Human Rights Watch on Tuesday called for the Chilean Congress to reject a proposed constitutional amendment addressing national security pushed by President José Antonio Kast, arguing that the measure which is aimed at eradicating organized crime, would undermine due process and human rights protections. Multiple committees in both houses of Congress will deliberate on the [...]

The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) on Monday stated that countries have a legal obligation to consider comprehensive reparations for the transatlantic slave trade and the continuing harm caused by the legacy of racialized chattel slavery. In a general recommendation, the Committee said that the historical harms associated with the trafficking [...]

Amnesty International on Tuesday condemned the Belarusian authorities following reports of persecution, intimidation and systematic targeting of students and affiliates of the European Humanities University (EHU), actions which the organization said constitute violations of the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. In commenting on the long-term implications of the imposition of such measures [...]

Venezuela’s National Assembly on Tuesday unanimously approved a reform to the Organic Law of the Supreme Tribunal of Justice expanding the Judicial Nominations Committee from 21 to 23 members and granting civil society organizations a majority of seats, in what negotiators described as a concrete step toward rebuilding judicial independence following decades of political control over [...]

The nation of Vanuatu on Monday filed an application with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against France, requesting that the court affirm its sovereignty over disputed islands in the South Pacific region and establish new boundaries between Vanuatu and the French territory of New Caledonia. Vanuatu is a cluster of roughly 80 islands with 300,000 [...]

United Nations experts on Tuesday issued a statement demanding an end to the unlawful attacks and killings carried out by the United States military on suspected drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean and Pacific. The experts indicated that, over the course of a year, these attacks—which resumed in August after a months-long hiatus—were not justifiable under [...]

In a monumental win for Pakistan, a panel of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) on Monday held that India must honor a nearly 70-year-old water treaty between the two nations. The court said that the treaty remains legally binding and that no party may unilaterally suspend or terminate it. The PCA ruled that India [...]

A UN independent expert on Monday called for Tajikistan to enact freedom of information and whistleblower legislation, saying such laws are needed to protect public access to budget and debt information and participation in budget-making. She delivered preliminary observations in Dushanbe at the close of a 12-day official visit. Attiya Waris, the UN Independent Expert [...]

The US Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal from a historic preservation group that sought to indefinitely halt the construction of a ballroom at the White House. In a 5-4 vote, the court held that the National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP) lacked standing to challenge the ballroom, without ruling on its legality. Under [...]

Human Rights Watch reported Monday that the Foreign Aids (Regulation, Transparency and Disclosure) Bill (FA Bill) proposed by Nigerian Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo would allow the government to unduly regulate and influence the goals and activities of independent organizations, threatening freedom of expression rights in the country. The Bill aims to “promote alignment of foreign aid [...]