The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) continued its debate on human rights today, holding a series of dialogues with United Nations experts who called for a definitive break with exploitative systems that have left the world’s poorest without safe drinking water and healthy food, and struggling to avoid hazardous waste discharged by companies unconcerned by the planetary impact of their operations.
Scholars and human rights defenders warn that technology advances in neuroscience and cognitive psychology may enable access to the very content of human thought, affecting how people think, feel and behave, experts told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, as delegates discussed freedom of thought and religion, and the right to privacy.
Impediments to freedom of expression for women, discrimination against migrants during the COVID-19 pandemic and an uptick in enforced disappearances were among the concerns addressed by human rights experts in the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, as delegates raised questions about how better to protect vulnerable communities during interactive dialogues.
Labour leaders, lawyers, journalists and citizens peacefully advocating for democratic reform are often jailed in reprisal for their engagement with United Nations mechanisms, the Independent Expert charged with investigating their plight told the Third Committee today as delegates took part in a series of virtual dialogues on broad human rights questions.
Femicide, enforced disappearances and discrimination against vulnerable groups continue to flourish as the world grapples with the joint crises of COVID‑19 and climate change, the United Nations human rights chief told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, as delegates raised questions about protections for children, older adults and those living in poverty in a series of interactive dialogues.
There is a persistent accountability gap for torture and ill treatment worldwide, caused in part by the systemic denial, deliberate obstruction and purposeful evasion of responsibility by public authorities, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the topic told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, as delegates began their consideration of broad human rights questions.
Indigenous peoples living in urban areas are liable to face racial discrimination, poverty and stigmatization, the United Nations expert responsible for assessing their well-being told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, as delegates held a discussion on the issue.
More than 8,400 children were killed or maimed in 2020, with Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen and Somalia featured as the deadliest conflict zones for children, United Nations experts told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, as delegates pointed to war, disregard for international humanitarian law and the COVID-19 pandemic as persistent obstructions to the rights of minors.
Special Procedure Mandate Holders underscored the importance of digital inclusion today, as delegates in the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) tackled the many ways the COVID-19 pandemic has heightened social inequities among persons with disabilities and older adults.
Gender‑based violence and discrimination against women continue unabated, even as the pandemic continues to exact a greater toll on them than their male counterparts, the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) heard today, as it commenced its debate on the advancement of women.
