Jul 13 2023

LATEST POLICY REPORT

For people; for planet: The long and winding road to UN recognition of the universal right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment

On Friday 8 October 2021, member states of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council (Council) moved to adopt two historic resolutions. With the first of these (Council resolution 48/13),  presented by Costa Rica, Maldives,…

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Jul 11 2023

RECENT POLICY REPORT

Advancing Rights, Transforming Lives

This report reviews how the UN human rights system has taken…

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For people; for planet: The long and winding road to UN r...

On Friday 8 October 2021, member states of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council (Council) moved to adopt two…

Jul 13 2023

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by UNFPA, URG

Advancing Rights, Transforming Lives

This report reviews how the UN human rights system has taken up women's rights, gender equality and sexual and reproductive health…

Jul 11 2023

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Unpacking the Right to a Healthy Environment: How nationa...

On 8 October 2021, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted its historic resolution 48/13 recognizing the human right to…

Jul 3 2023

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‘A diamond in the rough’: How to strengthen the Human Rig...

GA resolution 60/251 establishing the Human Rights Council and setting out its mandate recognises the primary responsibility of States to…

Jun 26 2023

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How to secure accountability for serious human rights vio...

Report of the Accountability Roundtable Series The need for greater ‘accountability’ for human rights violations and abuses is an oft-repeated…

Oct 20 2022

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Bridging the Human Rights Implementation Gap: A Commonwea...

In January 2022, the Commonwealth Secretariat launched a survey of national frameworks for the implementation of international human rights obligations…

Mar 3 2023

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Report of the 8th Istanbul Process Meeting

Pakistan’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva organized the 8th Istanbul Process (IP) virtually, on 16 February 2022.…

Dec 23 2022

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The Human Rights Council in 2022

What were the main developments, achievements and flash-points at the Human Rights Council in 2022? What were the Council’s principle…

Dec 14 2022

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Towards a human rights-based approach to new and emerging...

‘Technology is not neutral.’ This statement increasingly represents the consensus position of technologists, human rights campaigners, ethicists, and political scientists.…

Dec 9 2022

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Guide to the 2022 Human Rights Council Elections

The eighth annual yourHRC.org Guide to the Human Rights Council elections provides comprehensive at-a-glance information on the 2022 Council elections…

Oct 5 2022

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The right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environmen...

The eighth Glion Human Rights Dialogue (Glion VIII), organised by the Governments of Switzerland and Liechtenstein, and the Universal Rights Group…

Sep 28 2022

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Understanding and responding to the protection needs of c...

As climate change impacts our everyday lives, livelihoods, and ecosystems, significantly harming the world’s most vulnerable populations, thousands of individuals…

May 6 2022

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by URG team

The Human Rights Council in 2021

What were the main developments, achievements and flash-points at the Human Rights Council in 2021? What were the Council’s principle…

Dec 14 2021

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by The URG Team

Placing digital technology at the service of democracy an...

From 16-17 November, a high-level meeting of State representatives, UN officials, technology company representatives, and civil society, took place in…

Dec 7 2021

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by Universal Rights Group

Guide to the 2021 Human Rights Council Elections

The seventh annual yourHRC.org Guide to the Human Rights Council elections provides comprehensive at-a-glance information on the 2021 Council elections…

Sep 28 2021

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by Universal Rights Group

Human rights in the digital age: Making digital technolog...

The seventh Glion Human Rights Dialogue (Glion VII), organised by the Governments of Switzerland and Liechtenstein, and the Universal Rights Group…

Jun 24 2021

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by The URG Team

Building a coherent Human Rights Council-Security Council...

In her first address to the United Nations General Assembly’s (UNGA) Third Committee as High Commissioner for Human Rights in…

Mar 31 2021

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#El Momento Es Ahora - El caso para el reconocimiento uni...

Este nuevo informe de políticas públicas cuenta la historia de los debates internacionales sobre derechos humanos y medio ambiente, derechos…

Jan 1 1970

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by David Boyd, John Knox, Marc Limon

#The time is now - The case for universal recognition of ...

This new policy report tells the story of international discussions on human rights and environment, human rights and climate change, and…

Feb 23 2021

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OSLO+Digital – International support for the national imp...

On 9 and 10 June 2020, the Permanent Missions of Denmark and The Netherlands to the UN in Geneva, in…

Jan 1 2021

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The Human Rights Council in 2020

What were the main developments, achievements and flash-points at the Human Rights Council in 2020? What were the Council’s principle outputs…

Dec 15 2020

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by Universal Rights Group, and UNICEF

Realizing rights, changing lives: The impact of the Unite...

