Journalism watchdog's global index shows press freedom is under attack
Reporters Without Borders warned that governments' support for press freedom around the world has been shrinking.
Human Rights
Human rights are the fundamental rights and freedoms inherent to every person. Their modern legal foundation is the International Bill of Human Rights, which consists of three key documents: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The U.N. and its agencies work to protect and promote these rights globally.
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Human Rights Council demands nations halt arms transfers to Israel
The U.N. body also demands Israel be held accountable for possible war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Top human rights official blasts 'indiscriminate' bombing in Gaza
More than 12,250 people have been killed - including 101 U.N. staff - and 32,300 others injured in the Gaza war, officials said.
Progress fades on women's rights as the world grows more militaristic
A new U.N. report finds the number of women and girls living in conflict-affected nations doubled in five years.
Nations reject Russia's attempt to rejoin U.N. Human Rights Council
The vote undermined Moscow's claim it still has support from a silent majority of the United Nations' 193 member nations.
As Tigray seethes, NGO reveals state-led campaign against WHO chief
The Platform to Protect Whistleblowers in Africa said the health leader was "targeted" by the Ethiopian government.
Reprisals against human rights defenders cited among 42 nations
A new report's evidence of threats and retaliation extends to 12 of the U.N. Human Rights Council's 47 member nations.
U.N. panel cites Russian war crimes and possible genocide in Ukraine
The panel said it found evidence of human rights abuses on both sides, but those by Russia far outweigh those by Ukraine.
WSJ seeks U.N. working group opinion to free Evan Gershkovich
Dow Jones’ lawyers want the working group to use its U.N. mandate to investigate the reporter's highly politicized case.
U.N. expert points to systematic Russian torture of Ukrainians
At the end of a weeklong visit, the U.N. investigator's findings of an orchestrated state policy contradict Moscow’s denials.
Top U.N. panel hears evidence of North Korea human rights abuses
The U.S., Albania, Japan, and South Korea led a U.N. Security Council session that shone a spotlight on starvation and repression under Kim Jong Un's regime.
U.N. expert panel calls on Ethiopia to de-escalate tensions in Amhara
Panel members said they were deeply concerned about the deteriorating security in the northwest region of Ethiopia.
Concerns rise over Uganda's ouster of U.N. human rights office
Little more than a week ago, the U.N. Human Rights Committee warned of serious abuses in the nation.
Just 1-in-5 countries keeping up with U.N. human rights reporting duties
The treaty body that gets the worst cooperation is the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
New U.N. estimate shows the Syrian civil war's deadly toll on civilians
More than half of the deaths were never documented due to the difficulty of collecting reliable data on death tolls in conflict zones, made still harder by the brutality of Syria's war.
U.N. panel on racism and law enforcement ends first U.S. tour
Panel members said they heard countless painful stories from victims and their families but also learned of some promising initiatives against racial discrimination.