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Sudan conflict: 25 million people are facing devastating hunger by UN News, IPC, OHCHR, NRC, OCHA, agencies Apr 2025 Statement by Jan Egeland, Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) Secretary General on the two-year mark of the Sudan crisis: “This week, we mark two years of war in Sudan which have caused one of the most harrowing crises of our generation, with the forced displacement of nearly 15 million people. Armed men have for more than 700 days and nights attacked defenceless civilians with impunity. Civilians have not been protected, and peace efforts have failed. “We are witnessing a confluence of catastrophic factors—the widespread violence that has caused the deepest humanitarian collapse in Sudan’s history is exacerbated by the most severe US funding cuts ever, on top of aid cuts by several European donors. Programmes that once provided vital support have been forced to shut down, leaving millions without the basic means to survive. Around 25 million people are facing devastating hunger, and yet we have been forced to stop our support to farmers, whose produce is essential to help us avert famine wherever it hasn’t struck yet. We have been forced to close down aid access centres for displaced and vulnerable people where they could seek our services. And we have had to scale down on education for thousands of children who desperately need it. This is the darkest hour for Sudan. “Neighbouring countries hosting more than three million refugees and returnees, including Chad and South Sudan, now bear the weight of overflowing refugee populations while facing crises of their own. This is not merely a policy failure; it is a moral failure. We must not allow self-interest to overshadow our fundamental responsibility to save lives. “I call on the global community to reverse these misguided funding shifts and recommit to protecting humanity. Our actions in this critical moment will determine whether we choose compassion or conflict over the future of our shared humanity.” http://www.nrc.no/news/2025/april/sudans-darkest-hour http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-two-years-war-starvation-global-failure-world-must-act-now http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/04/sudan-faces-worsening-humanitarian-catastrophe-famine-and-conflict-escalate http://www.unocha.org/publications/report/sudan/port-sudan-drone-attacks-call-protect-civilian-infrastructure-statement-united-nations-resident-and-humanitarian-coordinator-sudan-clementine-nkweta-salami http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/civilians-trapped-children-risk-amid-escalating-violence-darfur http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/05/un-experts-demand-international-action-human-rights-violations-escalate http://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/afr01/9355/2025/en/ http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/04/1162771 http://news.un.org/en/tags/sudan http://www.unocha.org/latest/news-and-stories?responses=30 http://www.msf.org/people-fleeing-zamzam-camp-arrive-overwhelmed-humanitarian-response-tawila http://www.msf.org/conflict-sudan http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-displacement-zamzam-camp-north-darfur-state-flash-update-no-3-2-may-2025 http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/civilians-trapped-children-risk-amid-escalating-violence-darfur http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/massive-scale-needed-more-ever-rainy-season-msf-warns-european-parliament-sudan-crisis http://www.unocha.org/publications/report/sudan/forced-displacement-north-darfur-overwhelms-aid-operations-and-increases-civilian-vulnerability http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-displacement-zamzam-camp-north-darfur-state-flash-update-no-01-15-april-2025 http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/least-23-children-and-9-aid-workers-reportedly-killed-al-fasher-abu-shouk-and-zamzam http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/attacks-zamzam-and-abu-shouk-camps-and-al-fasher-must-end-now-statement-united-nations-resident-and-humanitarian-coordinator-sudan-clementine-nkweta-salami http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/04/sudan-turk-gravely-concerned-rising-civilian-deaths-and-widespread-sexual http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/04/sudan-un-fact-finding-mission-deplores-darfur-killings-conflict-enters-third http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/04/1162116 http://news.un.org/en/interview/2025/04/1162131 http://www.wfp.org/news/wfp-calls-urgent-access-preposition-food-sudan-rainy-season-risks-cutting-roads-starving http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipc-country-analysis/details-map/en/c/1159433/ http://dataviz.unhcr.org/product-gallery/2025/04/sudan-crisis-deepens-but-attention-wanes-after-two-years-of-war http://www.unhcr.org/emergencies/sudan-emergency http://www.iom.int/sudan-conflict-two-years http://www.icrc.org/en/news-release/sudan-new-report-sheds-light-two-years-devastation-sudan http://www.msf.org/two-years-war-sudan-leave-millions-more-need-ever http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-crisis-two-years-unraveling-worlds-largest-humanitarian-disaster-sahel-red-sea-0 Dec. 2024 Sudan: Famine expands as conflict drives catastrophic hunger to more areas. (IPC) Twenty months into the conflict, Sudan continues to slide into a widening Famine crisis characterized by widespread starvation and a significant surge in acute malnutrition. The