Türk blasts ‘politics of repression and division’, stresses freedom and development link

To advance development, States must reject authoritarianism and protect civic space and fundamental rights, UN rights chief Volker Türk told the Human Rights Council on Monday. 

https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/09/1140557

Philippine President Duterte curses Obama over human rights

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has called Barack Obama a "son of a whore", warning the US leader not to raise human rights concerns with him.

Mr Duterte, who took office in June, has sanctioned the killing of drug dealers to try to wipe out the illegal drugs trade in the Philippines.

But Mr Duterte said he is not concerned about the opinions of those observing his actions, adding that he would not take orders from the US, a former colonial ruler of the Philippines.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-37274594

On International Day, Ban pays tribute to all those seeking truth and justice

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today paid tribute to all the brave individuals worldwide who have devoted their lives to protecting human rights and to promoting access to truth and justice.

The General Assembly in December 2010 proclaimed 24 March as the International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims to honour the memory of victims of gross and systematic human rights violations and promote the importance of the right to truth and justice. 

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=41630&Cr=human%20rights&Cr1=truth

UN expert presents global standards for human rights in business world A Uni...

UN expert presents global standards for human rights in business world

A United Nations human rights expert today unveiled a series of global benchmarks aimed at helping businesses and governments to act ethically and protect human rights.

John Ruggie, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Business and Human Rights, presented the guidelines to the UN Human Rights Council, which is currently meeting in Geneva.

In a press release issued after his presentation, Mr. Ruggie said that “The principles seek to provide for the first time a global standard for preventing and addressing the risk of adverse human rights impacts linked to business activity, by outlining what States and business enterprises should do in practice.”

“They also give businesses predictability in what is expected of them, and provide other stakeholders, including civil society and investors, the tools to measure progress where it matters most – in the daily lives of people,” he said.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=38559&Cr=human+rights&Cr1

Ban urges tolerance and social inclusion in an age of global emigration Sec...

Ban urges tolerance and social inclusion in an age of global emigration

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged the world to deepen its commitment to the common values of social inclusion, acceptance and understanding, saying emigration was increasingly a global trend with minorities and migrants gravitating towards cities for economic opportunities.

“We meet in what I call an age of mobility. This is an era where people are crossing borders in ever-increasing numbers in pursuit of opportunity and hope for a better life,” said Mr. Ban,addressing the International Conference on the Inter-Ethnic City in the Italian capital, Rome.

“Cities are the main centres of action – the hubs, the magnets, the places where people collide and coexist,” he told the conference, organized by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the auspices of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, which was created to promote intercultural dialogue and understanding.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=38570&Cr=cultural+diversity&Cr1=

UN officials call for respect for rights of migrants and their crucial econ...

UN officials call for respect for rights of migrants and their crucial economic role

With mounting unemployment spurring discrimination and the politics of polarization on the rise, United Nations officials have decried the human rights violations, xenophobia, and exploitation faced by many of the world's 214 million international migrants.

“It is important to recall, particularly in these turbulent times, the fundamental role that migrants play in strengthening the global economy,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in amessage marking International Migrants Day, calling on the very many States that have yet to do so to ratify the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Their Families.

“I also call on parties to the Convention to step up their efforts to help realize the rights guaranteed in the Convention. The irregular situation of many international migrants should not deprive them either of their humanity or their rights,” he declared.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=37111&Cr=Migrants&Cr1=