Amandla

Human Rights Watch says that while US presidential rhetoric about the promotion of human rights has improved under Barack Obama, the translation of talk into action remains incomplete. From Polity.org.za

Human Rights Watch reviews human rights practices and trends in more than 90 nations and territories worldwide, finding that governments responsible for serious human rights violations have intensified attacks against human rights defenders and organisations that document abuse. http://us-cdn.creamermedia.co.za/assets/articles/attachments/25398_wr2010.pdf

From Polity.org.za

Human rights in the 21st Century- Noam Chomsky lecture October 2009

http://richmedia.lse.ac.uk/publicLecturesAndEvents/20091029_1830_humanRightsInTh

The rights of refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants were violated on a large scale. Inadequate training of police and health care providers undermined efforts to address persistently high rates of violence against women. Barriers to non-discriminatory access to health services continued to affect the majority of people living with HIV for most of the year. Torture and other ill-treatment by police, prison warders and private security guards continued to be reported and sometimes led to the deaths of detainees.

http://thereport.amnesty.org/

Amnesty International's annual report on the state of the world's human rights has always been a valuable read. The organization continues to expand the scope of the report this year by offering detailed country summaries and a number of multimedia features, such as photo montages, video clips, and customizable charts and tables. Visitors can use the drop-down menu on the homepage to look for specialized reports on each country, and they should also make sure to read the Foreword written by Irene Khan, the Secretary General of Amnesty International. The "Facts and Figures" area offers some nice visual representation of some of the facts from the report, including those related to freedom of expression, asylum seekers, prisoners of conscience, and executions. Visitors interested in regional profiles can click on the "World By Region" area to get a breakdown of the situation in different regions of the world. Finally, the "Global Themes" area includes topical overviews of some of the most pressing issues around the world, including violence against women and the ethical considerations surrounding counter terrorism tactics. [KMG] From Scout Report

The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) have issued a new report on Arbitrary Detention in Afghanistan (links to Volume 1 and Volume 2). The report finds that Afghans are often detained without lawful reason and recommends a range of changes to laws and procedures of the criminal justice system in the country.

From UN Pulse

A new guide for civil society actors - Working with the United Nations Human Rights Programme: A Handbook for Civil Society has been issued by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The handbook explains how the different United Nations human rights mandates and mechanisms work, and how members of civil society, such as human rights defenders, non-governmental organizations and academic institutions, can engage with them most effectively. Download the handbook in full, (pdf) or by chapters and also get information on how to order a hardcopy from the website.

UN Pulse permalink

UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) issued Frequently Asked Questions on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: Fact Sheet No.33 (full-text, 1.72 MB) as part of The Human Rights Fact Sheet series. It gives answers to twenty questions, such as:

http://www.who.int/hhr/news/HRHPRS.pdf

A new publication Human Rights Translated: A Business Reference Guide was launched in Paris at the International Seminar on Business and Human Rights. The guide is a joint product of the Castan Centre for Human Rights Law, the International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights(OHCHR), and the UN Global Compact Office. The main purpose of the guide is to explain the universal human rights in the language of business through the use of case studies and suggested practical actions. Section One covers International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Section Two - International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
Full text, 3.83 MB or download through UN OHCHR press-release.

UN Pulse permalink

The situation in Zimbabwe is spiraling out of control. The government has made clear it can't end the humanitarian crisis and won't end the vicious pursuit of its opponents. Regional and international leaders need urgently to respond.

Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch

Related Materials: 

Zimbabwe: Investigate Whereabouts of Abducted Human Rights Activist

Zimbabwe: End Ruling Party’s Abuses

“Our Hands Are Tied”

Democratic republic of the Congo: Human Security Gateway resources
The Human Security Gateway is a joint project of the Human Security Centre (HSC) Group and Simon Fraser University It aims to provide researchers with a searchable database of links to key websites, full-text reports, journal articles, news items and fact sheets relating to human security worldwide. Human security is defined as the protection of individuals from wars, civil wars and violence. It website enables users to search or browse by country or topic. Topics covered include: peace keeping operations, children and armed conflict, international humanitarian law, gender and security and refugees. Each resource has an added description of content. The section on DRC Congo includes discussion of conflict and war in the region, the humanitarian crisis in 2008, human rights abuses, refugees and the peace keeping process. Intute.ac.uk
http://www.humansecuritygateway.info/search.php?advanced=yes®ions[]=7

