Human rights

As the new school year starts today in Afghanistan, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reports that an additional 400,000 girls there are being deprived of their right to education, bringing the total number of girls without access to this essential right to 2.2 million.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warns that a surge in violence in Ituri province is harming civilians and hindering relief efforts.

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, observed on 25 March:

A new sculpture exhibition featuring artists from across the African diaspora is now open at United Nations Headquarters in New York and will run until 25 April, honouring the resistance of enslaved Africans and the powerful voices of their descendants, whose leadership and cultural innovations enrich our societies today.

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to a Ramadan solidarity event with Rohingya refugees, in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh:

The United Nations welcomes the agreement signed by the leaderships of the caretaker authorities in Syria and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on 10 March. Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen hopes that the agreement can feed into a broader, credible and inclusive political transition process.

High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, visited Bangladesh and called for sustained support and solutions for the Rohingya refugees. He went to Cox’s Bazar and met with refugees and the host community, urging the international community to provide sustained financial support for them.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) today released a report urging the Government of Colombia to protect civilians during ongoing violence by armed groups. The report details how armed groups use violence to exert control over the population, furthering their own economic interests and undermining governance.

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to Human Rights Council, in Geneva today:

The Advisory Committee established by the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) concluded its second three-day meeting in Tripoli on 20 February. The Committee held discussions on the current electoral framework, focusing on the contentious aspects that have impeded the holding of national elections in Libya.