the country, and government efforts to regulate nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). May 5, 2008 Written Statement Printer friendly version Universal Periodic Review of Romania Human Rights Watch's Submission to the Human Rights Council This submission will focus only on Human Rights Watch’s key concerns regarding Romania’s compliance with international human rights law in its treatment of children and youth living with HIV. It draws on research and recommendations presented in greater detail in our August 2006 report, Life Doesn’t Wait: Romania’s Failure to Protect and Support Children and Youth Living with HIV May 5, 2008 Written Statement Printer friendly version Universal Periodic Review of Ukraine Human Rights Watch's Submission to the Human Rights Council This submission summarizes Human Rights Watch’s key concerns with Ukraine’s compliance with its international obligations in the context of four areas that have been the focus of Human Rights Watch’s work in recent years – human rights abuses fueling the HIV/AIDS epidemic, as well as discrimination against women in employment, media freedoms, and the treatment of migrants. May 5, 2008 Written Statement Printer friendly version Universal Periodic Review of Zambia Human Rights Watch's Submission to the Human Rights Council In Zambia, where 17 percent of the adult population is living with HIV/AIDS, women face grave gender-based abuses, in particular domestic violence, which hinder their ability to access or continue using life-saving HIV treatment. Despite Zambia’s impressive roll-out of HIV treatment, the country’s health system and legal framework fail to address these barriers to women’s HIV treatment and as a result, some women living with HIV miss out on life-saving HIV treatment. May 5, 2008 Written Statement Printer friendly version UN: Tackle Wrongdoing by Peacekeepers Investigation Division Ignores Gold Smuggling and Arms Trading in Congo United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon should urgently address the failings of the investigating arm of the United Nations and ensure that UN peacekeepers responsible for abuses are held to account, Human Rights Watch said today. May 2, 2008 Press Release Printer friendly version UN: Tackle Wrongdoing by Peacekeepers Letter to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Recent BBC programs demonstrated that the UN internal investigation arm failed to fully investigate UN peacekeepers implicated in gold and weapons smuggling in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. We urge you to follow up on these reports and to look into important failings of OIOS as speedily as possible. May 1, 2008 Letter Printer friendly version DR Congo: Suspected War Criminal Wanted International Court Unseals Arrest Warrant Against Bosco Ntaganda Congolese officials and UN peacekeepers should take swift action to enforce the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant against a rebel leader accused of forcibly conscripting child soldiers and of other abuses, Human Rights Watch said today. April 29, 2008 Press Release Also available in 
Printer friendly version Algeria criticises UK’s human rights record By Judith Sunderland, Researcher, Europe and Central Asia Division Published in OpenDemocracy: Our Kingdom The United Kingdom came in for robust questioning on its human rights record from other UN member states last week at the Human Rights Council, during the historic first session of the Universal Periodic Review Coming at a time when the UK government is trying to pass yet another piece of counterterrorism legislation, which includes extending pre-charge detention to 42 days, it’s no wonder a significant number of countries asked about UK counterterrorism policies. . April 23, 2008 Commentary Printer friendly version US: Confront Sudan's Defiance on Darfur Letter to Condoleezza Rice ahead of US Security Council Presidency in June We are writing you in advance of the US assumption of the UN Security Council presidency this June to call your attention to the Sudanese government’s deliberate and ongoing defiance of Security Council resolutions aimed at protecting civilians and at providing accountability in Darfur. Given the gravity and magnitude of the Darfur crisis, we hope that your office will give this very serious matter your full consideration in the weeks ahead. Come June, we look to the US government to use its full power and authority as the Security Council president to send a strong signal to Khartoum that its persistent obstructionism will no longer be tolerated. We believe that this is fully consistent with the aspirations of the administration’s Darfur policy. April 22, 2008 Letter Printer friendly version Second Preparatory Committee Meeting for the Durban Review Conference Human Rights Watch's Position Paper on the Durban Preparatory Committee Human Rights Watch urges governments involved in the Durban review process to press for progress on key issues highlighted at the Durban Conference of 2001 and to address recent or new manifestations of racism and related intolerance. Where progress has been made since 2001, Human Rights Watch believes that more can be done. Where States have not been successful in adequately addressing certain forms of discrimination, the review conference provides a renewed opportunity. April 21, 2008 Written Statement Printer friendly version Letter to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on His Upcoming West Africa Tour We are writing to you in advance of your meetings in Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire as part of your upcoming four-nation West African tour. Human Rights Watch welcomes the significant work done by the human rights and rule of law sections within the United Nations peacekeeping missions in both Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire, particularly with respect to the monitoring of and reporting on persistent human rights abuses. We write today to urge you to use your meetings with Liberian and Ivorian government officials, UN mission representatives, and members of civil society to address a few key issues, especially related to justice for past crimes, which Human Rights Watch believes are vital to restoration of respect for human rights and the rule of law, and in turn a durable peace in both countries. April 18, 2008 Letter Printer friendly version UN: Mixed Results for New Review Process States Avoid Serious Discussion of Rights in Algeria, Tunisia The first session of the new country review mechanism of the UN Human Rights Council was undermined by inconsistencies and the timidity of some governments in reviewing others, Human Rights Watch said today. On April 18, 2008 the council concluded a two-week session in which it examined the records of 16 countries as part of the new Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process. April 18, 2008 Press Release Also available in 
Printer friendly version UN Rights Council to Review South Africa Universal Periodic Review of South Africa South Africa’s human rights record will be scrutinized on April 15, 2008 by the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva at a Universal Periodic Review Session that is likely to focus on abuses around HIV infections, sexual violence, and asylum procedures. April 15, 2008 Memorandum Printer friendly version Will the UNHRC fulfill its promise? By Judith Sunderland , Researcher, Europe & Central Asia Division Published in OpenDemocracy: Our Kingdom A serious evaluation of the UK’s human rights record, that takes into account input from national and international NGOs, will go a long way to establishing the credibility of this new review process. April 10, 2008 Commentary Printer friendly version |
|
|
Contribute to Human Rights Watch
Home | About Us | News Releases | Publications | About HRW | Info by Country | Global Issues | Campaigns | Free Mailing Lists | Community | Bookstore | Film Festival | Search | Site Map | Contact Us | Press Contacts | Privacy Policy © Copyright 2006, Human Rights Watch 350 Fifth Avenue, 34th Floor New York, NY 10118-3299 USA |
