The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights is extremely concerned about recent serious allegations of violence, sexual assault and degrading treatment of detainees in Nauru and calls for the allegations to be properly investigated and the responsible parties held to account.
In progress at UNHQ
Noon Briefings
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Iraq signed an agreement in Baghdad today to help the Government to detect, investigate and prosecute corruption. The agency said that with Da’esh nearly defeated, strengthening governance is a top priority.
The Secretary-General welcomes the 8 August signing of the Roadmap Agreement for Ending the Conflicts in Sudan by the Sudanese opposition groups. He is encouraged by this valuable step towards ending the war and resolving the crises in the country.
Today is the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. On this occasion, the Secretary-General said that indigenous peoples face a wide range of challenges including systematic discrimination, denial of their land and territorial rights and inadequate access to essential services.
The Secretary-General condemns the terrorist bombing today at the Civil Hospital in Quetta, Pakistan. The targeting of mourners at a civilian hospital makes the attack particularly appalling. He urges the Government to do its utmost to ensure safety of the population and bring to justice the perpetrators of the attack.
The UN refugee agency reported today that aid convoys have reached conflict-affected populations in the non-government controlled area of Luhansk in eastern Ukraine – the first delivery in five months for thousands of people who had their homes damaged or destroyed during the conflict.
A report published today by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights states the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) killed large numbers of civilians, raped women and destroyed property during fighting in the country in July, and appears to have specifically targeted people of Nuer origin.
The High Commissioner for Human Rights called on all parties to the conflict in eastern Ukraine to prioritize the protection of civilians and to take urgent steps to de-escalate the increasingly tense situation. He urged all sides to respect the ceasefire provisions, to remove combatants and weapons from civilian areas.
The Secretary-General today addressed the Security Council on children and armed conflict, telling Council members that in places such as Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen, children suffer through a living hell, and in many cases, it is getting even worse. He said that even wars have rules.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights today said that he was concerned that innocent people have been — and may continue to be — executed in Iraq in reaction to the 3 July bombing in Baghdad. He said it is “all too easy to permit such atrocities to stoke the fires of vengeance. But, vengeance is not justice."