TheNewsGuru

Tag: Human Rights

  • Israel accuses UN rights forum of bias over Palestinians

    Israel on Tuesday accused the UN of continuous discrimination against it over its treatment of Palestinians and called for reforms of its human rights body.

    The Human Rights Council’s regular examination of Israel’s record, the first since 2013, comes after U.S. President Donald Trump recognised Jerusalem on Dec. 6 as the capital of Israel, angering Palestinians, Middle East leaders and world powers.

    Aviva Shechter, Israel’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva, told the Human Rights Council that her country had always stood up for human rights and democratic values.

    “It has done so while facing serious threats to its security, and while needing to integrate diverse communities and religious groups,” Shechter told the Geneva forum.

    The Council has taken a strong position against Israel’s occupation of territory seized in the 1967 Middle East war, its treatment of Palestinians there, and its building of Jewish settlements.

    Israel withdrew soldiers and settlers from Gaza in 2005.

    Most countries consider the settlements, in areas of the West Bank and Jerusalem the Palestinians see as part of an eventual independent state, illegal, but Israel disputes this and continues their expansion.

    An “unparalleled number of one-sided biased and political resolutions adopted regularly by the automatic majority of its members testify not only to the unfair treatment of the State of Israel, but also to the deficiencies of the Council itself and its agenda,” Schechter said.

    “…this theatre of the absurd cannot go on forever.”

    Washington says the Council is stacked with opponents of Israel and U.S. ambassador Niki Haley told the Council in June 2017 that it was reviewing its participation given what it sees as its “chronic anti-Israel bias”.

    She said Israel considered its relations with the Palestinians to be “of the highest priority” and it would continue to seek a lasting solution that would enable the two peoples to live side by side in peace and security.

    Jordan’s diplomat Akram Harahsheh, speaking first in the three-hour debate, condemned what he said were “attempts to prejudge the identity of occupied Jerusalem” and called on Israel to withdraw from all territories occupied since 1967.

     

  • Senate passes Witness Protection Bill

    The Senate on Thursday passed the Witness Protection Bill to enable persons receive protection in relation to information and evidence rendered to law enforcement agencies during investigation.

    The bill, sponsored by late Sen. Isiaka Adeleke (APC-Osun), was passed after consideration of report on it by the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters at plenary.

    ImageFile: Ike Ekweremadu
    Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu led the Senate in the proceedings

    Presenting the report, Chairman of the committee, Sen. David Umaru, said that the practice that informed the bill was universally accepted.

    According to him, it is for the protection of witnesses willing to provide information and evidence for the purpose of enhancing a justice system and whose lives may be threatened as a result of it.

    “The legislation will give impetus and credence to the current anti-corruption drive of this administration. It will also restore confidence in our justice system,” he said.

    During the clause-by-clause consideration of the Bill, Sen. Kabiru Marafa (APC-Zamfara) said “I don’t think N100, 000 is equivalent to five years imprisonment as penalty for offenders.

    “We need to increase the fine, because any person that is given such an option of fine will quickly pay the money. It should be increased to N1, 000,000.’’

    Permitted to respond to Marafa’s suggestion, Umaru said “whatever we think is most appropriate should be done”.

    In his remarks, Deputy President of the Senate, Mr Ike Ekweremadu, who presided at the session said “we are committed to the enhancement of our judicial process.

    “Those in the judiciary will have it easy in securing witnesses who are now sure of protection.

    “We believe that this Bill will go a long way in enhancing the issue of delivery of justice and ensuring that the judicial system is not encumbered in any way, especially in procurement of witnesses.

    “We thank the sponsor of this Bill and the committee for finding it necessary to conclude the process in the honour of late Sen. Adeleke.

    “We believe this will be a permanent testament to his presence in this Senate. It is welcome development,” he said.

     

  • UN apologises to Nigeria over ‘inciting comments’ on human rights issues

    UN apologises to Nigeria over ‘inciting comments’ on human rights issues

    United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Al-Hussein has apologised to the Federal Government for describing Nigeria as being an “uncooperative” member and blocking multiple UN expert visits to human rights hot spots.

    Al-Hussein’s made the apology in a letter to Amb. Audu Kadiri, Nigeria’s Ambassador/Permanent Representative to the UN Office and Other International Organisations (UNOG), in Geneva.

    “In my oral update to the 35th Session of the UN Human Rights Council on June 6, I had stated in error that Nigeria had only accepted one visit of special procedures in 2016 and the last previous visit was in 2017.

    “Nigeria has received several special procedure mandate holders in past years.

    “I deeply regret this unfortunate mistake and I trust that you will accept and convey to your government my sincere apology,” the letter read in part.

    Responding, Amb. Kadiri acknowledged receiving the letter with Reference number HC/17/36REV. 1.

    “I acknowledge receipt of the letter conveying your apology,” Kadiri said.

