Yesterday’s attack on the Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza, which resulted in hundreds of civilian deaths, is a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law, delegates told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, as they also engaged in a series of interactive dialogues on the right to education, cultural rights and the impact of climate change on persons with albinism.
Delegates called on each other to address recent and long-standing conflicts, condemning human rights abuses and violations, including civilian population transfer, ethnic cleansing, and incitement to hatred, as the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) continued its discussion of the promotion and protection of human rights today.
Enforced disappearances are becoming frequent and sophisticated amid a lack of coordinated investigation in parts of the world, United Nations experts told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, as delegates also discussed steps to safeguard the rights of an increasing number of migrants, on the move globally, as conflicts and climate change add to longstanding economic drivers of migration.
The conclusion of a legally binding instrument on the right to development is a huge step towards its eventual realization, a United Nations expert told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, as delegates also discussed the widening development gap between the Global South and the Global North, the use of technology in facilitating and preventing contemporary forms of slavery and the right to privacy.
Delegates expressed outrage over and also denied allegations of torture worldwide as well as concern that gendered disinformation imperils public life for women, gender non-conforming persons and human rights defenders, as UN officials and special mandate holders briefed the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, continuing its work on human rights.
Amid a growing number of humanitarian crises worldwide, the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) highlighted dangers faced by human rights defenders and the need for sufficient staff and funding in coping with victims, as it continued its discussion on the promotion of human rights today. Amid a growing number of humanitarian crises worldwide, in his keynote address, General Assembly President Dennis Francis highlighted deteriorating respect for human rights in many parts of the world. He emphasized the dangers faced by human rights defenders and said that discrimination based on sex has doubled globally. Switching to humanitarian action, he said 2023 has been marked by a “stream of humanitarian crises”, the latest being the recent earthquake in Afghanistan and the deteriorating situation in the Middle East.
One quarter of humanity lives in places affected by conflict, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Sudan, Ukraine, and, now again, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, a United Nations human rights official told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, highlighting that the number of civilians killed in war operations worldwide rose by 50 per cent in 2022.
Obstacles remain to realizing the full rights of Indigenous Peoples, but initiatives meant to empower them offer opportunities for social and economic growth as well as healing from past wounds, the Third Committee (Social Humanitarian, Cultural) heard today as it took up the rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Cyberbullying and sexual exploitation and abuse are among rising online threats to children, who are also killed in conflicts and forcibly recruited as combatants, the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) heard today, as delegates continued their general discussion on promotion and protection of children’s rights.
Children on and offline worldwide are increasingly vulnerable to grave human rights abuses due to global conflicts and the climate crisis, the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) heard today, as it commenced its discussion on the rights of children.
