On 15 April, an armed conflict broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces (led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan) and the paramilitary force Rapid Support Forces (led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo). The two groups were allies in the uprising against Sudanese dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2019 and successfully overthrew his regime. The conflict broke out during civil reconstruction discussions where both sides were to cede power and allow civilian oversight. They were also to integrate the Rapid Support Forces into the regular military. There were disagreements and on 15...

Calling all Youth!  Are you interested in sharing your vision to help shape the future of human rights?  Consider joining the Human Rights 75 Youth Advisory Group! Established by UN Human Rights, this group will aim to include youth perspectives to promote youth rights globally. The qualifications to join are: Be 18-29 years old (as of March 2023) Have a minimum of 2 years of experience advocating for human rights at a local, national, regional, or international level Have English language proficiency (working level) The Youth Advisory Group will run until the end of...

The 37th Universal Periodic Review Working Group (UPRWG) Session was held from the 18th to the 29th of January 2021. The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a mechanism of the Human Rights Council that reviews the human rights situation of each of the 193 UN Member States once every 4 ½ years. It provides an opportunity for all States to declare what actions they have taken to improve the human rights situations in their countries and which recommendations they will have to implement before the next review. Istituto Internazionale Maria...

On Friday 5th June 2020, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, presented to the NGO representatives the UN Human Rights Report, which is the annual report on the human rights’ work realized by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) around the world for 2019. In her introduction, Mrs. Bachelet underlined that the 2019 report demonstrates how the Office supports States to uphold human rights in the context of eroding multilateralism, in spite of the new threats to civic space and ever more complex climate for...

The 35th Session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) was held from the 20th to the 31st of January at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. The Universal Periodic Review is a mechanism of the Human Rights Council. Its primary function is to review all UN Member States, every 4 ½ years, to improve the human rights conditions of each State. During the UPR, States comment on the actions they’ve taken to implement previous UPR recommendations and highlight the current challenges they are facing. The UPR Working Group then derives...

 The 42ndSession of the Human Rights Council of the United Nations started in Geneva on the 9thof September, and will finish on September 27. During this period, there will be debates, several reports from the Special Procedure mandate-holders as well as side events on different human rights issues with special emphasis on indigenous people’s rights. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, identified several challenges confronting us today. In particular, she highlighted how climate change is becoming a global threat to human rights. In fact, according to the World...

On 15 January 2018, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, the 29th session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) commenced, which lasted until the 26 January. Every four and a half years there is a scheduled review of all UN Member States. The State under review addresses measures adopted and the actions taken to improve human rights conditions within the country. During the review, the UPR Working Group, consisting of other Member States, asks questions and gives recommendations. In the 29th session, fourteen States were under review: France, Tonga, Romania,...

On November, 6th, 2017, the 28th session of the UPR began in the Palais des Nations, in Geneva, Switzerland. This session occurred during the third Review Cycle. The sessions took place through 17th of November. The following countries have undergone review: Check Republic, Argentina, Gabon, Ghana, Guatemala, Switzerland, Republic of Korea, Benin, Pakistan, Zambia, Japan, Ukraine and Sri Lanka. The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a cyclical review process of all 193 UN Member States. Once every four years the human rights situation in each State is reviewed. The State under...

On November 21, 2017, representatives of the IIMA Human Rights Office attended the meeting on the Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights’ (OHCHR) Official Management Plan 2018-2021. The presentation was held by the Deputy High Commissioner Mrs. Kate Gilmore and addressed several NGO’s involved in Human Rights advocacy. The meeting took place in Room VII in Palais des Nations, Geneva. Mrs. Gilmore reaffirmed that the Human Rights promotion in the United Nations is guided by the principle, “Leaving no one behind”. She noted that respecting human rights shall not merely...

On June 6 thru 23, 2017, at Palais de Nations, Geneva Switzerland, the IIMA office was busy with work as they prepared for their participation in the 35th regular session of the United Nations (UN) Human Right Council (HRC). The main role IIMA played in the 35th UN HRC was through the submission of oral statements thanks to the work of interns and volunteers. Four oral statements were given on behalf of IIMA and VIDES, along with the co-sponsorship of several other joint statements. The first oral statement was presented on June...