    NAN reports that earlier, the Federal Government had expressed “deep displeasure” over remarks by Al-Hussein.

    Foreign Affairs Ministry, Permanent Secretary, Sola Enikanolaiye, registered Nigeria’s displeasure at the 35th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

    In a statement, Enikanolaiye said: “Nigeria has always cooperated with international experts and committed to discharging its human rights obligations.

    “This amounts to gross misrepresentation capable of eroding the confidence and credibility of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in the eyes of Nigerians,” he said

    Enikanolaye, who led Nigerian delegation to the conference, said that the attention of the UN would be drawn to the impeccable record of Nigeria in the sphere of human rights protection and scrutiny by the UN.

    “The delegation will state at the allotted time that Nigeria has continued to cooperate fully and unconditionally with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the various human rights mechanisms.

    “In January 2016, Nigeria received four Human Rights Mandate holders, namely the Special Rapporteur on sales of children, child prostitution, and pornography.

    “Nigeria also received Maud de Boer-Buquicchio; Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery, Ms. Urmilla Boola, and the Special Rapporteur on Right to Mental and Physical Health, Mr. Dainus Puras.

    “Nigeria similarly received the Special Rapporteur on Internally Displaced Persons, Prof. Chaloka Beyani, from Aug. 23 to Aug. 26, 2016,” he said.

    He said that Nigeria had a known disposition to cooperating with such bodies.

    According to him, the delegation has expressed the country’s preparedness to receive the Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, especially women and children, in November this year.

    He said that the delegation was however vindicated by the acknowledgment of this misrepresentation by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, as conveyed in the Revised Version of his report.

    “Nigeria is ever ready and committed to scaling up its human rights obligations by applying globally acknowledged best practices,” he said.

    NAN reports that Al-Hueesin called out members such as Venezuela, Egypt, Nigeria and the Philippines for blocking multiple UN expert visits to these human rights hot spots.

    “Most astonishingly, in spite of having been elected to this council in 2015, Burundi continues to commit some of the most serious human rights violations dealt with by this council,” he said.

     

    (NAN)

  • Microsoft announces $5 million donation to United Nations Human Rights Fund

    Microsoft announces $5 million donation to United Nations Human Rights Fund

    Microsoft announced Tuesday that it intends to contribute $5 million over five years to the United Nations human Rights office, assistance the Geneva-based agency called a “landmark partnership” that could prod other big private-sector donors to follow suit.

    The Redmond, Washington-based company plans to develop and use technology to help the UN rights office “predict, analyze and respond to critical human rights situations” at a time of arbitrary killings, rapes, detentions without trial and other abuses around the world.

    “As a global company that sees the problems of the world, we believe that we have a responsibility to help solve them,” Microsoft President Brad Smith said.

    The partnership, which launched last year, UN human rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said reflects a commitment to using technology to promote human rights and recognition of the role the private sector can play in advancing that cause.

    An example of the technology being developed is an information dashboard, Rights View, to aggregate data on human rights violations by country and type in real time.

    Microsoft also pledged to support the UN’s human rights advocacy and outreach campaigns, including the development of corporate principles for tackling LGBT discrimination in the workplace.

    The announcement comes amid uncertainty about the rights office’s main funding source: countries and governments.

    The United States, traditionally a major donor, is considering cuts to its funding for UN institutions as part of Trump administration plans to trim the US State Department budget.

  • British govt alarmed by Russia’s ban on Jehovah Witnesses, appeals ruling

    The British government says it is “alarmed” by Russia’s ban on Jehovah Witnesses and has launched an appeal for Vladimir Putin to uphold religious freedom.

    TheNewsGuru reported the Supreme Court in Russia banned activities of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the country after describing the group as an extremist organization.

    The Supreme Court was deciding on a claim lodged by the Russian Ministry of Justice to liquidate the group’s administrative centre near St Petersburg and 395 local organizations. Its decision will come into effect within 30 days unless an appeal is lodged, when it will be delayed until the resolution of the case.

    Baroness Anelay said the ruling by the Russian Supreme Court “effectively criminalises the peaceful worship of 175,000 Russian citizens” and contravenes rights enshrined in the country’s own constitution.

    “I am alarmed by the decision of Russia’s Supreme Court to recognize the Jehovah’s Witnesses as ‘extremists’,” the Foreign Office minister said, adding that “The UK calls on the Russian government to uphold its international commitment to freedom of religion”.

    The Jehovah’s Witnesses plan to appeal Thursday’s ruling, which came after six days of hearings attended by hundreds of supporters.

    “We are greatly disappointed by this development and deeply concerned about how this will affect our religious activity,” said spokesman Yaroslav Sivulskiy.

    “We hope that our legal rights and protections as a peaceful religious group will be fully restored as soon as possible,” he added.

    The case could be taken to the European Court of Human Rights, which ruled a previous attempted ban on Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia unlawful in 2010.

     

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