Democratic Republic of the Congo: FCO resources
This site is maintained by the British Foreign and Commonwealth office (FCO). It provides free access to materials from the British government about the political and economic situation in the region and British foreign policy towards the DRC Congo. It includes recent press releases, statements by the Foreign secretary, Foreign Office advice and links to related webcasts of parliamentary debaates. Topics covered include political crises and conflict. The main emphasis is upon current news. Intute.ac.uk
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/newsroom/newsfiles1/drc/

http://www.freedomhouse.org

Founded in 1941, Freedom House was organized by prominent Americans who were concerned with mounting threats to peace and democracy. Today, as in previous decades, their mission includes promoting "the growth of freedom by encouraging U.S. policymakers, international institutions, and the governments of established democracies to adopt policies that advance human rights and democracy around the world." First-time visitors may wish to begin by looking to the right-hand side of the homepage to the "Around the World" section. Here visitors can learn about the work that the Freedom House organization is doing in other parts of the world, and more importantly, they can read their in-house reports on democratic movements in different countries. Moving along, the left-hand side of the page includes links to their other publications, which include the "Nations In Transit" series. This particular series takes a long view on political reform in the former Communist states of Europe and Eurasia. To really get a full appreciation of the site's contents and scope requires several visits, but it should have no problem holding the attention of public policy types and scholars. [KMG] Scout Report

http://www.globalmigrationgroup.org/pdf/Int_Migration_Human_Rights.pdf

The Global Migration Group (GMG) is an inter-agency group that is dedicated to encouraging the "adoption of more coherent, comprehensive and better coordinated approaches to the issue of international migration." Their number includes representatives from UNICEF, the World Bank and various regional commissions from the United Nations. In October 2008, they released this 144-page report in order to commemorate and reflect on the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The report is divided into seven sections, including those dealing with the legal framework of migration, globalization and migration trends, migration data, and a concluding chapter which discusses some of the most pressing issues facing different migrant groups around the world. The report also includes three very useful appendices which deal with the policy instruments used in regards to human migration and the adoption of key United Nations legal instruments involved with international migration. [KMG] Scout Report

 UN Pulse Permanent Link: Right to Health

Claiming the MDGs: a human rights approach
A new publication by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Claiming the Millennium Development Goals: a human rights approach (full text, 57.7 MB) analyses whether there are similarities or conflicting issues between the human rights and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); it proposes a human rights-based approach to achieving the MDGs and applies human rights to individual millennium goals.
UN Pulse entries on MDGs

UN Pulse Permanent Link: Claiming the MDGs: a human rights approach

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Two publications by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) were issued: Rule-of-law tools for Post-Conflict States: Reparations programmes (full text, 716KB) and Rule-of-law tools for Post-Conflict States: Maximizing the legacy of hybrid courts (full text, 722 KB).

These publications are meant to help develop sustainable institutional capacity within United Nations missions, as well as to assist transitional administrations and civil society to better craft their responses to transitional justice needs.

 UN Pulse:

1. Bringing a social and economic human rights lens to organizing and policy work

2. Reframing the debate on security

3. Building strategic alliances to strengthen popular struggles nationally and internationally

The Institute addresses this work through education and advocacy activities in national and international forums. Our aim is not just to come up with a list of new policy solutions but to reframe the basic terms on which public debate takes place. Our goal is to stimulate public discussion and debate while creating an informed citizenry that can craft a new vision of action for the future.

Human Rights Council - 7th special session on food crisis

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights OHCHR has announced that Human Rights Council will hold a Special Session on "the negative impact on the realization of the right to food of the worsening world food crisis, caused inter alia by the soaring food prices", on Friday, 23 May. As of 9 May 2008 this 7th special session was requested by a group of 41 Council Members and 41 non Members.
Related UN Pulse entries: World Food Crisis; World Food Situation Portal; Food Prices and the Rural Poor; Food - Who Pays the Price?. 

From: UN Pulse Permanent Link: Human Rights Council - 7th special session on food crisis

Towards the human rights protection of minority languages in Africa

Electronic article looking at the human rights protection of minority languages in Africa written by Innocent Maja who is the Senior Partner of a Zimbabwean law firm and a Lecturer in the Private Law Department at the University of Zimbabwe’s Faculty of Law. The article was published in 2008 on the Globalex website and made freely available by the Hauser Global Law School at the New York University School of Law. The author provides an introduction to the subject looking at various definitions of what a minority language is and the threat of extinction to minority languages. There are sections looking at the human rights instruments that protect minority languages under the United Nations system and under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. The article also looks specifically at the African situation covering the language rights afforded by the Cultural Charter for Africa and language policy and practice in Africa. Intute.ac.uk
http://www.nyulawglobal.org/globalex/Minority_Languages_Africa.htm

ARTICLE 19 is a human rights organisation with a specific mandate and focus on the defence and promotion of freedom of expression and freedom of information worldwide.

