Senegal: Political Unrest and Crackdown on Dissent Senegal, a country known for its democratic and peaceful environment, is currently facing political unrest and a crackdown on opposition and dissent. The protests erupted on May 31, 2023, after the criminal court sentenced notable opposition leader Ousmane Sonko to two years in […]
Category: United Nations
Costa Rica’s Urgent Need to Ban Invasive Spyware
The Urgency of a Global Ban on Highly Invasive Spyware The world is at a crossroads as the spyware crisis continues to pose a fundamental threat to the privacy and security of individuals, especially human rights defenders, journalists, and civil society. Ahead of the RightsCon summit on human rights in […]
Vietnam’s Bold Move to Release Anti-Corruption Campaigner from Jail
Human Rights Watch Urges Vietnam to Drop Charges Against Anti-Corruption Campaigner On June 6th, 2023, a court in Vietnam is set to hear the case against Dang Dang Phuoc, an anti-corruption campaigner who was arrested and charged under article 117 of the penal code. Human Rights Watch has called for […]
Egypt’s Arbitrary Travel Ban on Researcher Ahmed Samir Santawy Must Be Revoked
Egypt imposes arbitrary travel ban on researcher Ahmed Samir Santawy The Egyptian authorities have imposed a travel ban on Ahmed Samir Santawy, a former prisoner of conscience and researcher who is currently pursuing a master’s degree at a university in Vienna. Santawy was prevented from leaving Cairo International Airport this […]
Angola’s Government Must Address the Root Causes of Street Traders’ Grievances
Angolan Police Violently Disperse Street Traders’ Protest, Sparking Outcry On June 2, 2023, reports of excessive and unnecessary force used by Angolan police to disband a peaceful protest by women street traders, known locally as “zungueiras,” in the capital, Luanda, sparked international outcry. The vendors were protesting the city’s decision […]
The Urgent Need for a Global Plastics Treaty to Limit Production and End Pollution
Greenpeace: Global Plastics Treaty Must Reduce Plastic Production to Succeed The second Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee meeting of the Global Plastics Treaty (INC2) took place in Paris, France, from May 29 to June 2, 2023. Greenpeace USA’s Global Plastics Campaign Lead, Graham Forbes, said that oil producing countries and the fossil […]
The Resilience of Young Professionalism in South Africa: A Story of “Common Power”
Common Power Uplifts Community Energy Initiatives to Tackle the Energy Crisis in South Africa South Africa has been experiencing an energy crisis since 2007, with the country enduring multiple waves of load shedding. Load shedding occurs when an energy utility company has to artificially reduce energy demand because the demand […]
South Korea Takes a Step Forward in Marriage Equality.
South Korea Considers Marriage Equality for Same-Sex Couples Lawmakers in South Korea have introduced legislation that would extend the right to marry to same-sex couples. If passed, this important legislation would finally enshrine the rights of same-sex couples in the country and amend the gendered definition of marriage in the […]
The Urgency of UN Security Council Action in Sudan
Sudan Crisis: UN Security Council Must Take Concrete Action The United Nations Security Council has been called upon to take stronger steps to address the deteriorating human rights and humanitarian situation in Sudan. Human Rights Watch has urged all council members, including the three African members, to support stronger human […]
Win for Press Freedom as Australian Court Supports Reporting Military Atrocities in Afghanistan
Australia Court Backs Media Reporting on Soldier Killings in Afghanistan Background In a major victory for press freedom and public interest journalism, an Australian court has ruled in favor of three newspapers in a defamation suit brought by former Australian Special Forces soldier Ben Roberts-Smith. The case revolved around the […]