Human rights through the eyes of Andy Vermaut

The ongoing attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine are resulting in a surge in humanitarian needs, the top UN humanitarian official for the country said on Monday, urging increased funding to ensure assistance for those in need. https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1139312?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

A summer of extreme weather in the northern hemisphere is causing major damage to people’s health and the environment, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reported on Monday, as countries from the United States to China battle intense heat.  https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1139307?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has strongly condemned the deadly suicide bombing at a political rally in northwest Pakistan on Sunday. https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1139302?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Global crises, conflicts, and the climate emergency are escalating trafficking risks, the UN warned on Sunday, the World Day against Trafficking in Persons.  People lacking legal status, living in poverty and without decent work often become the primary targets of traffickers. https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1139282?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Despite the welcome news that more than seven in 10 people on the planet – 5.6 billion -  are now protected by measures to curb the dangers of tobacco smoke, 8.7 million people still die from tobacco-related diseases every year, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday.   https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1139287?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

In a press statement published on Friday, the Security Council members called for the immediate and unconditional release of Niger’s democratically elected President Mohammed Bazoum and underscored the need to protect him, his family and members of his government. https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1139272?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Sharply rising temperatures across the globe continue to endanger the safety of workers and impact communities with the “least capacity for adaptation,” according to a senior economist at the International Labour Organization (ILO).  https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1139237?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Heads of UN peacekeeping forces on Thursday highlighted the work of ‘blue helmets’ in some of the most challenging environments, protecting those in need not only from war and terror but also increasingly from natural disasters and disinformation. https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1139262?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

The continuing battle for control of Sudan between rival militaries has had a destabilizing effect on the contested area of Abyei claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan, for both the UN mission there, UNIFSA, and the civilians they are mandated to protect. https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1139252?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Humanitarian operations, development support and peace programmes in Niger continue in the wake of the military coup this week, the top UN official in the country said on Friday in a briefing to journalists in New York.  https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1139247?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67orZHWkxq4&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

The UN human rights chief issued a statement on Thursday calling on “those in power” in Israel to heed the calls of the broad-based coalition in the country which has been protesting new laws limiting the judicial power of the Supreme Court. https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1139207?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

The Economic and Social Council which oversees sustainable development across the UN, elected its new President on Thursday, marking the start of its new session. https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1139202?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

The conflict in Sudan has sparked a health crisis for the 3.4 million people forced to flee to safety, whether within the country or across its borders, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday.  https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1139192?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Insecurity and violence increased rapidly in the occupied West Bank over the last month, punctuated by one of the most intensive Israeli military operations in nearly two decades, the Security Council heard on Thursday. https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1139197?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

The UN on Wednesday launched an initiative for accelerated transformation in food systems, with the Deputy Secretary-General highlighting key objectives to help get the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) back on track. https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1139147?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

The recent wave of devastating Russian attacks targeting Odesa and other key Ukrainian port cities marks a “calamitous turn” in the 15-month war, a senior UN official told the Security Council on Wednesday.  https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1139137?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

The UN Secretary-General António Guterres has strongly condemned an attempted power grab in the West African nation of Niger, following reports that the democratically elected president is being held by some of his own guards inside his official residence. https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1139127?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

After nearly two years of “political groundwork, fundraising, and project development”, in the words of UN chief António Guterres, the UN-led operation to avert environmental disaster in the Red Sea of the Yemeni coast, is fully underway. https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1139112?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

The UN human rights chief on Wednesday lamented the severe electoral clampdown by the Cambodian Government during the weekend vote, including restrictions on opposition parties, NGOs and media. https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1139107?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

A full-scale Africa-led agrifood systems transformation will not be possible without game changing solutions, greater investments in smallholder farmers, embracing new technology and new partnerships at all levels.  https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1139087?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

While national elections in West Africa and the Sahel provide an important opportunity for voters to effect change, they also expose “real challenges” which must be addressed moving forward, the UN’s top envoy for the region said on Tuesday.  https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1139077?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Asia and the Pacific has a “narrow window” to protect its hard-won gains, as climate change supercharges disasters and impacts billions there, the UN’s development body spanning the vast region said on Tuesday. https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1139072?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

The UN has started a complex operation to transfer crude oil from a decaying supertanker stranded off the coast of Yemen since 2015. https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1139057?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

The legislative elections which took place in Cambodia on Sunday 23 July were conducted in a restricted political and civic space, where the opposition, civil society and the media were unable to function effectively without hindrance. We regret that these elections excluded important sectors of the opposition, due to criminal convictions of political leaders and […] https://www.pressclub.be/press-releases/cambodia-statement-by-the-spokesperson-on-the-general-elections/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday highlighted the need to address global hunger, promote cooperation between businesses and governments, and mitigate the damaging impact of continuing climate change on food production. https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1139037?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

After 100 days of fighting in Sudan, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported on Monday that at least 435 children have been killed and more than 2,000 injured. https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1139027?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJrtkKc-138&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Senior UN officials have strongly condemned the deadly Russian missile strikes in the Ukrainian city of Odesa on Sunday which damaged several historic buildings. https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1139022?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Population growth, urbanization, changing consumption patterns, and climate change are making it more challenging to feed the world according to a senior official at the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1138992?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Transforming the way food is produced on the Indian Ocean archipelago of Mauritius could help to fight climate change as well as accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), according to the UN’s most senior representative in the country. https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1138862?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

The top UN humanitarian official in Yemen on Saturday called for justice in the wake of the recent attack against World Food Programme (WFP) staff that left one person dead and another injured.  https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1139017?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Access to social protection is a fundamental human right, yet a recent UN human rights report shows that numerous women and girls worldwide are still unable to access provisions such as social security payments and pensions.  https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1138997?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

The ongoing conflict in Sudan is impacting food security and migration across West and Central Africa, depleting scarce resources, exacerbating inter-communal tensions and putting major stress on the already underfunded humanitarian response, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Friday. https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1138987?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Russia’s bombardment of Ukrainian ports along the Black Sea could have far-reaching impacts on global food security, UN political affairs chief Rosemary DiCarlo said on Friday in a briefing to the Security Council.  https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1138982?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

A new report reveals how projects supported by the UN Trust Fund for victims of sexual exploitation and abuse by UN personnel, are helping victims regain their dignity, learn new skills, and improve their livelihoods. https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1138967?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Global warming marked by higher average temperatures, precipitation and longer periods of drought, could prompt a record number of dengue infections worldwide, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Friday. https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1138962?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

A group of UN independent experts on Thursday expressed grave concern over a discriminatory policy issued by the Libyan Government of National Unity (GNU) which effectively restricts women and girls from travelling abroad without a male guardian. https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1138932?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday strongly condemned Russian attacks on Odesa and other Ukrainian ports in recent days, following Moscow’s decision to withdraw from the UN-brokered Black Sea Initiative earlier this week.  https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1138927?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

We welcome the news of the Presidential pardon granted on 19 July to human rights researcher Patrick George Zaki and human rights lawyer Mohamed El-Baqer. The European Union and its Member States have been closely engaged in both cases since Mr Zaki and Mr El-Baqer were detained. Their pardon is therefore a positive development for […] https://www.pressclub.be/press-releases/egypt-statement-by-the-spokesperson-on-the-pardon-of-patrick-george-zaki-and-mohamed-el-baqer/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Current funding for critical aid efforts supporting Rohingya refugees living in camps in southern Bangladesh is simply not enough, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) has said, as dwindling resources have forced the second ration cut in three months. https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1138917?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

The mayor of a city in southern Ukraine has described its inhabitants as “heroes” and has pledged the city will emerge from the full-scale invasion of his country as a model for other urban areas devastated by the war, even as residents cope with an overnight attack on Thursday. https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1138907?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

UN health innovation initiative Unitaid warned on Wednesday that the failure to implement tuberculosis contact tracing and prevention could lead to close to one million deaths by 2035. https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1138867?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Life-saving relief programmes should not be held hostage by political interests, the President of the General Assembly said on Wednesday, as Member States gathered to debate the use of the veto by a permanent member of the Security Council, that halted vital cross-border aid last week into northern Syria.  https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1138877?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

The United Nations family came together on Wednesday to pay tribute to the 77 members of staff who died in the line of duty in 2022.  https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1138857?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

During their first two years, the EU Missions in Horizon Europe have supported the Commission’s work on the European Green Deal, making Europe fit for the Digital Age, and Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan. Since their inception, EU Missions have demonstrated their potential to accelerate change. Supported primarily by Horizon Europe funding, they have also connected and supported EU […] https://www.pressclub.be/press-releases/horizon-europe-eu-missions-on-track-to-meet-their-2030-ambition-towards-a-greener-and-healthier-continent/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Indicative programme All times are approximate and subject to change Chair: Josep Borrell, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy 18.00 Beginning of the EU-Bosnia and Herzegovina Stabilisation and Association Council At the end of the meeting (+/- 19.00) press conference in live streaming. Arrangements for the press conference The press conference will […] https://www.pressclub.be/press-releases/media-advisory-eu-bosnia-and-herzegovina-stabilisation-and-association-council-19-july-2023/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

