The UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warned on Thursday that the world faces a “new water reality,” announcing its latest report assessing the state of global water resources. Growing numbers around the world increasingly experience “abnormal water supplies,” especially due to disruption in freshwater resources, including river flows, groundwater and glaciers. The WMO’s report indicated [...]

The UN Human Rights Office on Friday released a 20-page report documenting 1,004 cases of sexual violence committed during Russia’s full-scale armed attack against Ukraine between February 24, 2022, and July 31, 2026. The report, titled Sexual Violence in the Context of the Russian Federation Full-Scale Armed Attack against Ukraine, is based on confidential interviews with [...]

UN experts on Wednesday raised concern over Meta’s proposed multibillion-dollar settlement with US state attorneys general over alleged harms to children and adolescents, warning that privately negotiated agreements should not replace transparent regulation developed with participation from young people and affected communities. The experts described bringing social-media platform design within accountability mechanisms as a necessary [...]

The UN Working Group on the use of mercenaries warned Tuesday that rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies are making it harder to determine who is responsible for human rights abuses linked to mercenary and private military and security operations. In a report presented during the 63rd session of the UN Human [...]

In her State of the Union Address in Strasbourg on Wednesday, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen invited Canada to become the first “associate member” of the European Union (EU). Von der Leyen proposed upgrading the existing Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) to an “Alliance for the Future” that would create [...]

The International Independent Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in Law Enforcement warned on Thursday that harsh drug laws and policies continue to play a role in systemic racism against “Africans and people of African descent around the world.” They advocated a shift to approaches based on public health and respect for human [...]

The UN Fact-Finding Mission in Venezuela stated on Wednesday that despite some limited improvements in the human rights situation in the South American country, institutions involved in rights violations and repression remained intact. Sofia Macher, chair of the UN mission said: “The reduction in some of the harshest forms of repression is notable, but it [...]

The UN Group of Independent Experts on the Situation of Human Rights in Belarus on Tuesday presented a report detailing the weaponization of the nation’s criminal justice system against government dissenters. The experts found violations of several international human rights treaties, including the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment [...]

The global food supply is under threat from laws that criminalize the sale and exchange of traditional peasant seed varieties, a group of UN experts said Wednesday. In their latest report to the Human Rights Council, the UN Working Group on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas indicated that almost [...]

Amnesty International on Wednesday named 87 Iranian security and Interior Ministry officials who it says should face criminal investigation for crimes against humanity committed during the 2022 crackdown on the Woman Life Freedom protests, and urged the UN Security Council to refer Iran’s situation to the International Criminal Court (ICC). The 1,161-page report, titled “Architects of Atrocities,” [...]