Hope and Fear in Central Asia: Daily Brief
Hope and fear in Central Asia; follow the Asian Forum for Human Rights; making Ethiopia’s electoral board independent; steps towards transparency in jewelry supply chains; African leaders must take action to end child marriage; will Bangladesh keep the Fire and Building Safety Accord?; homeless Roma and EU migrants face discrimination in Sweden; and live session on interviewing people with disabilities around the world.
The EU’s top diplomat, Federica Mogherini, is meeting today her five Central Asian counterparts. Instead of courting unaccountable oppressive leaders, the EU should push for a brighter, more democratic future in Central Asia.
The Asian Forum for Human Rights is going on in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. But, where are the Uzbek rights activists at the conference? Follow our blog on Uzbekistan for all updates.
Good news from Ethiopia, where former opposition leader, lawyer and judge Birtukan Midekssa, has been named head of the National Electoral Board. This new appointment furthers gender and political reform.
Good news on efforts to increase transparency in jewelry supply chains. For the first time, luxury jeweller Boodles has published sourcing policies outlining human rights requirements it expects suppliers to comply with.
The second African Girls Summit, which brings together African girls to engage with authorities, is being held today in Accra, Ghana. African leaders should take the opportunity to break the silence and commit to further actions to end child marriage.
In one week’s time the Bangladesh government may force the Accord on Fire and Building Safety, an agreement designed to ensure safety and health in the Bangladeshi ready-made garment industry, to stop operating out of Dhaka. This would be a disaster for apparel workers’ safety in an industry scarred by tragedy.
A new report documents how homeless Roma and other EU migrants are facing discrimination and living in dangerous conditions in Sweden.
Join our Disability Rights Director, Shantha Rau, as she shares some of her impressions from interviewing people with disabilities around the world on a live session.