The United Kingdom parliament has passed a bill inconsistent with the country’s obligations under international human rights and refugee law that could have profound consequences for people seeking international protection, warned the UN rights chief and the head of refugee agency UNHCR on Tuesday. https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1138812?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Low women’s empowerment and large gender gaps are commonplace in many parts of the world, the UN’s lead agencies on gender equality and international development said in a new report published on Tuesday.  https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1138807?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

The dangers associated with the heatwave that’s engulfing the northern hemisphere aren’t over yet, the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warned on Tuesday. https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1138802?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

The [EU-CELAC] Summit is going well.  Yesterday, we launched the [EU-LAC] Digital Alliance. We signed agreements with three Latin American countries [Ecuador, Honduras, El Salvador]. I am coming back from the ‘Progressive leaders’ meeting called by Pedro Sánchez, as President of the International Socialist [and Prime Minister of Spain]. There are a lot of bilaterals, […] https://www.pressclub.be/press-releases/eu-celac-summit-press-remarks-by-high-representative-vice-president-josep-borrell-upon-arrival-on-the-second-day/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

New data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and UN Children’s Fund UNICEF, reveal signs of immunisation services rebounding in some countries, but coverage still falls short of pre-pandemic levels, particularly in low-income countries, putting children at grave risk of disease outbreaks. https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1138767?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

President Lula, Prime Minister Sánchez, President Goldfajn, President Díaz-Granados, It is such a great pleasure to welcome all of you here in Brussels. Today’s Summit marks a new beginning for an old friendship. But it is also a new beginning that builds on decades of a good friendship. Our two continents are brought together by […] https://www.pressclub.be/press-releases/opening-speech-by-president-von-der-leyen-at-the-eu-lac-2023-business-round-table/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

The Global Gateway project will contribute to climate action to mitigate the effects of climate change. Solar photovoltaic plants will be installed on homes and on local business premises. The European Investment Bank (EIB), the world’s largest multilateral public bank, and Banco Santander (Brasil), the largest foreign bank in Brazil, have signed an agreement to […] https://www.pressclub.be/press-releases/honduras-memorandum-of-understanding-on-bilateral-consultations-with-the-eu-signed-in-brussels/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

HR/VP Blog Post – Asia is the most dynamic region in the world and key international predicaments play in Southeast Asia. The EU must be more present and engaged in this pivotal region. Working with ASEAN and deepening our strategic partnership is key to do so. At the end of last week, I was in […] https://www.pressclub.be/press-releases/the-eu-and-asean-must-face-together-rising-geopolitical-tensions/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

● European Council   17/07/2023 09:18 | MEETING | EU-CELAC summit, 17-18 July 2023   Background brief – EU-CELAC summit, 17-18 July 2023 View meeting page           Council of the European Union: +32 22816319 | Press European Council / President: +32 22815150 | Press President www.consilium.europa.eu/press   https://www.pressclub.be/press-releases/eu-celac-summit-17-18-july-2023/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

For 96 hours, the orders kept coming. By the end, 287 people were dead, 387 women and children had been raped, and 13 villages in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) had been robbed of any sense of normalcy. https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1138657?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Press remarks by President Charles Michel following trilateral meeting with President Aliyev of Azerbaijan and Prime Minister Pashinyan of Armenia We have just finished the sixth meeting with President Aliyev and Prime Minister Pashinyan. Our exchanges have once again been frank, honest and substantive. Our meeting was the latest in a series of intensive and […] https://www.pressclub.be/press-releases/15-07-2023-1917-statements-and-remarks-press-remarks-by-president-charles-michel-following-trilateral-meeting-with-president-aliyev-of-azerbaijan-and-prime-minister-pashinyan-of-armenia/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Warring factions in Sudan must respect international law, protect civilians, and stop targeting relief and aid workers, the United Nations top humanitarian official urged on Saturday, as the conflict reached its three-month mark. https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1138747?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Scorching temperatures are engulfing large parts of the Northern hemisphere, while devastating floods triggered by relentless rainfall have disrupted lives and livelihoods, underscoring the urgent need for more climate action, the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Friday. https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2023/07/1138712?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger