Human Rights

DR Congo: Police Operation Kills 51 Young Men and Boys

Suspend Commander of Anti-Crime Campaign Pending Investigation

Police in the Democratic Republic of Congo summarily killed at least 51 youth and forcibly disappeared 33 others during an anti-crime campaign that began a year ago, Human Rights Watch said in a report released. “Operation Likofi,” which lasted from November 2013 to February 2014, targeted alleged gang members in Congo’s capital, Kinshasa.

Number of Eritrean asylum-seekers in Europe soars from past year – UN

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Two young Eritreans wait to board a commercial ferry at Samos Island, Greece. Growing numbers of Eritreans are seeking asylum in Europe.

We Pray for Justice in Ferguson

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Cyprus ratifies Lanzarote Convention

The ratification of the Lanzarote Convention by the Republic of Cyprus is a continuation of our country’s commitment, at national and international level, for the defense of children's rights,” said PACE General Rapporteur on Children, Stella Kyriakides (Cyprus, EPP/CD), who welcomed yesterday’s unanimous vote by the Cypriot House of Representatives.

US: Torture Treaty Shift Significant but Inadequate

Treaty Prohibitions Apply Wherever State Has ‘Effective Control’

A US statement on compliance with the Convention against Torture on November 12, 2014, improves on previous US positions on the treaty’s application but falls short of international obligations, Human Rights Watch said today. The US is appearing for its regular review before the United Nations Committee Against Torture on November 12-13 in Geneva.

As cold weather approaches, UN agencies cross frontlines of Syrian conflict with critical aid

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A Syrian refugee boy stands in the snow in the Faida informal tented settlement in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, in December 2013.

Botswana: High Court Upholds Basic Freedoms

LGBT Group Allowed to Register

The Botswana High Court, in a groundbreaking decision, ruled on November 14, 2014, that members of a lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights group could formally register their organization, Human Rights Watch said.

UN: ‘Killer Robot’ Talks Go Forward, Slowly

Convention on Conventional Weapons to Meet in April 2015

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The Convention on Conventional Weapons expert meeting on lethal autonomous weapons at the United Nations in Geneva, May 14, 2014.

US: Torture Treaty Shift Significant but Inadequate

Treaty Prohibitions Apply Wherever State Has ‘Effective Control’

A US statement on compliance with the Convention against Torture on November 12, 2014, improves on previous US positions on the treaty’s application but falls short of international obligations, Human Rights Watch said. The US is appearing for its regular review before the United Nations Committee Against Torture on November 12-13 in Geneva.

In Myanmar, Ban urges greater capacity in Southeast Asia to promote human rights, justice

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Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and his wife Yoo Soon-taek arrive for the opening of the 6th Annual ASEAN-UN Summit in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar.