UN experts urge The Gambia to address past rights violations to avoid recurrence

BANJUL / GENEVA (19 June 2017) – The Gambia is witnessing encouraging signs in moves to shed light on past human rights violations, including enforced disappearances, but must involve families fully in the process, a delegation of the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances said today.

“We welcome the commitments made by the Government of The Gambia to embark on comprehensive reforms, including measures to ensure truth, justice and reparation for victims, as well as prevent any recurrence of disappearances in the future,” said the Group’s Chair Houria Es-Slami and fellow delegation member Henrikas Mickevicius at the end of an official visit* to the country.

Saving migrant lives is imperative but what next? – UN human rights expert ask EU leaders

UN independent human rights experts on migrants, Francois Crépeau, and on trafficking in persons, Maria Grazia Giammarinaro, react to the announcement made at the end of the emergency European Union summit on migrants yesterday. GENEVA (24 April 2015) – “The decision made yesterday by EU leaders overwhelmingly continues to focus on the securitization of borders. Increasing repression of survival migration has not worked in the past and will not work now. Destroying boats is only a very short-sighted solution to combating smuggling. Smugglers continue to skillfully adapt, as long as there is a market to exploit.

Pillay urges states to inject human rights into Rio+20

NEWS RELEASE:GENEVA (18 April 2012) – As negotiations on the Rio+20 Conferen ce outcome enter a critical phase, UN Human Rights chief Navi Pillay has urged all United Nations Member States to ensure that human rights are thoroughly integrated in the discussions and in any final outcome. 

Twenty years after the adoption of the landmark Rio Declaration, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development is due to convene in June this year. Regrettably, said Pillay in a letter sent to all UN Member States, the draft outcome document of the Rio+20 Conference fails to take sufficient account of human rights imperatives.