Friday 18th November 2016, UN headquarters, New York On 15th November Oxford English Dictionaries declared ‘post-truth’ to be its international word of the year. Defined by the dictionary as an adjective ‘relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief,’ Oxford Dictionaries said use of the …
As is well known, since 1948 the UN has debated and set a wide canopy of universal human rights norms. Through the Universal Declaration, the two Covenants, and various human rights conventions, optional protocols, guidelines, and resolutions, the international community has produced thousands of words across hundreds of documents, stipulating, in some detail, what States should do to better promote …
As the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council (‘the Council’) celebrates it tenth anniversary in 2016, this policy paper aims to provide an overview of the institutional issues relating to its status as a subsidiary body within the UN system. In light of its subsidiary status, the paper explores the Council’s synergies and interactions with its parent body – the …
Note: This article is based on a speech delivered by Mr. Eric Tistounet, Chief of the OHCHR Human Rights Council Branch, on Monday 17th October 2016, at an event hosted by the Governments of Norway and Switzerland, supported by the Universal Rights Group, to mark the launch of the report of the third Glion Human Rights Dialogue . The views expressed are the author’s own, and do not …
On 21 October 2016, in view of the on-going human rights crisis in the Syrian Arab Republic – and in particular – the recent deteriorating situation in Aleppo, the Human Rights Council convened a special session on ‘the deteriorating situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic, and the recent situation in Aleppo.’ The meeting was requested, via an official letter on 18 October 2016 written by …
Quick summary The 33rd regular session of the Human Rights Council (HRC33) was held from 13 September to 30 September 2016. At the opening of the session, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, gave his regular update on the global human rights situation. A number of high-level dignitaries delivered statements during HRC33, including: Mr Evo …
Quick summary The 32nd regular session of the Human Rights Council (HRC32) was held from 13 June 2016 to 8 July 2016. HRC32 marked the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Council. At the opening of the session, statements were delivered by Mr Choi Kyonglim, President of the Human Rights Council, Mr Didier Burkhalter, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign …
In his statement to the 31st session, the High Commissioner for Human Rights spoke of a “growing disarray in many countries.” This is a sad conclusion to be drawn; yet it undoubtedly reflects the reality of today’s world. Around the globe, old conflicts persist and new ones erupt, and despite the hard lessons of the 20th Century, men still commit …
Quick summary The 31st regular session of the Human Rights Council (HRC31) was held from 29 February 2016 to 24 March 2016. At the opening of the session, statements were delivered by H.E. Mr Choi Kyong-Lim, President of the Human Rights Council, Mr Mogens Lykketoft, President of General Assembly, H.E. Mr Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein the UN High Commissioner for …
2016 is a landmark year for the UN human rights system. Looking back, the UN is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the two International Human Rights Covenants, and the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Human Rights Council. Looking forward, the international community is beginning to wrestle with future challenges such as how to promote and protect the enjoyment …
