• UAE: Make Good on Human Rights Commitments
    Nov 16, 2012
    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: Noncompetitive Elections Weaken Rights Council
    Nov 12, 2012

    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.  

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  • UAE: Make Good on Human Rights Commitments
    Nov 16, 2012
    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: Noncompetitive Elections Weaken Rights Council
    Nov 12, 2012

    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.  

  • Joint Letter to Candidates to the UN Human Rights Council on Cooperation with UN Special Procedures
    Nov 9, 2012
    In establishing the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2006, the UN General Assembly provided that Council members "shall uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights" and "fully cooperate with the Council" (GA Resolution 60/251). In a letter to candidate states, a group of 35 nongovernmental organizations from around the world express their concern about the failure of some candidates to comply with these criteria.
  • Letter to President Chavez on Venezuela's Candidacy to the UN Human Rights Council
    Nov 9, 2012
  • Letter to Pakistan on Its Candidacy to the UN Human Rights Council
    Nov 9, 2012
  • Two steps forward, one step back
    Nov 8, 2012
    Two resolutions adopted by the United Nations Human Rights Council during the past 16 months represent potential advances and setbacks for the global lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights movement. One is concerned with defending sexual orientation and gender identity; the other with protecting traditional values. Together they represent divergent views on the universality and indivisibility of human rights.
  • Joint Letter to Ethiopia on its Candidacy to the UN Human Rights Council
    Nov 8, 2012

    With elections to the United Nations Human Rights Council quickly approaching, and with Ethiopia standing as a candidate, a diverse group of nongovernmental organizations are writing to urge the Ethiopian government to demonstrate its commitment to the protection and promotion of human rights. 

  • Joint Letter to the UAE on Its Candidacy to the UN Human Rights Council
    Nov 7, 2012
  • UPR Submission: Bangladesh
    Oct 31, 2012

     

    Bangladesh’s human rights situation has seen little improvement since its first UPR review in 2009. A key undertaking in the 2009 UPR was to take a “zero tolerance” stand against abuses by security forces, and bring an end to impunity. Yet extrajudicial killings by the country’s security forces continue with impunity. 

  • ‘Traditional Values’ code for human rights abuse?
    Oct 17, 2012
    The U.N. Human Rights Council recently passed a resolution on “traditional values of humankind” as a vehicle for “promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms.” It sounds innocuous, but its implications are ominous. Indeed, it is an immediate threat to the rights of many vulnerable groups – including women and lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender (LGBT) people. And it flies in the face of the founding principles of universality and indivisibility enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
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