Tag: UN

President Duterte to review UN Human Rights Council’s purpose before allowing drug war review

  (Eagle News) – President Rodrigo Duterte said he would require the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to state its purpose before allowing any of its investigators to come to the country. “Let them state their purpose and I will review it,” Duterte told reporters on Thursday. This was before the 47-member council voted on the controversial Iceland authored resolution pushing for a comprehensive review and report on the Philippine drug war. He said […]

UN chief condemns airstrikes after Syria hospitals hit

(AFP) — UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Thursday strongly condemned air strikes in northwest Syria following reports that four health facilities were hit during a single day of bombing. An ambulance center, a clinic and two hospitals including one in Maarat al Numan that is among the largest in the area were attacked on Wednesday, according to the Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations, a Syrian doctors’ group. “Civilians and civilian infrastructure, including […]

UN Human Rights Council narrowly approves resolution seeking “report” on PHL drug war

  The UN Human Rights Council on Thursday, July 11, narrowly approved a resolution mandating a “comprehensive” international review of the drug war in the Philippines, with 18 states in the 47-member council backing the resolution first pushed by Iceland. Activists said they had initially hoped the UN would demand a formal “inquiry”, but compromised on calling for a “report” to win a majority. The text, proposed by Iceland, was backed by 18 states in […]

Robredo says it’s “embarrassing” that other countries are more concerned with abuses in Duterte drug war

(Eagle News) — Vice President Leni Robredo said it was “embarrassing” that other countries were more concerned about alleged abuses taking place in the war on drugs of President Rodrigo Duterte. In her radio show “BISErbisyong Leni” on Sunday, July 7, Robredo lamented that in the Philippines, “only a few are concerned.” “Iyong sa akin lang, iyong ibang bansa nababahala para sa atin. Pero dito sa atin, parang ang nababahala yata kaunting-kaunti lang. Parang business […]

PHL gov’t ready to face any UN inquiry on Duterte drug war, says DOJ chief

  (Eagle News) – The Philippine government is “prepared to face any inquiry” to be conducted by the United Nations with regards to the war on drugs of President Rodrigo Duterte that has been criticized recently by more than two dozen countries, mostly from Europe. This was according to the Philippine department of justice which stressed that the country “need not be told by anyone” on how to conduct its controversial anti-illegal drug campaign. “With […]

UN decries Venezuela ‘executions’, urges dissolution of special forces

GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — The UN rights chief warned Thursday that many of the thousands killed in Venezuela security operations since 2018 likely constituted “executions”, and urged Caracas to dissolve its special police force. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, who visited Venezuela last month, pointed out in a fresh report that thousands of people, mostly young men, had been killed in alleged confrontations with state forces in the country in recent years. […]

‘Credible evidence’ linking Saudi crown prince to Khashoggi murder, says UN rapporteur Callamard

  by Nina LARSON Agence France Presse GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — There is “credible evidence” linking Saudi Arabia’s crown prince to the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi last October, an independent UN rights expert said Wednesday, calling for an international investigation. In a fresh report, UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions Agnes Callamard said she had “determined that there is credible evidence, warranting further investigation of high-level Saudi Officials’ individual liability, […]

Record 70.8 million people displaced at end of 2018: UN

  by Agnès PEDRERO Agence France Presse GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — More than 70 million people were counted last year as displaced from their homes, a record that underestimates the real number of refugees and asylum seekers, the UN said Wednesday. In its annual global trends report, the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) described the figure of 70.8 million at the end of 2018 as “conservative”, particularly because the number of people who fled Venezuela’s […]

US warns UN of ‘clear threat’ from Iran after tanker attacks

by Carole LANDRY UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) — The United States called Thursday for the UN Security Council to confront a “clear threat” posed by Tehran, after Washington said Iran was behind an attack on oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman. The council met behind closed doors to hear US acting Ambassador Jonathan Cohen present a briefing on Washington’s assessment that Iran was responsible for the suspected attack on two tankers in the […]

DFA slams Callamard, 10 others over calls for UN probe into state of human rights in PHL

(Eagle News)–The Department of Foreign Affairs has rejected the call of some parties at the United Nations for a probe into the state of human rights in the Philippines. In a statement, the DFA said these parties merely “want to undermine processes and spread disinformation, on the basis of one-sided reports coming from questionable sources.” “The Philippines is a democratic nation with strong institutions and the government has an unshakeable determination to promote and protect […]

“Outrageous interference”- Palace rejects call by UN rights experts for probe on alleged unlawful drug killings

  (Eagle News) – Malacanang again rejected calls for a probe on alleged unlawful killings in the country by United Nations human rights experts, saying this was an “outrageous interference” on Philippine sovereignty. Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said that the call for a probe by 11 allegedly independent UN experts was based on a “biased and false recital of facts.” The 11 UN experts calling for a probe include Agnes Callamard, the UN Special Rapporteur […]

UN chief’s call to ‘save the Pacific to save the world’

  PORT VILA, Vanuatu (AFP) — UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said it was vital “to save the Pacific to save the world” as he wrapped up his brief South Pacific tour in Vanuatu on Saturday. Guterres has spent the past week in the region pushing for urgent action ahead of a UN summit in September billed as a last chance to prevent irreversible climate change. According to the UN, Vanuatu is the world’s most at-risk […]