Third Committee

Targeted killings, such as that of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, are emblematic of a global pattern of killings of reporters and activists, and the most important action to take in these cases of “terminal silencing” is to speak up, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions Agnes Callamard told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, as delegates engaged with mandate holders on the promotion and protection of human rights.

Special Rapporteurs presenting country‑specific reports warned of Governments wilfully flouting international norms on such issues as the detention of children and the holding of credible elections, as the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) continued its interactive dialogues on human rights today.

A significant increase in statelessness, extreme human-rights violations against people with albinism and the pressing situation of Rohingya refugees were among the concerns addressed in briefings to the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, as delegates discussed the human rights of minorities, among other topics.

States must do more to safeguard the rights of those facing intersecting forms of discrimination, experts told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, as delegates discussed the human rights of persons with disabilities, as well as freedoms of opinion and expression.

Experts described a landscape where Governments evict indigenous peoples from their homes and use technology to deny people living in poverty access to basic services, as the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) continued its debate on the promotion and protection of human rights today.

An increase in enforced disappearances, anti-Semitic incidents, and deaths of migrants and refugees in the Mediterranean were among the concerns addressed in briefings to the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, as delegates engaged with human rights experts in interactive dialogues.

Ensuring the protection of human rights in counter‑terrorism instruments, tackling contemporary threats to judicial independence, and the role of multinational forums in fostering a more equitable world order were among the topics addressed in briefings to the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, as delegates engaged with experts in lively interactive dialogues.

Freedom of peaceful assembly, global refugee protections, women’s civil liberties and the well-being of human-rights defenders are values under siege, United Nations experts told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, as delegates continued their debate on the promotion and protection of human rights.

The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) opened its debate on human rights today, holding a series of dialogues with United Nations experts — on topics ranging from the rights of migrants and safety of journalists, to the prevention of torture — and assessing the work of treaty bodies tasked with monitoring State behaviour.

Safeguarding land rights and providing effective access to justice are vital for the realization of indigenous peoples’ fundamental collective rights, delegates told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today in a half‑day discussion on the issue.