OHCHR | Home

Oyungerel Tsedevdamba
SR adequate housing
Countering nationalist populism
Ending racism
Stand up for human rights

Oyungerel Tsedevdamba is a human rights defender and leads an NGO called Local Solutions, which provides sanitation solutions for local communities in Mongolia. Her aim, to stop toilet from being a dirty word in Mongolia.
More information All Stories

"Housing is a human right, not just a commodity."

"What we are trying to do is build a multi-stakeholder global movement of people who know that housing is a human right and who want to reclaim it," said Leilani Farha, UN Special Rapporteur on adequate housing. Farha was talking about The Shift, an initiative to move away from treating housing as a commodity to housing as a place to live in peace, security and dignity.
More information All Stories

Wherever it occurs, we can counter populist extremism

Experts discuss the various forms of populist extremism that have emerged around the world and what responses can be brought to create more inclusive and more peaceful societies.
More information All Stories

"Racism is the opposite of everything we stand for"

All of us need to call out and openly condemn all messages – especially political messages or discourses – which disseminate ideas based on racial superiority or hatred, or which incite racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.
More information All Stories

Stand up for human rights

Join us in promoting and defending human rights for everyone, everywhere. Stand up for human rights and take action for stronger respect, greater freedom and more compassion.
More information All Stories

News

Choose the type of news you want

USA: Experts concerned by ICC threats Warnings by US Secretary of State and National Security Adviser of measures against the International Criminal Court must not be allowed to hinder the Court’s ability to fulfil its mandate, say experts.

Racism: Nationalist populism fuels hate Attacks on mosques in New Zealand reminds us that racism, xenophobia and religious hatred are deadly and that the result of ethno-nationalist populism and supremacist ideologies is racial violence, exclusion and discrimination, say experts.

Key human rights situations Michelle Bachelet briefs States on the human rights situation in Sri Lanka, Venezuela, Yemen, Colombia, Cyprus, Guatemala, Honduras, Iran and Myanmar.

Children fighting climate change Experts today lauded the Human Rights Council’s resolution supporting young people and children defending human rights relating to the environment.

Venezuela protests Human rights violations which are reported to have taken place during protests in Venezuela have been condemned by experts as systematic and pervasive.

Expert cancels Morocco visit The UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers says necessary conditions for his visit to Morocco have not been fulfilled.

Israel water Israel’s exploitation of natural resources in the Occupied Palestinian Territory for its own use is in violation of its legal responsibilities as an occupying power, says UN expert.

Racial discrimination in fight on drugs States fighting world drug problem must acknowledge devastating impact of their methods on people of African descent, and amend them as necessary, says experts.

See All

Key human rights situations Michelle Bachelet briefs States on the human rights situation in Sri Lanka, Venezuela, Yemen, Colombia, Cyprus, Guatemala, Honduras, Iran and Myanmar.

DRC: Horror and Violence High Commissioner Bachelet report details horrors of western DRC violence, urges action to prosecute those responsible and prevent further bloodshed.

Nicaragua: concerns about criminalization of dissent Prominent leaders convicted or sentenced in controversial circumstances in recent weeks include student leader Jonathan López.

UN high commissioner for human rights to visit Mexico The UN High Commissioner for human rights Michelle Bachelet, will be in Mexico on an official visit from 4-5 April.

Egypt: concerns over executions There is significant cause for concern that due process and fair trial guarantees may not have been followed in some or all of these cases, and that the very serious allegations concerning the use of torture were not properly investigated.

Syria: Bachelet alarmed by civilian casualties The bombardment of Idlib and surrounding areas by government forces and their allies, coupled with a series of attacks by non-State actors, has led to numerous civilian casualties and left some hundreds of thousands of displaced people in an extremely vulnerable situation.

Press briefing notes on Syria/Idlib and India/Kashmir High Commissioner for Human Rights expresses alarm at attacks on civilians in Syria/Idlib; condemns suicide bomb attack in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir.

South Sudan: Sexual violence A UN report highlights persistently high levels of sexual violence in South Sudan’s northern Unity region.

See All

Children fighting climate change Experts today lauded the Human Rights Council’s resolution supporting young people and children defending human rights relating to the environment.

India Expert welcome India’s pledge to promote corporate respect for human rights after it became the first South Asian country to start the process of preparing a National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights.

Venezuela protests Human rights violations which are reported to have taken place during protests in Venezuela have been condemned by experts as systematic and pervasive.

Brazil Brazil must ensure that the killers of human rights defender and city councillor Marielle Franco are brought to justice, say experts on anniversary of her death.

Iran Iran should immediately free prominent human rights lawyer and defender Nasrin Sotoudeh from jail pending a review of her conviction and sentence, say experts.

See All

Human Rights Council extends mandates The Council adopted 12 resolutions in which it, among other actions, decided to extend mandates.

Human Rights Council adopts 12 resolutions The Council adopted 12 resolutions.

Debate on technical assistance and capacity building The Council held a debate on technical assistance and capacity building after hearing the presentation of reports on technical assistance.

High Commissioner and Secretary-General reports The Council heard the presentation of reports on country situations in Colombia, Cyprus, Guatemala, Honduras, Iran, the situation of Rohingya in Myanmar, on Venezuela and Yemen.

Situation in the Central African Republic The Council held a high-level interactive dialogue on the evolution of the human rights situation in the Central African Republic.

Dialogue on the situation of human rights in Sri Lanka The Council held a dialogue on the situation of human rights in Sri Lanka and concluded an interactive dialogue on the situation of human rights in Ukraine.

Situation of human rights in Mali and in Ukraine The Council held an interactive dialogue with the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Mali, and heard an update on the situation of human rights in Ukraine.

