UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders Mary Lawlor called on world leaders Friday to put an end to the repression faced by climate activists, and to instead protect them as human rights defenders, emphasizing that the climate crisis is a human rights crisis. The UN expert stated: “States are repressing the [...]

Amnesty International called on Côte d’Ivoire authorities on Thursday to end the repression of peaceful protests ahead of the upcoming presidential elections, following the dispersal of a demonstration by security forces in Abidjan on October 11 and the subsequent arrest of 255 individuals. Amnesty International’s regional director for West and Central Africa, Marceau Sivieude, stated: [...]

Amnesty International stated on Thursday that authorities in El Salvador have misused the penal justice system and recent legal reforms to repress human rights defenders and silence dissenting voices, thereby undermining the rule of law in the country. Amnesty International’s Americas director Ana Piquer said: “Instead of impartially delivering justice, the criminal justice system in [...]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) stated on Thursday that Sudan’s military may have deployed chlorine gas during the ongoing armed conflict, based on the findings of an investigation conducted by French broadcaster France 24. The organization emphasized that if substantiated, use of the toxic gas by armed forces would constitute a war crime. The statement called [...]

Three-quarters of Europeans believe large companies should be held accountable for human rights and environmental violations across their global supply chains, even as the European Union moves to weaken corporate sustainability laws, according to new polling reported Thursday by Amnesty International. The research, conducted last month by Ipsos, surveyed over 10,000 people across ten European [...]

Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina announced on Tuesday the dissolution of the government led by Prime Minister Christian Ntsay, in response to widespread youth-led protests over power and water shortages. In an official address, Andry Rajoelina stated that he had listened to protesters’ demands and recognized the government’s failure to meet the nation’s needs. “We were [...]

UN experts welcomed on Thursday the ratification of the Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement), first adopted in June 2023. This ratification is a significant advance for the conservation of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction. The special rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment and [...]

The UN International Independent Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in Law Enforcement warned in a report on Wednesday of the prevalent racism against Africans and people of African descent in criminal justice systems worldwide, a violation of international human rights standards. Experts emphasized that discriminatory practices are embedded in law enforcement institutions [...]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Thursday welcomed the signing of a new law in Brazil designed to protect children’s rights online, describing the legislation as a significant advancement and encouraging the government to further enhance data protection for all citizens. The new law, known as the ECA Digital (for Child and Adolescent Statute), seeks to [...]

In a report to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), the Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances raised concerns on Wednesday about the escalating global trend of enforced disappearances targeting land and environmental defenders, particularly in regions with weak rule of law and prevailing impunity. In their report, UN experts found that land defenders [...]