Governments must seriously address issues concerning land, natural resources and extractive industries in territories populated by indigenous peoples worldwide to ensure those peoples’ rights and privileges were not trampled upon, said Paul Kanyinke Sena, Chair of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, at a Headquarters press conference this afternoon.

Governments should endeavour to update the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, adopted more than five decades ago, the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment told reporters at a Headquarters press conference today.

The treaty establishing the world’s first nuclear-weapon-free zone won the 2013 Future Policy Award for sustainable disarmament, beating 24 other nominated policies, Jakob von Uexkull, Chair of the World Future Council, announced at Headquarters today.

The critical need to enhance Africa’s cross-border trade and sustainable development while building a mutually beneficial infrastructure informed the decision to promote the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa, the Chief Executive Officer of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development told reporters at a Headquarters press conference today.

The current human rights picture in Eritrea was “bleak”, with thousands taking grave risks to flee intolerable situations at home, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in that country told reporters at Headquarters today.

Despite positive signals by its new President for tangible and sustainable reforms, there must be concrete and demonstrable changes in Iran’s human rights situation, the Special Rapporteur on the issue, said at a Headquarters press conference today.

Enforced disappearance was a global crime, with numerous past cases still unsolved and new cases emerging all over the world, senior United Nations human rights experts said at a Headquarters press conference today.

Food security was a duty that Governments not only owed their populations, but for which they needed be held accountable, said the Special Rapporteur on the right to food today at a Headquarters press conference.

The foremost United Nations expert on the human rights of migrants called today for improvements to global migration governance, citing the need for an institutional framework within the United Nations system to drive policy.

Expressing concern at the growing number of civilian casualties inflicted by drone strikes, two United Nations special rapporteurs said today that greater adherence to existing international legal frameworks could ensure greater transparency and accountability in an effort to alleviate the situation.