United Nations

UN Working Group Declares Assange "Should Be Freed"

February 05, 2016

The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has determined that the UK and Sweden should let Wikileaks founder Julian Assange walk free from charges of rape and that Assange should receive compensation for violations of his right against "arbitrary detention" under international human rights law.
NGOs Criticize UN Negotiations with Syrian Regime

February 04, 2016

Foreign Policy reports that Syrian relief organizations are criticizing the UN for its communications with the Syrian government, which is accused of committing war crimes against the country's citizens, regarding the deletion of references to Syrian human rights violations in UN reporting and securing emergency relief for hard-hit Syrian areas.
UN Agent Warns of TPP Human Rights Impact

February 04, 2016

Prior to the signing of the Transpacific Partnership ("TPP") trade deal by countries on the Pacific Rim, UN Independent Expert Alfred de Zayas has called on these countries not to sign the deal without making fresh commitments to international human rights treaties and to the UN Sustainable Development Goals ("SDGs") to "guarantee the regulatory space of States."
UN Working Group: African-Americans Face "Human Rights Crisis"

February 03, 2016

Following a visit to the US, the UN Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent blamed official impunity and racist ideology for a "human rights crisis" facing African-Americans and called on officials to take measures to address "Afrophobia" and end the "epidemic of racial violence" in US law enforcement.
UN Chief: Palestinian People Will "Resist Occupation"

February 03, 2016

In response to Israeli criticism that his past remarks associating Islamic terrorism with Israel's policy toward Palestinians condone jihadist acts, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has published an op-ed in The New York Times arguing both that he condemns terrorism but also believes that Palestinians "will always resist occupation."
UN Announces More Allegations of Sex Abuse in CAR

February 03, 2016

UN Assistant Secretary General for Field Support Anthony Banbury has announced that there were 22 cases involving sexual abuse allegations against the UN's peacekeeping force in the war-torn Central African Republic ("CAR") in 2015.
NGO Calls for External Review of UN Sex Abuse Claims

February 03, 2016

George Russell reports that the nongovernmental organization AIDS-Free World is calling on the UN to establish an independent body composed of judges, academics, authorities, and others to review claims of sex abuse against peacekeepers working with the UN and bring cases directly to UN member governments.
WHO Calls for Measures on Smoking in Films

February 03, 2016

The UN's World Health Organization ("WHO") has warned that films portraying characters who smoke are coaxing children to develop tobacco habits and has called for countries to adopt countermeasures such as adult ratings for such films, a ban on the display of tobacco brands, and a bar to public subsidies for films displaying tobacco use.
UN Urges National Policy Alignment with SDGs

February 03, 2016

In recent remarks, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on countries around the world to pursue the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals ("SDGs"), a comprehensive set of aspirations on social and environmental issues the UN is seeking to achieve by the year 2030, in national law and administrative rules.
UN Launches "Women's Empowerment" Panel

February 02, 2016

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has announced the international organization's establishment of a High-Level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment, which will push for an end to "structural barriers to women's economic empowerment" in countries around the world.