GENEVA (16 June 2023) – The world must do more to combat desertification and land degradation, which have enormous human rights consequences, the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment...

The High Commissioner is appalled by the killing of the Governor of West Darfur, Khamis Abdullah Abbakar, on 14 June, just hours after he was arrested by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in El-Geneina...

The appalling loss of life in the Mediterranean Sea was an horrific tragedy, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said on Friday. The High Commissioner expressed his condolences to those...

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk today urged the Cambodian Government to act swiftly to enable and protect a conducive environment for a free and fair general election next month, saying he was...

GENEVA (16 June 2023)– The UN Independent Expert on foreign debt, other financial obligations and human rights, Attiya Waris, will visit Liechtenstein from 19 to 26 June 2023. During her visit, Waris...

Greetings to all of you I'm very happy to have this opportunity to speak with so many young people. Your insights into our environmental crises, into the impact of the pandemic, and into the digital...

GENEVA (15 June 2023) – UN experts* today expressed concern at the reported excessive use of force during protests in France earlier this year over pension reform and mega-basin projects. “The lack of...

GENEVA (15 June 2023) – The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Alice Jill Edwards today expressed alarm at reports and testimonies which appear to indicate that Russian military forces in Ukraine are...

In the present report, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan and the Working Group on discrimination against women and girls describe the widespread and systematic discrimination to which women and girls in Afghanistan are subjected, particularly since the fall of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan on 15 August 2021. They also highlight the resilience and strength of Afghan women in the face of such repressive conditions.

This toolkit presents the benefits of ratifying the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Unhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT), answers questions on its content and application, and provides a simplified version of the provisions of the Optional Protocol.