Women's Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights Center Stage at ICPD in Nairobi

As the International Conference on Population and Development is taking place in Nairobi, a group of international human rights experts has called for a renewed commitment to and investment in women’s and girls’ sexual and reproductive health and rights. "We call upon decision-makers to always put women’s and girls’ human rights at the centre of policy considerations and to meaningfully...

HRC Sessions on Women's Rights

By Sue England, UN Rep (IWC Munich)

At HRC41, there were two days focused on women's rights, June 27 and 28.  You can view sessions of the HRC on UN Web TV. Here is a link to live feed and archived videos.

The session continued on June 28 with country statements being made and questions for the Special Rapporteurs (Special...

Student Leaders from Palestine Speak

By Karen Castellon, UN Rep (AWC Berlin) 

25 June 2019

The meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee of the General Assembly for Voluntary Contributions to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) focused on financial support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). Speakers included UN Secretary General António Guterres (which tells me...

HRC41 Opening Session, June 24

By Karen Castellon, UN Rep (AWC Berlin)

Oral update by the High Commissioner, Honorable Michelle Bachelet on the situation of human rights worldwide and on the activities of her office

Highlights:

ISIS aftermath

• 55,000 ISIS fighters and family members are detained in Iraq and Syria in refugee camps.
• 29,000 children n Syria are in need of rehabilitation and integration into society

HRC33 Adopts Maternal Mortality Resolution

One of the world’s most critical challenges despite significant progress over the last decade is maternal deaths. Although maternal deaths worldwide have decreased in recent decades approximately 800 women still die each day from largely preventable causes before, during, and after the time of birth. These deaths are not equally distributed. Ninety-nine percent of preventable maternal deaths occur in low...

Women Have the Right to Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation

The human rights to water and sanitation are derived from other rights, notably the right to an adequate standard of living, which is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). As part of thematic issues dialogs, the 33^rd session of the Human Rights Council (HRC33) held an interactive...