• South Sudan: Heed Global Call to End Death Penalty
    Dec 20, 2012
    Press release
    South Sudan should carry out its commitment for a moratorium on the death penalty. On December 20, 2012, South Sudan, along with 110 other nations, voted in favor of a United Nations General Assembly resolution calling on countries that use capital punishment to place a moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty.
  • UAE: Make Good on Human Rights Commitments
    Nov 16, 2012
    Press release
    The United Arab Emirates should swiftly end the arbitrary detention and harassment of its critics in line with its obligations as a recently elected member of the United Nations Human Rights Council.
  • UN: Act on Failings in Sri Lanka
    Nov 14, 2012
    Press release
    The United Nations secretary-general’s internal review on UN action in Sri Lanka should lead to specific and concrete measures to ensure the UN takes all needed measures to prevent mass atrocities in future conflicts, Human Rights Watch said today.
  • UN: Noncompetitive Elections Weaken Rights Council
    Nov 12, 2012
    Press release
    Limited competition in elections for the United Nations Human Rights Council undermines membership standards set for the body by the UN General Assembly. Although the General Assembly elected 18 countries to the Human Rights Council on November 12, 2012, only three faced challengers in their bids for a seat.  
  • Indonesia: UN Rights Visit Can Challenge Discrimination, Impunity
    Nov 9, 2012
    Press release
    The visit of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navanethem Pillay is an opportunity to highlight concerns about discrimination against religious minorities and impunity for state security forces in Indonesia.
  • UN Security Council: Press Libya on ICC Cooperation, Impunity
    Nov 6, 2012
    Press release
    Members of the United Nations Security Council should send a strong message to Libya to cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC). The Council should also press the recently appointed Libyan authorities on accountability for serious and ongoing crimes.The new ICC prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, will brief the Security Council on her Libya investigation on November 7, 2012.  
  • UN Security Council: Address Inconsistency in ICC Referrals
    Oct 16, 2012
    Press release
    A United Nations Security Council discussion on the role of the International Criminal Court (ICC) is an important opportunity to address inconsistencies in the Security Council’s referrals to the court. The Security Council discussion, its first ever debate on the ICC open to all UN members, is scheduled for October 17, 2012.  
  • Bahrain: Act on UN Human Rights Commitments
    Sep 18, 2012
    Press release
  • UN: Set Plan for Women, Children With Disabilities
    Sep 10, 2012
    Press release
    Governments meeting at the United Nations about the needs of women and children with disabilities should develop a clear plan of action to promote and uphold their rights. Among others steps, they should make a commitment to address the needs of women and children with disabilities through international development programs.
  • UN: Human Rights Monitors Still Needed in Syria
    Aug 14, 2012
    Press release
    The United Nations Security Council and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon should ensure the continuation of human rights monitoring in Syria after the expiration of the current mandate, Human Rights Watch said today. The mandate of the UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) is set to end on August 19, 2012, and Security Council members will meet on August 16 to discuss the future of the UN presence in the country.