With momentum building and global support on the rise, a draft treaty on crimes against humanity stands as a beacon of progress in international law. Led by a coalition of nations and backed by international civil society organizations, this treaty holds promise for enhancing accountability and prioritizing the rights of victims of profound injustices around [...]
Search Results for: AIDS
UN Security Council passes resolution demanding ceasefire in Gaza with US abstaining
The UN Security Council passed a resolution on Monday demanding an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. In addition to calling for a ceasefire, the resolution demands the “immediate and unconditional” release of hostages and a dramatic increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza. It emphasizes that all parties must follow [...]
UN Secretary General António Guterres made another call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza following a trip to Egypt near Rafah on Saturday. He also made a call for Israel to allow aid delivers into the occupied territories without intervening, and for Hamas to release all hostages. Guterres met with UN humanitarian workers during his [...]
Biden signs $1.2T US government appropriations bill that includes UNRWA funding ban
US President Joe Biden signed HB 2882, called the “Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024,” on Saturday. This act provides federal government funding through September 2024 and includes a provision that prohibits funds from being used for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). The act also cuts funding to the UN International [...]
HRW calls for fair, transparent and impartial proceedings in Seychelles anti-corruption case
Human Rights Watch (HRW) in a statement issued Thursday called on Seychelles to hold fair and open legal processes against former presidential advisor Mukesh Valabhji and other defendants accused of embezzlement and money laundering in addition to unlawful firearm possession and conspiracy to commit terrorism in November 2021. Valabhji and his wife were both implicated [...]
Russia and China veto US-authored UN Security Council Israel-Hamas ceasefire resolution
Russia and China vetoed a US-authored UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution Friday that called for a ceasefire in Gaza. The exact text of the UNSC Resolution is not currently available to the public; however, UN News provided a summary of its content. According to UN News, the resolution called the need for an immediate and [...]
Israel Supreme Court temporarily blocks government plan to send Palestine patients to Gaza
The Supreme Court of Israel stopped a government plan to send a group of Palestinian patients to Gaza. The group, mostly cancer patients, will now be able to stay in East Jerusalem and Tel Aviv because of the Wednesday decision. Physicians for Human Rights—Israel (PHRI), a human rights advocacy group, filed a request with the [...]
The Cost of Revenge: A Cantor's Critique of Israel's Response to Hamas
In the wake of the deadly Hamas terrorist attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, many of Israel’s supporters, myself included, have succumbed to the understandable impulse for violent retribution. Israel is a land that I love, both culturally as a Jew — and third-generation Holocaust survivor — and spiritually as an ordained cantor. It follows that [...]
UN official warns of escalating violence in Myanmar against civilians by junta
UN Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews warned on Wednesday that Myanmar’s ruling military junta escalated violence against civilians in response to resistance victories by pro-democracy and ethnic armed groups. He wrote last week that the junta escalated aerial attacks on villages, obstructed humanitarian aid and announced plans to conscript youths into the military. According to Andrews, [...]
Florida governor signs law preventing homeless individuals from sleeping in public spaces
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a new bill into law on Wednesday that prohibits homeless individuals from sleeping in public spaces, such as sidewalks and parks. The bill, HB 1365, is set to take effect on October 1. DeSantis claimed the bill aims to address public safety and quality of life by ensuring homeless individuals [...]