9 December 2013 – Two independent United Nations human rights experts today urged the Bangladeshi Government to halt the execution of Abdul Quader Mollah, whose death sentence could be carried out as early as tomorrow, amid concerns that he did not receive a fair trial. Mr. Mollah was condemned to life imprisonment by the Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal, a special domestic court with the jurisdiction and competence to try and punish any person accused of committing atrocities, including genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, in Bangladesh, including during the country’s 1971 independence war. After the Prosecution appealed the Tribunal’s…
Author: UN News
8 December 2013 – Afghan authorities registered an increased number of reported acts of violence against women and girls in the past year, but prosecutions and convictions under a landmark law remained low with most cases settled by mediation, according to an annual United Nations report released today. While registration of reported incidents such as forced marriage, domestic violence and rape increased by 28 per cent in 16 provinces since the previous year, the use of the law on the Elimination of Violence against Women (EVAW) as a basis for indictment increased by only two per cent, according to ‘A…
8 December 2013 – One month since Typhoon Haiyan slammed the Philippines, the top United Nations humanitarian official in the country today urged the international community to continue support so that people have access to food and clean water, as well as shelter and jobs. “Visiting Tacloban today, I see big differences from my first visit, almost one month ago,” Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in the Philippines Luiza Carvalho said. “The airport is operational, fuel is available, the water system is reconnected, people are receiving assistance and the town hall is functioning. “It is encouraging to see significant progress in…
12 December 2013 – The head of the United Nations agency tasked with defending press freedom today condemned the killing of Juan Carlos Argeñal Medina, who was shot dead in his home in southeastern Honduras. “The bullet must not be allowed to replace the pen,” said the Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Irina Bokova. “This killing is not just a crime against an individual but against Honduran society as a whole,” she noted, adding that every country should enjoy a free press in which journalists and media owners are allowed to exercise independence in collecting…
11 December 2013 – Amid growing debate over international drug control policy in Latin America, the United Nations drug and crime agency today said that a decision by the Uruguayan parliament to legalize cannabis is a strike against international cooperation. The head of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Yuri Fedotov said that confronting illicit drugs and their impact is dependent on pursuing a comprehensive response to the problem based on health, long-term security, development and institution-building. “Just as illicit drugs are everyone’s shared responsibility, there is a need for each country to work closely together and to…
10 December 2013 – Two independent United Nations human rights experts have voiced concern about the fate of Djamel Ameziane, who was recently transferred by the United States from the Guantánamo Bay detention centre to Algeria, from which he fled two decades ago to escape persecution. “We are deeply concerned that the life of Mr. Ameziane could be in danger in Algeria,” said the Special Rapporteurs on torture, Juan E. Méndez, and on human rights and counter-terrorism, Ben Emmerson. They drew attention to previous cases of forced returns to countries with a proven record of torture, when detainees were held…
6 December 2013 – Voicing deep concern over a ruling that renders countless Dominicans of Haitian descent stateless, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has urged the Dominican Government to rapidly restore the nationality of those affected. UNHCR is deeply concerned that two months after the ruling, the situation of stateless population has not yet been adequately addressed by the authorities, according to a press release from the agency. Moreover, it says, the Dominican Government announced its intention this week to submit to Congress a bill to allow the affected population to apply for naturalization, which will make…
29 November 2013 – The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has voiced concern at the recent deaths at sea after a boat capsized earlier this week in the Bahamas, the third such incident in the northern Caribbean since October. Up to 30 people – believed to be Haitian nationals – lost their lives in this week’s incident, while at least 110 other individuals were rescued by the Bahamas military and police alongside the United States Coast Guard. Persons losing their lives at sea in the northern Caribbean this year have included men, women and children from Haiti, Dominican…
29 November 2013 – A United Nations independent expert today urged authorities in Argentina to undertake an audit of its external debt to improve transparency, and to intensify efforts to improve social conditions for their people. Following his first visit to the country, the UN independent expert on foreign debt and human rights, Cephas Lumina, said that the audit should be in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Foreign Debt and Human Rights, which call for every State to conduct transparent and participatory periodic audits of their debt or lending portfolios. “Such an audit will help promote accountability in…
29 November 2013 – The United Nations entity tasked with advancing gender equality today applauded the appointment of two women to the team negotiating between Colombian authorities and the rebel group known as the FARC. “We applaud this deliberate effort by President [Juan Manuel] Santos to bring greater gender balance to his negotiating team to bring peace to Colombia,” UN Women said in a news release. The appointment of María Paulina Riveros and Nigeria Rentería is a “welcome step that stands in contrast with the absence of women in the vast majority of peace talks and responds to years of…