The French Immigration Minister’s proposals to address the needs of unaccompanied migrant children held at transit zones, especially airports, falls short of bringing France into compliance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Morocco must reverse its expulsion of Sahrawi rights activist Aminatou Haidar and allow her to enter her country of nationality, Human Rights Watch said today. Spain must intercede with Morocco to ensure her return.

The “Stupak amendment” to the House health care reform bill, which would effectively eliminate abortion access for millions of women, threatens women’s human rights, Human Rights Watch said in a letter to US senators today. The restrictive provision was included in the final health care reform bill that passed the House earlier this month, and similar language is likely to be considered in the Senate.

The new Japanese government should take a leadership role in helping to improve human rights conditions in North Korea.

The Kyrgyz authorities should immediately release the human rights activists Bakhrom Hamroev and Izzatilla Rakhmatillaev and allow them to continue their fact-finding work without further interference.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and other foreign ministers attending the inauguration of President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan on November 19, 2009, should press for concrete action to sideline warlords, criminals and human rights abusers.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono should exonerate three Papuan men convicted of rebellion on November 12, 2009, for raising a pro-independence flag.

Raúl Castro's government has locked up scores of people for exercising their fundamental freedoms and allowed scores more political prisoners arrested during Fidel Castro's rule to languish in detention. Rather than dismantle Cuba's repressive machinery, Raúl Castro has kept it firmly in place and fully active.