COVID-19: UN experts urge WTO cooperation on vaccines to protect global public health
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GENEVA (1 March 2021) – UN experts said today billions of people, especially in the Global South, risk being excluded from the benefits of COVID-19 immunisation until 2024 and urged rich States to end short-sighted vaccine nationalism that is fuelling a vaccine-divide and undermining worldwide recovery.
“Recovery from the pandemic is impossible unless it ends for everyone. New mutating forms of the virus that may emerge in largely unvaccinated populations can pose a threat to all, including those previously vaccinated,” said the independent experts appointed by the Human Rights Council.
GENEVA (29 January 2021) – The UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and unilateral coercive measures, Ms. Alena Douhan, will visit Venezuela from 1 to 12 February to assess the impact of unilateral sanctions on the enjoyment of human rights.
“I want to examine, in the spirit of co-operation and dialogue, whether and to what extent the adoption, maintenance or implementation of sanctions hinders the full realization of the human rights of individuals,” said Douhan. “I will focus in particular on any negative impact that sanctions may have on the enjoyment of all human rights in Venezuela,” she said. “I will also make recommendations on how any negative effects can be mitigated or eliminated.”
USA: UN experts urge far-reaching reforms on policing and racism
GENEVA (26 February 2021) – UN human rights experts today called on the US Government to adopt wide ranging reforms to put an end to police violence, and to vigorously address systemic racism and racial discrimination.
“We have repeatedly raised our concerns about the excessive force used by American police in the context of peaceful demonstrations, and the use of lethal force against individuals who did not present a threat to life at the time of the police intervention,” said the experts.
“In this time of political change, the United States must initiate far-reaching reforms to address police brutality and systemic racism.”
Myanmar: Military must restore democracy, allow people to protest and express themselves, say UN experts
GENEVA (26 February 2021) – UN human rights experts today called on the Myanmar military to immediately end the violent crackdown on countrywide peaceful protests against its coup and allow free expression.
“The people of Myanmar have the right to protest peacefully and express their discontent with the military coup,” the experts said. “We call on the military to refrain from using force against peaceful protests, stop using live bullets against protesters immediately and respect their right to peaceful protest,” they added.
Myanmar has seen hundreds of thousands of peaceful demonstrators take to the streets to oppose this month’s military takeover and the removal of the civilian government. At least five protesters have died while many human rights defenders have been threatened and gone into hiding.
Working Group on enforced or involuntary disappearances concludes its 123rd session
Geneva, 24 February 2021
The United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) concluded its 123rd session, which took place online between 15 and 19 February. During the session, the Working Group examined 31 reported cases of enforced disappearances it had transmitted under its urgent procedure since October 2020, concerning Cameroon, China, Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tanzania, Turkey, Uzbekistan and Venezuela. It also reviewed 581 cases, including newly reported cases outside the urgent procedure and updated information on previously transmitted cases concerning Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Burundi, Cameroon, China, the Democratic People s Republic of Korea, Egypt, El Salvador, Honduras, India, Iran, Iraq, Lao People s Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Libya, Maldives, Mexico, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, t