Amnesty International Calls for Stronger UN Leadership on Human Rights and International Law
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (HRNW) — Amnesty International is using the 81st United Nations General Assembly to call for stronger international leadership on human rights, accountability and international law. Amnesty Secretary General Agnès Callamard is in New York from September 22 to 26 for meetings with senior UN officials and discussions surrounding the future direction…
Amnesty International Urges Global Action Against Crackdown on LGBTI Groups in Türkiye
ANKARA, TÜRKİYE (HRNW) — Amnesty International is calling for an immediate end to a nationwide crackdown targeting LGBTI organizations, activists and human-rights defenders in Türkiye. In a September 22 statement, Amnesty said police had arrested at least 116 people across 15 provinces following raids on homes, venues and offices connected with LGBTI organizations. The organization…
Niger Authorities Strip Five More Exiled Critics of Nationality, Human Rights Watch Says
NIAMEY, NIGER (HRNW) — Human Rights Watch says Niger’s military authorities have provisionally stripped five more exiled opposition figures of their nationality, raising renewed concerns over due process and the risk of statelessness. According to Human Rights Watch, Niger’s junta signed a decree on September 17 removing the nationality of five prominent Nigeriens living outside…
Human Rights Watch Documents Torture and Medical Neglect of Women Political Prisoners in Myanmar
YANGON, MYANMAR (HRNW) — Human Rights Watch has documented allegations of torture, sexual violence and severe medical neglect affecting women held as political prisoners in Myanmar. In a report published September 22, Human Rights Watch said former women prisoners and their families described beatings, rape, degrading prison conditions and denial of essential healthcare. The organization…
Human Rights Watch Warns New Bangladesh Laws Could Weaken Human Rights Protections
DHAKA, BANGLADESH (HRNW) — Human Rights Watch has raised concerns over three laws approved by Bangladesh’s parliament in September, saying they could weaken existing human-rights safeguards and expand powers that may affect accountability and civic freedoms. The organization said the new legislation concerns the Bangladesh Human Rights Commission, the Rapid Action Battalion and a proposed…
Viet Nam and UN Agencies Launch New Five-Year Development Programmes
Viet Nam and United Nations agencies have formally launched a new phase of cooperation covering 2027–2031, with programmes focused on climate action, digital transformation, human development, governance, reproductive health and child protection. The United Nations Development Programme, UN Population Fund and UNICEF handed over their new Country Programme Documents during the UN General Assembly High-Level…
Drone Strikes Destroy More Than 330,000 Learning Materials in Sudan, UNICEF Says
More than 330,000 school textbooks and other learning materials have been destroyed in drone strikes in Sudan’s North Kordofan State, according to UNICEF. UNICEF said strikes on two warehouses in Shikan locality on September 20 destroyed more than 292,000 school textbooks, around 40,000 Arabic-language and mathematics review books, and additional education materials. The supplies had…
WHO Expands Recommended Contraceptive Options in New Global Guidance
The World Health Organization on Wednesday announced updated guidance aimed at expanding access to safe and effective contraceptive options, giving people a wider range of methods from emergency contraception to longer-acting implants and emerging options. WHO said the recommendations are designed to support informed choice and expand how and where existing contraceptive methods can be…
UN Climate Summit Opens at General Assembly as Leaders Face Pressure to Accelerate Energy Transition
World leaders and senior officials are gathering at United Nations Headquarters on Wednesday for a high-level event on climate action and the just transition, as the 81st UN General Assembly continues its high-level week. The UN says the event will bring together major economies, developing countries, vulnerable nations and leading energy producers and consumers to…
UN Process Advances Toward Possible Treaty Guaranteeing Free Education for Children
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (HRNW) — Human Rights Watch has reported progress in a United Nations process considering a new legally binding treaty to strengthen children’s right to free education from early childhood through secondary school. The proposed Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child would explicitly recognize early childhood care and education…