IPC Famine Review Committee (FRC) has detected Famine in at least five areas and projects that five additional areas will face Famine between December 2024 and May 2025. Furthermore, there is a risk of Famine in seventeen additional areas. Half of the population (24.6 million people) is facing high levels of acute food insecurity. This marks an unprecedented deepening and widening of the food and nutrition crisis, driven by the devastating conflict, which has triggered unprecedented mass displacement, a collapsing economy, the breakdown of essential social services, and severe societal disruptions, and poor humanitarian access. According to the FRC, Famine (IPC Phase 5) detected in August 2024 in Zamzam camp, North Darfur state, has persisted and expanded to Al Salam and Abu shouk camps and the Western Nuba Mountains for the period October to November 2024. Between December 2024 and May 2025, Famine is projected to expand in North Darfur localities including Um Kadadah, Melit, El Fasher, At Tawisha, and Al Lait. There is a risk of Famine in the Central Nuba Mountains (including in Delami, Western Kadugli, Um Durein, and Al Buram localities), and in areas likely to experience high influxes of IDPs in North and South Darfur. These include Tawila, Nyala Janoub, Nyala Shimal, Beliel, Shattaya, As Sunta, Buram, and Kas in South Darfur, as well as Medani Al Kubra and Sharg Al Jazirah in Al Jazirah State, Mayo and Alingaz in Jebel – Awilia, Khartoum state and Al Firdous in East Darfur state. This latest IPC analysis shows that food insecurity is at worse levels than foreseen. Between December and May, 24.6 million people face high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above). These results mark a stark increase of 3.5 million people compared to the number originally projected and correspond to over half of the population of Sudan. This includes about 15.9 million people (33 percent) classified in IPC Phase 3 (Crisis), 8.1 million people (17 percent) in IPC Phase 4 (Emergency), and at least 638,000 people (1 percent) in IPC Phase 5 (Catastrophe). http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipcinfo-website/countries-in-focus-archive/issue-117/en/ 2 Dec. 2024 UN Resident Coordinator in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, expressed grave concern over humanitarian aid organizations reports that Zamzam camp came under intense shelling during the evening of 1 December and again on 2 December. “Civilians and civilian infrastructure are protected under international humanitarian law and should never be a target,” she underscored. The shelling killed at least five people and injured 18, prompting the evacuation of a hospital and the suspension of healthcare operations in the camp, which is located near El Fasher, capital of North Darfur state. Already grappling with a months-long siege, Zamzam camp, home to over half a million displaced people, has faced severe shortages of critical humanitarian supplies. Food security experts confirmed famine conditions in August 2024, in Zamzam. “It is now 232 days since the siege of El Fasher began, which has resulted in unacceptable levels of human suffering,” said Ms. Nkweta-Salami. The violence has further devastated civilian infrastructure, including health clinics and shelters, exacerbating an already dire situation. The UN and humanitarian agencies have strongly condemned the attacks on civilians and called for an immediate halt to violence. “Civilian protection is paramount,” said Ms. Nkweta-Salami. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has urged all armed groups to consistently grant safe passage for food aid to reach the camp. “We need all warring parties and armed groups to allow vital food and nutrition to arrive safely,” stressed Alex Marianelli, WFP’s Operations Deputy Country Director in Sudan. With over 11 million people displaced across Sudan, including 5.8 million women and children, the escalating violence has deepened the world's largest displacement crisis. Alert from MSF in Zamzam Camp, North Darfur Sudan’s largest displacement site is under attack with intense shelling by RSF since yesterday evening. The attack has created a living nightmare for the displaced people in Zamzam camp, with casualties, panic and mass displacement. On December 1st, MSF teams received 8 injured people, including women and children as young as 4 years old with severe injuries such as chest trauma and fractures. Four critically injured patients were referred to another facility this morning, just before shelling resumed to hit near the market and MSF field Hospital. The situation is beyond chaotic: patients and medical staff are leaving the camp and trying to run for their lives. MSF’s hospital is now empty, with the last three ICU patients—still dependent on oxygen— evacuated under dangerous conditions. “Not only have people been starving, but they are also now being bombarded and forced to flee again. We're concerned about their safety, including our staff, and we urgently call for the protection of patients, civilians, medical teams and health facilities, in Zamzam Camp. Safe passage must also be guaranteed for those escaping this violence,” said Michel-Olivier Lacharite MSF’s Head of Emergency Operations. http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/12/sudan-alarming-el-fasher-siege-hostilities-must-end-un-report http://www.unocha.org/publications/report/sudan/resident-and-humanitarian-coordinator-sudan-clementine-nkweta-salami-condemns-shelling-and-airstrikes-civilian-areas-parts-darfur-and-khartoum http://prezly.msf.org.uk/alert-from-msf-in-zamzam-camp-north-darfur