15 April 2014 – An independent United Nations human rights expert today urged Israel to prevent settlers from taking over Al-Rajabi House, a building in the West Bank city of Hebron that was built by Palestinian families but whose ownership was granted to the settlers after a protracted legal battle. The four-story building capable of housing 40 families is located strategically between the illegal settlement of Kiryat Arba and the Ibrahami Mosque, also known as Cave of Patriarchs, in the old city of Hebron. “This is the first time a new settlement in the heart of Hebron is created since…
Author: UN News
14 April 2014 – A United Nations independent expert has issued a strong call on the Government of Iran to halt tomorrow’s scheduled execution of an Iranian woman said to be the victim of physical and sexual assault, seriously concerned that she did not receive a fair trial. Reyhaneh Jabbari, an interior designer, was sentenced to death for the alleged murder of Morteza Abdolali Sarbandi, a former employee of the Iranian Intelligence Ministry, in a case that has raised legal concerns. “The Iranian authorities should review her case and refer it back to court for a re-trial, ensuring that the…
14 April 2014 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has strongly encouraged Israel and Palestine to remain “constructively engaged” in ongoing efforts towards achieving a two-State solution during separate phone calls over the weekend with the leaders of both sides. “The purpose of the calls was to discuss the ongoing efforts to extend the negotiations towards a final peace agreement between Israel and Palestine,” Mr. Ban’s spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, told reporters in New York. The two sides resumed negotiations last August following efforts by United States Secretary of State John Kerry. Direct negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians had stalled in…
14 April 2014 – Concerned that Syria has missed the 13 April deadline to remove most of its chemical agents, the Joint Mission of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the United Nations (OPCW-UN) says that it expects “an intensification of efforts” towards meeting the goal of removing all the country’s chemical weapons by the end of the month. In New York, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric confirmed the Joint Mission’s concerns about the missed deadline and told reporters that it expects immediate action to initiate the high pace and scale of operations for the removal of all…
11 April 2014 – The United Nations human rights office today voiced deep regret at the execution of Mexican national Ramiro Hernandez Llanas in Texas on Wednesday, noting that the United States is in breach of international law since Mr. Llanas was not allowed access to consular services. Hernandez Llanas was reportedly executed for the 1997 killing of a former US university professor. He is the 16th person to have been executed in the US this year and the 6th in Texas. “The UN opposes the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of policy and principle; but, in…
11 April 2014 – The United Nations human rights office today voiced deep concern about the revised penal code in Brunei Darussalam which stipulates the death penalty for numerous offences, including robbery, adultery, and insult or defamation of the Prophet Mohammed, and introduces stoning to death as the specific method of execution for crimes of a sexual nature. Rape, adultery, sodomy, extramarital sexual relations for Muslims, insulting any verses of the Quran and Hadith, blasphemy, declaring oneself a prophet or non-Muslim, and murder are the other offences for which the death penalty could be applied under the revised code, which…
10 April 2014 – The top United Nations official in Myanmar welcomed the Government’s condemnation of the recent attacks against UN and non-governmental organization (NGO) premises in Sittwe, and its commitment to see perpetrators brought to justice through a newly established investigation commission. “I welcome the response of the Government [Myanmar] to the attacks against the UN and INGO premises in Sittwe,” said Renata Dessallien, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Myanmar, in a press release applauding the President’s rapid establishment of the Investigation Commission, to be chaired by the Deputy Minister of Border Affairs, “and the recognition that the…
9 April 2014 – United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned today the two recent deadly bomb blasts in Pakistan, in the capital Islamabad and in the Baluchistan province. “The Secretary-General deplores the recent terrorist attacks in Pakistan, including today’s bombing of a market in Islamabad and yesterday’s attack on a train in Baluchistan, incidents that led to killing and wounding of many people,” said a statement issued by Mr. ban’s spokesperson in New York. “He extends his deep condolences to the families of the victims and the Government of Pakistan,” said the statement. According to media reports, today’s attack…
8 April 2014 – A United Nations human rights panel has voiced concerns about issues related to the deprivation of liberty in New Zealand, including the “disproportionate incarceration rates” of the Māori population, despite legal safeguards against arbitrary detention. Speaking in Auckland yesterday at the end of their first official visit to the country, members of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention noted that, overall, legislation and policy concerning deprivation of liberty in New Zealand is well-developed and generally consistent with international human rights law and standards. At the same time, they urged the authorities to address a number…
8 April 2014 – The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has strongly condemned an attack in the southern province of Kandahar which killed 15 civilians and injured another five. A pressure-plate improvised explosive device (PP-IED) was detonated on 7 April in Gilankicha village in Maywand district by a pick-up truck carrying 20 civilians. The incident took place on a road frequently used by civilians, according to a statement issued by UNAMA. “The recent increased use of indiscriminate, victim-activated improvised explosive devices (IEDs) by anti-Government elements in areas often used by civilians is particularly alarming,” said the Secretary-General’s Special…
11 April 2014 – The recent sighting of unidentified planes over Yida, South Sudan, and the aerial bombing of a nearby community have raised fears about the safety of refugees and aid workers in the highly militarized area, the United Nations said today, fearing these incidents might signal an increase in violence in the strife-torn country. “[We are] concerned about the safety of refugees from sudan and aid workers in Yida, after unidentified aircraft circled over the settlement several times on 9 April,” said Melissa Fleming, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Speaking to the press in…
11 April 2014 – While Africa has recorded impressive economic growth in the past decade, more credible industrial policies and institutions are needed to advance the structural transformation of the continent, says a new report released today by the United Nations and the African Union. This year’s Economic Report on Africa, jointly produced by the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the African Union (AU), adds that transforming Africa’s industrial landscape has failed partly because countries used industrial blueprints characterised by lack of dynamism and high level coordination, as well as inadequate consultations with stakeholders. The report, launched at…
11 April 2014 – The United Nations refugee agency said today it is extremely concerned by reports that anti-Balaka militiamen are blocking and attacking civilians trying to flee violence in the Central African Republic (CAR). “Over the past two weeks, our colleagues in Cameroon have been seeing refugees arrive with wounds from machetes or gunshots,” Melissa Fleming, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told a news briefing in Geneva. She said UNHCR staff had also seen increasing numbers of people crossing into Cameroon via remote border entry points in an effort to evade the mostly Christian anti-Balaka…
10 April 2014 – The United Nations today called on the Government of Burundi to address ongoing political violence and restrictions on human rights, saying it is receiving “troubling” information about recent developments in the country. “The United Nations…has been raising concerns both with the Government of Burundi and at the highest levels in the region and the greater international community,” UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters in New York. The small African country – where hundreds of thousands of people have perished in largely inter-ethnic fighting between Hutus and Tutsis – has recently been witnessing bouts of political violence…
11 April 2014 – The United Nations refugee agency today stressed the need to find durable solutions for those making the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean, as it reported that the Italian navy had rescued some 6,000 people who had set out from Libya in overcrowded boats over the past four days alone. “The Mediterranean is one of the busiest seaways in the world, as well as a dangerous frontier for many asylum-seekers trying to find safety in Europe,” Melissa Fleming, a spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told reporters in Geneva. She said those rescued off…
11 April 2014 – United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon paid tribute to the Trinidad and Tobago’s former President, A.N.R. (Ray) Robinson, who died on Wednesday at age 87. “The Secretary-General is saddened by the passing of a champion of international justice and one of the main architects of the International Criminal Court,” said Ban Ki-moon’s Spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, in a news statement. President Robinson is internationally recognized for his proposal, during the 44th session of the UN General Assembly in 1989, to create a permanent court to hear cases involving the international drug trade, which eventually led to the inauguration…
11 April 2014 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today welcomed the start of dialogue to ease political tensions in Venezuela and called on all actors to work towards overcoming the current challenges facing the country. Some 40 people have reportedly been killed in weeks of what began in February as protests over soaring crime rates and later turned into wider anti-Government rallies. “The Secretary-General welcomes that a dialogue has begun in Venezuela bringing together the Government and members of the political opposition,” his spokesperson said in a statement. In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Mr. Ban saluted in particular the…
11 April 2014 – The United Nations independent expert tasked with defending the rights of indigenous peoples, today called on the owners of the Washington Redskins football team to consider that the term “redskins” is the hurtful reminder of the long history of mistreatment of Native American people in the United States. “While I am aware that there are some divergent views on this issue,” Special Rapporteur James Anaya said, “I urge the team owners to consider that the term ‘redskin’ for many is inextricably linked to a history of suffering and dispossession, and that it is understood to be…
10 April 2014 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today voiced his deep sadness at the death of Norman Girvan of Jamaica, who had been his Personal Representative on the Border Controversy between Guyana and Venezuela since April 2010. In a statement issued by his spokesperson, the Secretary-General hailed Mr. Girvan as “one of the most distinguished Caribbean scholars of his time.” “He was particularly devoted to the promotion of regional integration in the Caribbean and Latin America. This commitment earned him the respect and admiration of the entire region,” said the statement. Mr. Ban expressed his gratitude for Mr. Girvan’s contribution…
7 April 2014 – The United Nations independent expert on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, expressed concern today that the country’s National Assembly held its second session last week without the opposition representatives taking up their seat, and urged the legislature to upkeep the key principles of any law-making process: transparency, accountability and participation. “I am seriously concerned about the legislative implications of the National Assembly functioning with the representation of only by one party, and thus only a portion of the electorate,” said Mr. Surya Subedi, tasked with following closely the situation in Cambodia where restrictions on…