UN Human Rights Committee urges Hong Kong to take steps to repeal national security law
The UN Human Rights Committee Wednesday called for Hong Kong authorities to take urgent steps to repeal the Beijing-decreed national security law amid concerns of the legislation threatening civil rights. Within the report, the Committee expressed deep concern about “the overly broad interpretation” of the law, which it reports has led to the “arrests of [...]
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) published a FinTech Note on central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) this Wednesday. Analogous to a digital form of paper money, a CBDC is a digital liability of a central bank that is available to the general public. The IMF paper details the experiences of the six central banks at the [...]
UN rights chief raises alarm over threats to human rights groups in Latin America and Caribbean
The United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Thursday expressed strong concerns about a “rising number of threats, attacks and attempts to undermine and delegitimise independent national human rights institutions“ in Latin America and the Caribbean. Incidents reportedly include threats or harassment against various human rights institutions or their staff in [...]
Mexico’s Chamber of Deputies voted Thursday to decriminalize marijuana. The measure was approved by a vote of 315 to 128, with 23 members abstaining. The law will allow any adult to smoke marijuana with certain restrictions. These restrictions include a cap on possession that would make it illegal to possess more than 28 grams of [...]
Biden administration reviewing Guantanamo in effort to close military prison
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a briefing Friday that the Biden administration has launched a review of the US military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to determine the prison’s fate over the next four years. Psaki told reporters that the administration is considering an executive action to close Guantanamo by the end [...]
Argentina’s Voluntary Interruption of Pregnancy Law, approved by the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate last month came into force Sunday. The law gives a choice to women and other gender identities to terminate their pregnancy within 14 weeks of pregnancy. Beyond 14 weeks, pregnancy can be terminated only in cases of rape, or when [...]
EU lifts travel restrictions from 15 countries, bans US travelers
In a statement released on Tuesday, the EU announced they would lift travel restrictions from 15 nations but not the US. The nations approved include Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia, Uruguay and China. China’s inclusion on the list is subject to confirmation of reciprocity. The [...]
The UK Court of Appeal affirmed a lower court decision Tuesday rejecting gender neutral markers on passports. Christie Elan-Cane argued for a policy to allow gender neutrality on passports in 2018. Elan-Cane wanted passports to have an “X” category for people who do not identify fully with either male or female. Elan-Cane argued the current [...]
Argentina’s President Alberto Fernández announced in a speech to the National Congress on Sunday that he plans to present a bill to legalize abortion within the next 10 days. Currently in Argentina, abortion is only available in cases of rape or when the mother’s health is at risk, otherwise having an abortion can result in [...]
Rome court sentences 24 South Americans to life for involvement in Operation Condor
An appeals court in Rome sentenced 24 people to life in prison on Monday, including senior officials in Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil, Bolivia and Argentina’s military dictatorships. The officials were found to have been involved in the US-backed Operation Condor, which took place in the 1970s and 80s. Operation Condor involved tracking down and removing [...]