Nov. 2024 Militia fighters who raped and attacked minority groups in Darfur threatened to force them to have “Arab babies” and used ethnic slurs during their attacks, according to a new UN report. The details of the latest UN fact-finding mission report are accompanied by claims from activists that the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary is attempting a genocide of non-Arab ethnic groups in Darfur. The report found fighters from the RSF responsible for sexual violence across Sudan, where they have been fighting the army for control since April 2023, with victims aged between eight and 75. But in Darfur, and particularly against the Masalit ethnic group, victims said there was a clearly racial motivation to the violence. The fact-finding mission quotes Masalit rape survivors who overheard the fighters stating their intent that “this year, all girls must be pregnant by the Janjaweed”. Another from El Geneina said her attacker told her: “We will make you, the Masalit girls, give birth to Arab children.” The city of El Geneina in the state of West Darfur, with its predominantly Masalit population, was the focus of heavy fighting and a long siege by the RSF fighters, who took control of the city in June 2023. The report said that RSF fighters went door-to-door in Masalit neighbourhoods seeking men to kill. Women were assaulted, raped and subjected to other forms of violence then often told to leave Sudan for neighbouring Chad. Caroline Buisman, coordinator for the Sudan fact-finding mission, said they found the RSF and allied militias had carried out war crimes against Masalit people, including sexual violence, torture, attacking civilians and forcible displacement. “We found that rape and other forms of sexual violence committed by the RSF and its allied militias formed part of large-scale attacks which targeted, in particular, the Masalit community, on the basis of their ethnicity,” said Buisman. Formalised into a paramilitary from militias known as the Janjaweed, the RSF and its leader, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, came to prominence following popular protests that ended the three-decade dictatorship of Omar al-Bashir in 2019. With a power base on the fringe of Sudanese society in Darfur, Dagalo was able to lodge himself into the centre of events in the capital Khartoum as the second-in-power in the transitional government, working alongside army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to sideline civilians until the two began tussling for control themselves last year. In the 18 months since fighting began, the RSF and Sudanese army have fought bitter battles for power across the country, displacing around 14 million people according to the UN, while at least 19,000 people have been killed. The RSF has seized almost the entirety of Darfur and embedded itself in Khartoum, forcing the government to relocate to Port Sudan. Services have crumbled, hospitals have been attacked and a lack of humanitarian access has made it difficult to deliver food and medicine to affected areas. A report in May by Human Rights Watch also found evidence of racially motivated sexual violence, including many fighters using ethnic slurs, calling the women they attacked slaves and telling them they would rape Masalit women until they had their Arab babies. It also cited an example of fighters leaving after being told a 15-year-old girl they wanted to rape was from a prominent Arab family. Activists said that the RSF and the Janjaweed militias had a long history of using sexual violence that stretched back to its numerous attacks on non-Arabs in the early 2000s, a period of violence that is under investigation for genocide at the International Criminal Court. Hala Al-Karib, regional director of women’s rights group Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa, said conditions in Darfur had deteriorated since the ending of UN peacekeeping in the region in 2020, empowering Arab militias and their leaders. “The RSF has used sexual violence as a tool for ethnic cleansing and there are definitely footprints of genocide, particularly in western Darfur. I don’t think the scale of what happened there is still fully known,” said Karib. “The RSF has in a very structural way used gang rape and other forms of sexual violence and sexual slavery as a tool for landgrabbing, forced evictions and to break communities and kill any possibility of resistance to the utmost domination the RSF is seeking on the region.” Marwa Gibril, a doctor and Darfuri activist, also said the RSF was using sexual violence across Sudan to break communities but with a particular ethnic focus in Darfur. She said the tribes that RSF recruit from believed in their superiority over other communities because of their Arab heritage. “To keep their superiority, they invade these areas and make sure that they kill the men and change the gene pool by raping women and having babies that are Arabs, not Masalit or Fur or any other black ethnicity,” said Gibril. http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2024/nov/03/we-will-make-you-have-arab-babies-fears-of-genocide-amid-and-torture-in-sudans-darfur http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/10/sudan-un-fact-finding-mission-documents-large-scale-sexual-violence-and http://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies/hrcouncil/sessions-regular/session57/A-HRC-57-CRP-6-en.pdf http://www.hrw.org/news/2024/12/15/sudan-fighters-rape-women-and-girls-hold-sex-slaves http://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/hrc/ffm-sudan/index