Situation in The Democratic Republic of The Congo The Council held an enhanced interactive dialogue on the human rights situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

See All

Children fighting climate change Experts today lauded the Human Rights Council’s resolution supporting young people and children defending human rights relating to the environment.

Overcrowding in prisons in Costa Rica The Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture is concerned about overcrowding in places of deprivation of liberty seen during its first visit to the country.

Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights publishes findings Experts reviewed the situation for economic, social and cultural rights in Bulgaria, Estonia, Kazakhstan and Mauritius.

Expert committee on women’s rights issues findings Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Botswana, Colombia, Ethiopia, Myanmar, Serbia, and the United Kingdom reviewed by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women

2019: UN torture prevention body to visit Argentina, the State of Palestine, and Sri Lanka The Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture has a mandate to undertake visits to its States parties and visit any place where persons may be deprived of their liberty.

The world needs women’s leadership, say UN human rights experts Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women says women’s leadership and equal participation in public affairs as a key element of democracy and a pre-requisite for achieving sustainable development.

Disability rights committee to meet Meeting from 11 March to 5 April, the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities will review Cuba, Niger, Norway, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Spain, Turkey, and Vanuatu.

Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture visits Costa Rica The UN torture prevention body will assess the treatment of persons deprived of their liberty, as well as the safeguards for their protection against torture and ill-treatment.

See All

Our priorities

Enhancing equality and countering discrimination

Strengthening the rule of law and accountability for human rights violations

Advancing sustainable development through human rights

Enhancing participation and protecting civic space

Increasing implementation of the outcomes of the human rights mechanisms

Preventing violations and strengthening protection of human rights

Resources

Choose the type of resource you want

World Water Day Sustainable Development Goal 6 is literally a matter of life and death for millions of people.

Ending racism All of us need to call out and openly condemn all messages – especially political messages or discourses – which disseminate ideas based on racial superiority or hatred, or which incite racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.

Update on Sri Lanka High Commissioner Bachelet updates the Human Rights Council on continuing human rights concerns.

Country reports by the High Commissioner and Secretary General Updates on Colombia, Cyprus, Guatemala, Honduras, Iran and the Rohingya.

Update on Yemen The continued fragile ceasefire presents a glimmer of hope for a devastated country.

Update on Venezuela High Commissioner Bachelet discusses the human rights situation in the country.

Victims of the trans-Atlantic slave trade High Commissioner Bachelet celebrates "the magnificent and unstoppable energy" of their struggle for emancipation and justice

Update on Ukraine Update to the Human Rights Council regarding human rights in Ukraine, with Crimea.

See All Speeches

Annual appeal 2018

Annual appeal 2018

Protecting LBGTi people

Living Free and Equal: Tackling Violence and Discrimination against LGBTi People

Human rights info. for Parliamentarians

Human Rights: Handbook for Parliamentarians (co-published with IPU)

Traditional justice in Africa

Human Rights and Traditional Justice Systems in Africa

National mechanisms for reporting and follow-up

NMRF: A Practical Guide to Effective State Engagement with International Human Rights Mechanisms

Right to development

FAQs on the Right to Development

Human rights and government budgets

Realizing Human Rights through Government Budgets

Migration

Migration, Human Rights and Governance: Handbook for Parliamentarians (co-published with IPU)

See All Publications

Human Rights Committee / 125th Session From: 04-03-2019
To: 29-03-2019
Palais Wilson Gr

Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities / 21st Session From: 11-03-2019
To: 05-04-2019
Palais des Nations Room XVII

Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent / 24th Session From: 25-03-2019
To: 29-03-2019
Palais des Nations Room XXI

Board of Trustees of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture / 49th Session From: 01-04-2019
To: 05-04-2019
Palais des Nations Room XXVII

Working Group on the use of mercenaries / 36th Session From: 01-04-2019
To: 05-04-2019
Palais Wilson 1st

Committee on the Protection of the Rights of Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families / 30th Session From: 01-04-2019
To: 12-04-2019
PW Gr

Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities - Pre-sessional Working Group / 11th Session From: 08-04-2019
To: 11-04-2019
Palais des Nations XVII

Committee on Enforced Disappearances / 16th Session From: 08-04-2019
To: 18-04-2019
Palais Wilson 1st

See All Events

UN Charter Body Database

Search for documents and information pertaining to UN Charter-based human rights bodies, including the Human Rights Council and Special Procedures.

Universal Periodic Review

Access information and documents about states that were part of the periodic review of the human rights. It includes documents submitted by countries themselves, UN agencies and external parties.

National Human Rights Institutions Website

Find information on National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) and the International Coordinating Committee for National Human Rights Institutions (ICC).

Universal Human Rights Index

Access country-specific human rights recommendations and information emanating from international human rights mechanisms in the UN system: the Treaty Bodies, the Special Procedures and the Universal Periodic Review (UPR).

Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) Database

Access translations of the UDHR, a milestone document in the history of human rights, into over 460 different languages and dialects.

Anti-discrimination Database

Search for information, policies and measures taken at the international, regional and national levels to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.

Human Rights Education and Training Database

Search worldwide for institutions, programmes and materials that aim to foster human rights education and training.

Jurisprudence Database

Access jurisprudence emanating from the United Nations Treaty Bodies that receive and consider complaints from individuals.

See All Databases

Quick selection

Treaty BodiesSchedule of country reviews Deadlines for the submission of documentation Information by country - ratification status, reporting cycles and documentation Elections of Treaty Body Members
Special ProceduresOverview of visits by Special Procedures Upcoming country visits History of country visits since 1998 Countries with standing invitations
Universal Periodic ReviewOverview Documentation by country