Burma: Campaign to Free Aung San Suu Kyi

Permanent Link: Human Rights in Darfur UN Pulse

Repertoire of the Practice of the Security Council 1989-1992

The latest addition to the Repertoire of the Practice of the Security Council has been issued. This sales publication (05.VII.1) provides a guide to the proceedings of the Security Council for the years 1989-1992, a period when the Council's practice expanded in the areas of conflict prevention, peacekeeping, and electoral assistance. This is the eleventh supplement in the series (full list of symbols). The full text of each chapter for all years 1946-1992 is posted on the website of the Security Council. Advanced versions of the forthcoming issues covering the years 1993-2007 are also linked. Each supplement follows the same chapter structure. UN Pulse Permanent Link: Repertoire of the Practice of the Security Council 1989-1992

Human Rights Special Procedures

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has posted United Nations Special Procedures Facts and Figures 2007 (full text, pdf, 740 KB). "Special procedures" is the name given to the mechanisms, such as Independent Experts or Special Rapporteurs, etc., established by the UN to address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. The new brochure provides an overview of their activities for the year, such as country visits, thematic events, joints activities, reports, communications and press statements. The document also provides some examples of the impact of special procedures' work on the ground. UN Pulse Permanent Link: Human Rights Special Procedures

The recently redesigned website of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has a Publications page, with links to pages on various kinds of publications available full-text online. In addition to Recent Publications, the main categories are:

• Human Rights basics,
• Fact Sheets,
• Special issues,
• Reference, and
• Training and education.

Each section has titles in English with links to other language versions of the publications, when available.

Permanent Link: OHCHR publications UN Pulse

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The Human Rights Search Engine
Search over 4000 human rights websites

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Ibrahim Index of African Governance

The Ibrahim Index of African Governance is published by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation. It measures the performance of government in 48 African nations South of the Sahara. Five major categories are covered Security; rule of law, transparency and corruption; participation and human rights; sustainable economic development and human development. It is possible to view country charts, comparative tables; statistical data and associated maps form 2000 onwards free of charge from the website. Information on methodology is provided. From Intute.ac.uk
http://www.moibrahimfoundation.org/index/index.asp

The report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar has been transmitted to the General Assembly (A/62/223). Learn more about Special Rapporteurs on the website of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, including the previous Special Rapporteur's reports on Myanmar. Documentation related to the recent Security Council meeting on Myanmar is available from the UN Documentation Research Guide.

Permanent Link: Human Rights in Myanmar UN Pulse

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Majority of Afghans are hopeful for their future, despite increasing insecurity and slow pace of economic development (PDF; 90 KB)
Source: Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (via UN Pulse)

Reforming Afghanistan's Police (PDF; 749 KB)
Source: International Crisis Group

The report of the independent expert on the effects of economic reform policies and foreign debt on the full enjoyment of all human rights has been issued (A/62/212). The report provides an update on progress in developing guidelines to serve as a voluntary policy framework for States as well as national, regional and International Financial Institutions to help them take into account human rights obligations, in their assessments of the implications of debt repayments operations and economic reform policies and their impact on the protection and implementation of these rights. UN Pulse Permanent Link: Human rights and economic reform

Economic and Social Rights in Afghanistan II

The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHCR) in partnership with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) published Economic and Social Rights in Afghanistan II (full text (878 KB)). According to the report, many Afghan refugees upon returning home find themselves unable to find employment, education, adequate health care and affordable and secure housing.
Related reports. UN Pulse September 5th, 2007

Permanent Link: Economic and Social Rights in Afghanistan II

Beijing 2008: China's olympian human rights challenges

This site was created by Human Rights Watch to monitor political and civil rights in China in the run up to the 2008 Beijing Olympic games. It provides access to press releases, timelines of events, statistics and full text reports from Human Rights Watch on human rights abuses in China. These include materials relating to the persecution of journalists, press censorship and limitations on the right of press freedom. From Intute.ac.uk
http://china.hrw.org/

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/humanrights/

Web site: UK National Archives