http://www.unocha.org/news/ocha-urges-security-council-act-sudan-faces-unimaginable-suffering-amid-escalating-violence http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/ingos-working-sudan-sound-alarm-increasing-use-explosive-weapons-heavily-populated-civilian-areas http://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news-feature/2024/11/13/warring-parties-target-local-aid-volunteers-fighting-escalates-sudan-err http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/11/sudan-un-experts-condemn-campaign-violence-against-civilians-amid-rising http://www.unhcr.org/news/press-releases/un-agencies-warn-spiraling-sudan-crisis-civilians-face-grave-risks-and-famine http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/x-rays-children-show-dire-impact-sudans-war http://www.msf.org/conflict-sudan http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/newsevents/news/2024/invisible-and-severe-death-toll-sudan-conflict-revealed http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/opinion/columnists/african-union-must-ensure-sudan-civilians-are-protected-4799370 http://www.hrw.org/news/2024/10/24/un-african-union-should-take-bold-action-protect-sudanese-civilians http://www.hrw.org/news/2024/11/10/sudan-rapid-support-forces-target-civilians Visit the related web page |
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Justice is not for sale, says Special Rapporteur by UN Office for Human Rights (OHCHR) Nov. 2024 Justice is not for sale, says Special Rapporteur A UN expert warned that in a climate of increasing economic inequality, powerful economic actors in many places use their financial clout to infringe on the independence of the judiciary. “These improper pressures exerted by economic actors include attempts to intervene in processes to determine who becomes a judge and lobbying sitting judges to make them more receptive to their aims”, the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Margaret Satterthwaite, said in a report to the UN General Assembly. “Wealthy individuals and corporations also weaponise justice systems to achieve their goals, bringing strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) that masquerade as a defence of private interests, but in fact seek to suppress legitimate criticism, oversight or resistance to their activities,” she said. Satterthwaite set out an agenda for future investigation and encouraged all States to examine, analyse and close avenues for improper economic influence that have been overlooked. “Ethics and integrity systems should be strengthened, loopholes closed, and judges, prosecutors and lawyers do their part to address these harms,” she said. “If not, I fear that while some voices are privileged by justice systems, others will be shut out or silenced, with devastating impacts for human rights.” http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/10/justice-not-sale-says-special-rapporteur http://taxjustice.net/reports/submission-to-special-rapporteur-on-the-independence-of-judges-and-lawyers-on-undue-influence-of-economic-actors-on-judicial-systems/ The independence of judicial systems must be protected in the face of democratic decline and rising authoritarianism: UN expert A UN expert warned today that the role of independent justice systems in protecting participatory governance has come under attack from political actors who seek to limit or control judicial systems, including through ad hominem attacks by political leaders and the criminalisation of prosecutors, judges, and lawyers. In her second report to the Human Rights Council, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, Margaret Satterthwaite, set out a taxonomy of Government efforts to control judicial systems – from curbing bar associations and manipulating administrative functions to capturing courts and criminalising or attacking justice operators. The report also explores the vital role played by the legal professionals who comprise the justice system – judges, prosecutors, and lawyers, as well as community justice workers – in safeguarding democracy, in the 2024 context in which nearly half the world’s population will vote. “Justice systems promote and protect a fundamental value that undergirds participatory governance: the rule of law,” the Special Rapporteur said. “This principle insists that all people, even state actors, are subject to the same laws, applied fairly and consistently. “I call on Member States to do more to revitalise public trust in justice institutions and to defend justice actors and their indispensable role in safeguarding democracy,” she said. http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/06/independence-judicial-systems-must-be-protected-face-democratic-decline-and http://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/hrc/regular-sessions/session56/list-reports July 2024 Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. (UN General Assembly) In this report, the UN Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, Alice Jill Edwards, presents her annual overview of trends and developments, as well as a thematic study focused on good practices and challenges in investigating, prosecuting and preventing wartime sexual torture, and providing rehabilitation for victims and survivors. The Special Rapporteur considers that the torture framework has strong advantages when considering sexual aggression in wartime and other similar security situations, especially for survivors but also for investigators and prosecutors, and sets out a call for action. The year 2024 marks the fortieth anniversary