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Press releases 2012


 2012 - 2011 - 2010 - 2009 - 2008 - 2007 - 2006 - 2005


Montenegro journalists
Montenegro must ensure violence against the country's journalists is investigated and those responsible held accountable, UN expert on freedom of expression Frank La Rue says.

Georgia / Internally displaced persons
The UN Special Rapporteur on internally displaced persons calls for an integrated approach to address the situation of all internally displaced persons in Georgia.


Education and racism
The UN Special Rapporteur on racism emphasizes the importance of education in the fight against racism and warns against the rise of extremist political parties.

Human rights violations in Belarus
The UN Special Rapporteur on Belarus deplores human rights violations in the country and urges the government to cooperate.

Israel’s blockade over the Gaza Strip
The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel since 1967 calls on Israel to end its blockade over the Gaza Strip.

Brazil / football and human rights
On the eve of 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil, the UN Special Rapporteur on adequate housing calls on the authorities to avoid at all costs any negative impact on the human rights of the individuals and communities, especially the most vulnerable.

Education in the Post-2015 Agenda
The UN Special Rapporteur on Education calls on the world’s governments to ensure that accountability is a cornerstone of the post-2015 development agenda.

Need for equitable justice in Côte d’Ivoire
The Independent Expert notes that Côte d'Ivoire is facing a profound political fragmentation and calls for equitable justice.

Anti-discrimination steps hailed
UN experts welcome the adoption by the Organization of American States of two key conventions as an important step in tackling discrimination in all its forms in the Americas.


Indonesia's housing challenge
UN expert on adequate housing Raquel Rolnik calls on Indonesia to prioritize the needs of the poorest people in its housing policies and programmes.


Myanmar impunity
The UN Special Rapporteur on Myanmar says last week's fatal shooting of three Rohingya women illustrates how law enforcement officials operate with impunity.

Violence prevention key duty
States need to be held accountable not only for investigating violence against women but also for failing in their due diligence duty to prevent such acts, UN expert Rashida Manjoo says.

Take concrete steps to equality
A group of UN human rights experts urges world leaders to take concrete measures to eliminate inequalities as part of efforts to map a post-2015 development agenda.


South Korea / Rights defenders
UN expert Margaret Sekaggya urges the authorities to review legal areas involving the right to freedom of expression, freedom of association and freedom of peaceful assembly.

Obama’s counter-terrorism policies
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights and counter-terrorism, Ben Emmerson, urges more clarity on President Obama’s counter-terrorism policies.

Mission to Georgia
UN expert Chaloka Beyani launches a follow-up visit to Georgia to assess the situation of internally displaced persons and affected communities in the country (10-14 June 2013).

"Keep Eritrea under scrutiny"
The UN Special Rapporteur on Eritrea, Sheila B. Keetharuth, urges the international community to keep Eritrea under scrutiny and to protect and support those fleeing the country.

Communication surveillance
“Freedom of expression cannot be ensured without respect to privacy in communications” - UN expert Frank La Rue warns about the widespread use of surveillance tools.

El Salvador / Abortion legislation
A group of UN experts urge the Salvadorian Government to reconsider the abortion legislation and current practice in the country, and to ensure the protection of the right to life.

"A chain leading to trafficking"
“Demands for sexual exploitation, cheap labour and domestic workers, organ removal, illicit adoption, forced marriages or begging fuel human trafficking” - UN expert Joy Ngozi Ezeilo.

Myanmar / Human rights
UN expert Tomás Ojea Quintana urges the Myanmar Government to respond unequivocally to a local order limiting to two the number of children Rohingya Muslims can have.

Of human rights and robots
UN Special Rapporteur Christof Heyns calls for a moratorium in the use of lethal autonomous robots “before we proceed to a world where machines are given the power to kill humans.”

North Korea / Young defectors
UN expert Marzuki Darusman calls for the protection of nine North Korean defectors, mostly minors and reportedly all orphans, who were reportedly sent back to China from Laos.

“Legal aid, a right in itself”
“Legal aid is a right in itself and a precondition for the exercise and enjoyment of human rights, including the rights to a fair trial and to an effective remedy” - UN expert Gabriela Knaul.

Iran, elections and rights
A group of UN independent experts express concern at large scale disqualification of presidential candidates, including women, and restrictions on fundamental freedoms in Iran.