UN Human Rights Council

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Tamil members of Sri Lanka's parliament hold placards during a demonstration outside the President’s office in Colombo on February 24, 2022, to protest against the acquisition of their land in northern and eastern regions under the guise of protecting archeological sites. They hold signs in a variety of languages. One reads, “Stop the land grab! of Tamils under the guise of Mahaweli”

Sri Lanka’s Real Reckoning is Yet to Come

Accountability for atrocities against Tamils and curbing Sinhala Buddhist nationalism are key to the island’s stability and prosperity.
Members of Afghanistan's Powerful Women Movement, take part in a protest in Kabul on May 10, 2022.

From Talk to Action: Addressing the Appalling Women’s Rights Crisis in Afghanistan

The international community must coordinate a human rights-centered approach and use all available leverage against the Taliban's human rights violations.
Police officers in riot gear including bullet proof vests, helmets with face visors, and hand-held barricades, gather in a street in Almaty on January 5, 2022. No protestors are shown in this image.

Faltering Investigations into Deaths and Torture in Kazakhstan Leave Accountability in Doubt

A recent visit shows government inaction on justice after violent crackdown on January protests over energy prices.
Women in long coats hold placards and march

Time for the International Community to Get Serious About Protecting Human Rights in Afghanistan

Important essay by Nasir A. Andisha, career diplomat and was Deputy Foreign Minister of Afghanistan, and Hamid A. Formuli, was Human Rights Section Head of Afghanistan's Permanent…

How the War in Ukraine Illustrates the Weakness of US Policy Toward Africa

Two UN votes and the energy security-sanctions squeeze exemplify the failed approach to significant players on the international stage.
Image: The International Court of Justice (ICJ), principal judicial organ of the UN, holds public hearings (by video link) on the preliminary objections raised by Myanmar in the case concerning “Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide” (The Gambia v. Myanmar) at the Peace Palace in The Hague, from 21 to 28 February 2022. Sessions are held under the presidency of Judge Joan E. Donoghue, President of the Court. A wide view of the members of the Court on the opening day, including Ko Ko Hlaing, the representative of Myanmar's military junta, on the opening day of the hearings. Feb. 21, 2022. UN Photo/Frank van Beek

The People of Myanmar Need to Be Heard, Not Ostracized, on the International Stage

So far, U.N. bodies have boosted the legitimacy of the Myanmar junta (at the ICJ) or denied the Burmese people the right to be represented at all (at the Human Rights Council).…
People march during a Stop Asian Hate rally in downtown Detroit, Michigan on March 27,2021, as part of a nation wide protest in solidarity against hate crimes directed towards Asian Americans in the wake of the Atlanta, Georgia spa shootings that left eight dead. They carry signs reading, “All of us vs. racism #StopAsianHate” and “Stop AAPI Hate.”

Combating Anti-Asian Violence through UN Human Rights Mechanisms

The prospect of complaints against States parties should spur more effective responses to anti-Asian attacks and other structural racial discrimination.
Image: A picture taken on September 27, 2018, a bird resting on Israel's controversial separation barrier on the outskirts of East Jerusalem on September 27, 2018 - (Photo credit should read AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images)

The International Community and Israel: Giving Permission to a Permanent Occupation        

UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories reflects on 50+ years of international inaction on the Israel's illegal occupation of Palestine.
A general view of participants at the 16th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland.

Failure to Renew Yemen Investigative Mechanism Shows Costs of US Absence from Human Rights Council

The US has regained a seat on the HRC - but its recent absence has weakened the human rights landscape overall.
Onlookers, including children, stand next to the backpacks and books of victims following yesterday's multiple blasts outside a girls' school in Dasht-e-Barchi on the outskirts of Kabul on May 9, 2021.

As Troops Withdraw from Afghanistan, the UN Needs to Act

It is time for the U.N. Human Rights Council to establish an independent international investigation into human rights atrocities in Afghanistan.
Myanmar migrants in Thailand take part in a protest against the military coup in their home country, in front of the United Nations ESCAP building in Bangkok on March 7, 2021. They wear face masks to protect themselves from contracting COVID-19. Many wave the flag of Myanmar.

Beyond the Coup: Can the United Nations Escape Its History in Myanmar?

After decades of awkward and all-around frustrating engagement, the U.N. needs to step forward with a more flexible and conscious approach that shows it has learned from past mistakes.
Refugees on an inflatable raft in the dark of night.

Biden Approach to Immigration, Outlined at UN Human Rights Council, Leaves Serious Gaps

The administration has the authority to protect people and comply with international law and best practices. That requires concrete steps immediately.
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