of the adoption of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. This treaty, representing the most effective international instrument to reduce this brutal practice, is approaching universal ratification, with 174 States parties. Over the past year there has been a devastating rise in torture and other outrages on human dignity in armed conflict. The Special Rapporteur has also received communications and/or intervened on torture cases relating to conflict in, inter alia, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Guinea, India, Iraq, Kenya, Libya, Mexico, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, the Syrian Arab Republic, Uganda and Yemen. The general trend towards authoritarianism in this year of elections is worrying. Recent protests have been driven by a desire for political change, by the continuing cost of living crisis and by reaction to global events. In many instances peaceful protests have been policed with excessive force or violence. Over the past year there have been protests that resulted in violence in, inter alia, Angola, Argentina, Bangladesh, Belarus, Comoros, the Congo, Georgia, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Kosovo, Madagascar, Mexico, Mozambique, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Poland, Senegal, Serbia, Somalia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Turkiye and the United States of America. The Special Rapporteur welcomes the Model Protocol for Law Enforcement Officials to Promote and Protect Human Rights in the Context of Peaceful Protests, authored by the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association (A/HRC/55/60). States are reminded of the call by the Special Rapporteur in her previous report (A/78/324) for a global agreement to regulate the trade in torture-capable weapons, tools and equipment widely used by law enforcement and other public authorities. Renewed diplomatic vigour is needed. Torture and intimidation to quash dissent and political opposition continues. The repression of human rights defenders is a significant trend globally and the Special Rapporteur has received information on cases in, inter alia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, China, Egypt, Eritrea, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Palestine, Myanmar, the Russian Federation, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, Viet Nam and Zimbabwe. These countries represent a fraction of the States in which this type of repression takes place. As noted in the recent report by the Special Rapporteur on global prison conditions, far too many people are imprisoned, for too long, in severely overcrowded facilities in all regions. http://reliefweb.int/report/world/torture-and-other-cruel-inhuman-or-degrading-treatment-or-punishment-note-secretary-general-a79181-enarruzh July 2024 Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders In the present report, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Mary Lawlor, highlights the contributions made by human rights defenders to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. In the report, she demonstrates that, across every one of the 17 Goals, human rights defenders are placing human rights at the core of sustainable development and, in doing so, are assisting States in their responsibility to leave no one behind. The Special Rapporteur highlights that this work is being made more difficult by increasing restrictions on the right to defend rights. http://reliefweb.int/report/world/report-special-rapporteur-situation-human-rights-defenders-a79123-enarruzh June 2024 Concerted action urgently needed to save fundamental freedoms under attack: Special Rapporteur. The rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association are seriously threatened today, and urgent action is needed to push back and preserve them, a UN Special Rapporteur said. “We are witnessing widespread, systematic and intensive attack against these rights and civic space broadly, as authoritarianism, populism and anti-rights narratives are increasing,” said Gina Romero, the Special Rapporteur on the rights to peaceful assembly and association. Romero was presenting the last thematic report prepared by her predecessor, Clement Nyaletsossi Voule, at the 56th session of the Human Rights Council. The report outlines how governments have instrumentalised the adoption and/or implementation of laws, including so called “foreign agents” laws, to suppress the legitimate exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association. This has been done in combination with intense stigmatising campaigns to silence dissent, civil society, unions, and civic activism, including citizen’s organization and participation in peaceful protests. “As people around the world have been increasingly exercising these rights to protect their freedoms, to resist autocracy, repression and discrimination, to build peace and democratic and responsive governance institutions, to advocate for climate justice, and express solidarity with those suffering, we witness how governments have been finding innovative ways to silence them and crash these rights,” Romero said. The spread of armed conflicts, the severe environmental crisis, undermined electoral processes marred by populism and disinformation, and emerging and unregulated digital technologies, exacerbate the threat to the enjoyment of these rights. “This report is a wake-up call for collective action to protect democracy and our collective values, and the enjoyment of all human rights and freedoms. Enabling civic space, hearing and