The international community has invested enormous time and energy in building the international human rights system over the past 70…

Nov 12 2020

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by Universal Rights Group

Guide to the 2020 Human Rights Council Elections

The sixth annual yourHRC.org Guide to the Human Rights Council elections provides comprehensive at-a-glance information on the 2020 Council elections…

Oct 8 2020

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by Universal Rights Group

7th meeting of the Istanbul Process

On 18-19 November 2019, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands with the support of the…

Sep 9 2020

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by Marc Limon and Mariana Montoya

The Prevention Council: The business case for placing hum...

UN efforts over the past thirty years to shift its approach to crises and conflicts from reaction to prevention have…

Feb 3 2020

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by Universal Rights Group

The Human Rights Council in 2019

‘The Human Rights Council in 2019’ report aims to provide, inter alia: A written analysis of the main events and…

Dec 5 2019

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by Universal Rights Group

OSLO+1 - International support for the national implement...

On 10 May 2019, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden and the Swedish Agency for International Development Cooperation (Sida),…

Nov 12 2019

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by Danica Damplo, Rodrigo Saad

Policy or aspiration: shedding light on the current statu...

The question of ‘what happened to Human Rights up Front’ is an oft-repeated refrain in meetings with New York civil…

Oct 25 2019

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by European Union, Denmark and the URG

Eight years of the Istanbul Process on combatting religio...

The main intergovernmental policy framework for combatting religious intolerance, stigmatisation, discrimination, incitement to violence and violence against persons based on…

Oct 7 2019

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by URG team

Guide to the Human Rights Council 2019 Elections

On Monday 23 September 2019, the Permanent Mission of Norway and the Universal Rights Group (URG) hosted a lunch reception to mark the…

Sep 23 2019

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by Universal Rights Group

Towards 2026 - Perspectives on the future of the Human Ri...

The sixth Glion Human Rights Dialogue (Glion VI), organised by Switzerland and the Universal Rights Group (URG), in partnership with…

Sep 4 2019

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by Universal Rights Group, Environmental Investigation Agency, Business and Human Rights Resource Centre.

Emergency and non-Emergency Support for Environmental Def...

La situación de las personas y comunidades defensoras del medio ambiente, la tierra y el territorio en América Latina (DAT)…

Jan 1 1970

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by Marc Limon and Mariana Montoya

Clustering and the integrated implementation of recommend...

Over the past seventy years, United Nations (UN) member States have elaborated and adopted eight ‘core’ international human rights treaties.…

Jun 1 2019

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by the Universal Rights Group, HRMI

Is the global situation of human rights improving or dete...

Commentary on the worldwide human rights situation is often characterised by assertions of an unfolding human rights crisis in much…

Jun 10 2019

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Lifting religion-based reservations to the core internati...

On 9th and 10th January 2019, the Universal Rights Group, with the support of the Federal Republic of Germany and…

Mar 1 2019

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by The Universal Rights Group with the kind support of Switzerland

Vision 2021: What is the General Assembly’s 2021-2026 re...

Between 2021 and 2026, the General Assembly (GA) is scheduled to consider the question of the status of the Human…

Feb 14 2019

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by The Commonwealth Secretariat, Universal Rights Group

The global human rights implementation agenda: the role o...

This new policy brief, published by the URG and the Commonwealth secretariat, is the second in a new series of…

Nov 28 2018

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Identificando y superando los riesgos, amenazas y desafío...

Durante el 8 y el 9 de noviembre de 2017, Universal Rights Group América Latina, el Relator Especial de las…

Oct 3 2018

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Global Human Rights Implementation Agenda: the role of i...

This is the first in a new series of policy reports exploring how universal human rights standards are translated, through…

Sep 23 2018

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by Universal Rights Group

The place of human rights in a reformed United Nations (G...

The fifth Glion Human Rights Dialogue (Glion V), held in Chardonne, Switzerland, from 30-31 May 2018, considered the place of…

Sep 6 2018

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by Angela Barkhouse, Hugo Hoyland and Marc Limon

Corruption: a human rights impact assessment

Corruption, especially grand corruption, has enormous implications, both direct and indirect, for the enjoyment of human rights. Corruption undermines -…

Apr 30 2018

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by Marc Limon (URG)

Reform of the UN human rights petitions system

The human rights communications procedures are central to the purpose, effectiveness and credibility of the United Nations – representing the…

Jan 30 2018

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Human Rights Council strengthening conference

There is a growing recognition that as the Human Rights Council (HRC) approaches its twelve year anniversary there is a…

Jan 16 2018

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Derechos Humanos y Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible - A...

Si la Agenda 2030 debe implementarse de una manera en la que realmente "no se deje a nadie atrás", entonces…

Jan 1 1970

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Human Rights and the Sustainable Development Goals - Purs...

