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UN expert body needed to address systemic racism, tackle root causes

Item 9: Interactive Dialogue on High Commissioner's systemic racism report

Madam Vice-President, We thank the High Commissioner for the presentation of her report on systemic racism and welcome her agenda towards transformative change for racial justice and equality. We echo the concerns raised in the report on the deeply…
Delegates attend a session on racism and police brutality, a resolution in the wake of the death of George Floyd, at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland on June 19, 2020.
News

UN Rights Council needs to address China, Ethiopia, systemic racism and climate change

Item 2: Interactive Dialogue on High Commissioner’s annual report

High Commissioner, last session you underlined the importance of an “independent and comprehensive assessment of the rights situation” in Xinjiang, and indicated your Office was assessing reports of “arbitrary detention, ill-treatment and sexual…
Delegates sit at the opening of the 41th session of the Human Rights Council, at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, June 24, 2019.
News

US should address structural racism with concrete actions

Human Rights Watch Statement - Item 9 General Debate

Madam President, We thank the High Commissioner for her update on the implementation of resolution 43/1, and welcome the joint statement delivered by the United States on combatting racism and racial discrimination. We echo concerns raised on the…
Demonstrators kneel outside the Long Beach Police Department in Long Beach, California during a protest on May 31, 2020. 
News

United States: Human Rights Watch Oral Intervention

Item 9 General Debate - HRC45

Madame President, Human Rights Watch welcomes the first oral update on the implementation of resolution 43/1, which underlines structural racism’s devastating impacts on human rights. Structural racism is caused by government policies,…
Demonstrators gather at the Minnesota governor's mansion Monday, June 1, 2020, in St. Paul, Minn. Protests continued following the death of George Floyd, who died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers on Memorial Day. 
News

Violence against Women Pervasive in Nigeria

Adoption of Nigeria's UPR

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch welcome Nigeria’s cooperation with the review process and its positive response to some of the recommendations made by other States in the UPR Working Group. We remain deeply concerned about…
Pallbearers carry coffins during the funeral service for people killed during clashes between cattle herders and farmers in Ibrahim Babangida Square in the Benue state capital, Makurdi, January 11, 2018. Violence between the mainly Muslim Fulani herdsmen
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John McCain: In Memoriam

John S. McCain III, the senior Republican senator from Arizona who died of brain cancer on August 25, 2018, left behind a strong record of commitment to the bipartisan promotion and defense of human rights in the United States and abroad. He was 81…
US Senator John McCain
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US Quits Rights Body, Nikki Haley Wrongly Blames Rights Groups

The United States ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, wrote a letter to Human Rights Watch and 17 other human rights organizations blaming them, in part, for the US decision to leave the UN Human Rights Council. It contained…
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley speaks in the U.N. Security Council at U.N. headquarters in New York City, U.S., February 28, 2017.
News

US: Haspel Vote Sends Wrong Message on Torture

Senate Confirms CIA Director

(Washington, D.C.) -- On May 17, 2018 the US Senate voted to confirm Gina Haspel as the next director of the Central Intelligence Agency. The following quote can be attributed to Laura Pitter, senior US national security…
201805usp_Haspel_Statement
News

States should protect LGBTI persons from violence and discrimination; Philippines should cooperate with UN executions mandate

Item 3: Interactive Dialogue with Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions

We welcome the first report of the Independent Expert on SOGI-related violence and discrimination. We recognize that some States opposed creation of the mandate, but are encouraged that it was reaffirmed by the General Assembly with support from all UN…
Delegates arrive for the 34th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, February 27, 2017.
News

Human Rights Council: With Human Rights under Threat, a Time for Leadership

Item 2 – Interactive Dialogue with the High Commissioner on his Annual Report

We share the High Commissioner’s concerns about current threats to human rights values, and to the international framework itself. Whether the Council can rise to these challenges will depend on a number of factors. First, leadership: many…
News

Submission to the United Nations Committee against Torture

Follow-up Assessment Report

The below shadow report was submitted to the United Nations' Committee against Torture by Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union on March 1, 2016. Introduction  This submission assesses the response of the United…
News

US: Guantanamo Plan a Step Forward

But Halt Open-Ended Detention, Military Commissions

US President Barack Obama submitted a plan for closing the Guantanamo Bay detention facility to the US Congress on February 23, 2016. “President Obama’s plan to close Guantanamo is a step forward,” said Laura Pitter, senior…
News

UN Human Rights Council: Adoption of the UPR of the United States of America

Statement delivered under Item 6

Human Rights Watch urges the United States to improve how it implements accepted UPR recommendations. While the United States has properly sought to engage civil society prior to its review, as well as during its consideration of recommendations, we are…

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