protecting activists is fundamental to foster civil society contributions for tackling today’s pressing issues.” Romero said. “I join the report’s call for a global renewed commitment to these rights. Through the establishment of this mandate 14 years ago, the Human Rights Council reiterated its commitment for the protection of these fundamental freedoms, and it is urgent today that the Council reinforce the mandate’s capacity to continue effectively protecting these rights, especially in the emerging crises.” http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/06/concerted-action-urgently-needed-save-fundamental-freedoms-under-attack http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/03/un-expert-launches-new-tools-law-enforcement-foster-peaceful-protest Civil society crucial to combat polarisation and inequality, says Independent Expert Civil society organisations are the engine of international solidarity and urgently need increased protection and support, a UN Special Procedures mandate holder said today. “As we confront negative global trends of polarisation, and the highest levels of inequality around the world at present, the need for civil society actions are more urgent than ever,” said Cecilia Bailliet, the Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity, in a report to the Human Rights Council. Civil society actions include intersectoral solidarity approaches combining issues such as protection of the environment, access to fair housing, and women’s rights. “These International Solidarity coalitions challenge injustice and call for transformative changes within political and economic structures, seeking to empower the agency of vulnerable individuals and groups,” Bailliet said. She criticised “the expansion of the use of censorship, disinformation, harassment, blacklisting, doxing, deportation, denial of entry or exit visas, defunding, red-tagging, criminal prosecution (including as foreign agents), denial of access to education, surveillance, asset freezing, defunding, overly broad restrictive registration and reporting of CSOs, and blocking of access to digital platforms to block the exchange of international solidarity ideas under the guise of security”. “I believe that States should choose to pursue best practices of international solidarity policies, which would include showing clemency to opposing voices within our societies. Social solidarity governmental institutions should protect, rather than disempower, civil society organisations,” Bailliet said. She called for the creation of a UN Digital International Solidarity Platform to exchange solidarity ideas and the adoption of the Revised Draft Declaration on International Solidarity. http://www.ohchr.org/en/node/109103 Academic freedom just as crucial as a free press or independent judiciary, says Special Rapporteur In every region of the world, people exercising their academic freedom face repression, whether through direct and violent or more subtle methods, an independent expert warned today. In her report to the Human Rights Council, the Special Rapporteur on the right to education, Farida Shaheed, said restrictions aimed to control public opinion undermine free thinking and limit academic and scientific debate. “We must take this seriously as these attacks threaten both our democracies and our capacities to collectively respond to crises humanity currently faces,” Shaheed said. “Academic freedom must be understood and respected for its role for our societies, which is as crucial as a free press or an independent judiciary.” The Special Rapporteur said academic freedom carries special duties to seek truth and impart information according to ethical and professional standards, and to respond to contemporary problems and needs of all members of society. “Therefore, we must not politicise its exercise,” she said. “A multitude of actors are involved in the restrictions, from Governments to religious or political groups or figures, paramilitary and armed groups, terrorist groups, narco-traffickers, corporate entities, philanthropists, influencers, but also sometimes the educational institutions themselves as well as school boards, staff and students, and parents’ associations.” Shaheed said that institutional autonomy is crucial for ensuring academic freedom; however, academic, research and teaching institutions also must respect it. “Institutions must respect the freedom of expression on campus according to international standards and carry a specific responsibility to promote debate around controversies that may arise on campus following academic standards.” Referring to student protests on the Gaza crisis that occurred in a number of countries, Shaheed said she remained deeply troubled by the violent crackdown on peaceful demonstrators, arrests, detentions, police violence, surveillance and disciplinary measures and sanctions against members of the educational community exercising their right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression. Shaheed called for endorsement and implementation of Principles for Implementing the Right to Academic Freedom, drafted by a working group of United Nations experts, scholars, and civil society actors, based on and reflecting the status of international law and practice. “I believe implementing these Principles would allow a better state of academic freedom worldwide,” she said. http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/06/academic-freedom-just-crucial-free-press-or-independent-judiciary-says Visit the related web page |
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