If the 2030 Agenda is to be realised in a way that truly does ‘leave no one behind,’ then human…

Dec 15 2017

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The Human Rights Council in 2017

The ‘Human Rights Council in 2017’ report provides a critique of the main events, developments, successes and failures of the Human…

Dec 12 2017

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by John Knox - Relator Especial de las Naciones Unidas para los derechos humanos y el medio ambiente

Defensores de Derechos Humanos Ambientales: Una crisis gl...

"A menos que la comunidad internacional refuerce su apoyo y mejore su protección a los defensores de los derechos humanos…

Jan 1 1970

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by the URG team

Operationalizing the Council's 'prevention' mandate (Glio...

The Human Rights Council’s mandate to respond to human rights violations, including gross and systematic violations - as set down…

Sep 5 2017

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by Mariana Montoya (URG) and Basac Çali

The march of universality? Religion-based reservations to...

URG’s new Policy Report on ‘The march of universality?’ by Başak Çalı and Mariana Montoya presents the findings of a…

May 17 2017

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by John H. Knox, Special Rapporteur on the human rights and the environment

Environmental human rights defenders (EHRDs): risking the...

“Unless the international community strengthens its support for, and improves its protection of, environmental human rights defenders, the full enjoyment…

Mar 6 2017

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by The URG team

6th meeting of the Istanbul Process

On 20-21 July 2016, the Government of Singapore hosted the sixth meeting of the Istanbul Process, organised in collaboration with…

Feb 14 2017

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Media coverage of the United Nations Human Rights Council...

Global human rights crises and concerns are never far for the front pages of the world's major newspapers, nor far…

Jan 19 2017

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by The URG team

The Human Rights Council in 2016

The ‘Human Rights Council in 2016’ report provides a critique of the main events, developments, successes and failures of the Human…

Dec 15 2016

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by Emmanuel Bichet and Stephanie Rutz

The Human Rights Council's relationships with the UN Gene...

As the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council (‘the Council’) celebrates it tenth anniversary in 2016, this policy paper aims…

Nov 10 2016

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by The URG team

Human rights implementation, compliance and prevention ('...

In 2006, the then UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, called on the Council to lead the international community from “the era…

Oct 17 2016

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by the URG team

Candidates for the post of UN secretary-general: Where do...

During the summer of 2016, the URG conducted a human rights-based assessment of the candidates competing to fill the post…

Jul 20 2016

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by Subhas Gujadhur (URG) and Marc Limon (URG)

Towards the third cycle of the UPR: stick or twist?

In 2005, Heads of State meeting at the UN’s World Summit resolved to create the Human Rights Council and asked…

Jul 11 2016

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The Human Rights Council in 2015

2015 will be remembered for many important initiatives and developments, from the body’s work to support human rights in Sri Lanka…

Dec 21 2015

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by Jane McAdam (University of New South Wales) and Marc Limon (URG)

Human rights, climate change and cross-border displacemen...

The links between climate change and human rights are more widely accepted than ever before. The Human Rights Council has…

Sep 28 2015

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by the URG team

Glion Human Rights Dialogue 2015: the Human Rights Counci...

In 2006, member States took a significant step towards strengthening the human rights pillar of the United Nations by establishing,…

Sep 9 2015

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by The Economist Intelligence Unit

The road from principles to practice: Today's challenges ...

This policy report, prepared by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), analyses levels of respect for human rights among businesses around…

Mar 16 2015

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by Subhas Gujadhur (URG), Toby Lamarque (URG)

Ensuring Relevance, Driving Impact: The evolution and fut...

The United Nations Human Rights Council (‘the Council’) was created through a decision taken by heads of states and governments…

Feb 25 2015

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by Marc Limon (URG), Nazila Ghanea (University of Oxford), Hilary Power (URG)

Combatting global religious intolerance: the implementati...

It is almost impossible to turn on the news today without witnessing scenes of hatred, violence and intolerance perpetrated in…

Dec 16 2014

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by Marc Limon (URG) & Hilary Power (URG)

History of the United Nations Special Procedures Mechanis...

​The United Nations’ independent human rights experts – otherwise known as ‘Special Procedures’ - are considered by many to be, in…

Sep 23 2014

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Glion human rights dialogue: reflections on the future of...

On 4th September, the Governments of Norway and Switzerland, together with the Universal Rights Group, presented a report on 'Reflections…

Sep 4 2014

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by Christen Broecker (Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights)
Professor Michael O’Flaherty (Irish Centre for Human Rights)

The Outcome of the General Assembly’s Treaty Body Strengt...

In February 2012, the General Assembly initiated an ‘intergovernmental’ review process aimed at strengthening the UN human rights Treaty Body…

May 25 2014

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by Ted Piccone (Brookings Institution), Marc Limon (URG)

Special Procedures: Determinants of Influence

This report on the United Nations system of independent human rights experts is the result of a year-long project led…

Apr 30 2014

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