Unhrc

UNHCR team meets Rohingya Muslims in Jammu amid immigrants' rights debate

A two-member team of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) met Rohingya Muslims at a slum here amid a heated debate whether the illegally settled immigrants be provided water and electricity. Senior Protection Officer Tomoko Fukumura along with Protection Associate Ragini Trakroo Zutushi on Monday met the Rohingya Muslims and some local residents in the Kiryani Talab area of Narwal, an official said on Wednesday. He said the head of the team would return to Delhi on Wednesday evening as their attempt to meet some police officials failed. On December 7, Jammu and Kashmir Jal Shakti Minister Javed Ahmed Rana said the water supply would not be snapped to the slums housing the immigrants, pending a call from the Centre on their deportation. Rana's statement came after Rohingyas living on three plots of land in the Narwal area of Jammu claimed that their power and water supply were snapped recently despite being registered with the UNHCR. Two days later, Chief Minis

Indian Muslim woman supports CAA at UNHRC, emphasises humanitarian aspects

According to Rifat, the CAA addresses an urgent need by providing refuge and legal status to those who have historically faced persecution in their home countries

UNHCR chief meets Pakistan PM on Afghan refugee situation after clampdown

The head of the UN refugee agency and Pakistan's prime minister held talks on Tuesday about Afghan refugees living in uncertainty in Pakistan following the government's anti-migrant crackdown that started last year as militants stepped up attacks on security forces. That crackdown on undocumented Afghans in Pakistan was apparently recently put on hold, without authorities offering any explanation for this. Pakistan has long hosted an estimated 1.7 million (17 lakh) Afghans, most of whom fled during the 1979-1989 Soviet occupation of their country. More than half-a-million others escaped Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover in 2021, with thousands waiting in Pakistan for resettlement in the United States and elsewhere. Since Pakistan's widely-criticised clampdown started last November, an estimated six lakh Afghans have returned home. The undocumented Afghans are separate from refugees who have registered with the authorities and the UNHCR, though the crackdown has raised concerns

US restrictions on asylum-seekers may violate international law: UNHCR

The head of the UN refugee agency says he understands that the Biden administration enacted new restrictions on asylum-seekers entering the United States, but cautioned that some aspects of the executive order may violate refugee protection required in international law. Filippo Grandi, the UN high commissioner for refugees, spoke to The Associated Press as his agency issued its annual Global Trends report for 2023 on Thursday. It found that the cumulative number of people who have been subjected to forced displacement rose to 120 million people in 2023 6 million more than in the year before. The refugee agency noted that the total count was roughly equivalent to the entire population of Japan. The UNHCR report found that three-fourths of those people forcibly displaced including both refugees driven abroad and people displaced inside their own countries lived in poor or middle-income countries. Grandi insisted that was a sign of how migrant and refugee flows were not just an iss

Defuse 'powder keg' situation in Israel and OPT: UNHR Chief urges states

"We are faced with explosive powder keg situation. We know how this plays out, time and time again - loss of Israeli and Palestinian lives," said Turk, UNHR Chief.

UNHR Commissioner calls for immediate stop to ongoing violence in Israel

This comes after a barrage of rockets slammed into southern and central Israel after Hamas launched a surprise attack on Saturday morning

India flags atrocities against minorities in Pakistan at 54th UNHRC

Pakistan has failed miserably in protecting the rights of its ethnic and religious minorities, including Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Ahmadiyas, and Shia Muslims, said India

Indian constitution protects its linguistic minorities: Activists at UNHRC

A group of NGOs and social activists informed the United Nations about the Indian Constitution which protects the country's linguistic minorities, especially in the Northeast region.They were speaking at a side event organised by Sindhi Adhikar Manch (Association) titled "Linguistic Minorities & Human Rights in India" during the 54th Session of the UN Human Rights Council.The panellists included Gobind Gurbani, CEO of Sindhi Adhikar Manch (Association), Parmita Sarma from Akshar Foundation and Arvind Kumar from Focus Global Reporter.Gurbani addressed the audience and emphasised that Article 30(1) of the Indian Constitution provided a fundamental right to linguistic minorities to establish and administer educational institutes of their choice.Article 350 A empowers the state to establish and impart primary education in the mother tongueGurbani added that Sindhis came to India empty-handed after partition in 1947 but have been supported by the government as partners in ...

Kashmiri activist lambasts Pak at UNHRC for targeting ethnic minorities

The Kashmiri social activist also expressed concern about Pakistan's Shia community including educational professionals being targeted by authorities

World does not need lessons on democracy from Pakistan: India at UNHRC

India on Thursday said the world does not need lessons on democracy and human rights from Pakistan whose contribution as a leading exporter of terror and violence is unparalleled and where terrorists thrive and roam its streets with impunity. Exercising India's Right of Reply at the 52nd Session of Human Rights Council General Debate, Under Secretary Dr. P R Thulasidass also called on Pakistan to focus on the safety, security and well-being of its minority communities instead of engaging in futile propaganda and attempting to foment communal disharmony in India. "From a country where terrorists thrive and roam its streets with impunity, the world does not need lessons on democracy and human rights. Pakistan's contribution as a leading exporter of terror and violence is unparalleled," Thulasidass said. He underlined that Pakistan is home to as many as 150 UN designated terrorists and terrorist entities listed by the UN, and these proscribed individuals have actively campaigned and ..

CAA takes into account historical context, ground realities: India to UNHRC

India on Thursday told the UN Human Rights Council that its Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 is a limited and focused legislation that reaffirms the country's commitment to the welfare of persecuted minorities in the region and takes into account "historical context and the current ground realities". As the Universal Periodic Review of India's human rights record is underway in Geneva, some member states raised concerns over the issue of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The CAA is a limited and focused legislation, which reaffirms India's commitment to the welfare of persecuted minorities in the region, Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta said in his response. He added that the legislation is similar to laws that exist elsewhere in defining specific criteria for citizenship pathways. The criteria defined here is specific to India and its neighborhood and takes into account the historical context and the current ground realities," he said. He added that it is aimed at enablin

UNHRC: Dutch group raise Uyghur issue, blames China for Xinjiang genocide

Netherlands-based group, EFSAS raised in the UNHRC, the issue of Uyghurs, the ethnic Muslim minorities in Xinjiang, and pushed to attribute blame on Chinese government

US slams China for 'restricting, manipulating' UNHR chief Bachelet's visit

The statement of the US department came in the backdrop of widespread criticism of Bachelet's six-day China visit, which concluded on Saturday

Russia laments 'tragedy' of troop deaths as Ukraine braces for offensive

Moscow's six-week long incursion has seen more than 4 million people flee abroad, killed or injured thousands, turned cities into rubble and led to sweeping sanctions on Russian leaders and companies

Top headlines: India's FY21 CEO earnings, Russia's suspension from UNHRC

The insurance regulator wants the removal of the minimum entry capital requirement of Rs 100 crore for setting up business. More on that story in our top headlines.

Russia's suspension from UNHRC a meaningful step by int'l community: Biden

US President Joe Biden Thursday lauded the UN General Assembly decision to suspend Russia from the UN Human Rights Council, describing it as a meaningful step by the international community.

UNHRC calls for humanitarian aid for 3.5 mn Afghans to avoid starvation

UN Human Rights Council has appealed to increase humanitarian support to 3.5 million people including 700,000 from 2021 alone who were displaced due to the conflict in Afghanistan, the UN body said.

India abstains from voting on UNHRC resolution to probe Gaza conflict

India abstained from voting on a resolution at the UN Human Rights Council to launch an investigation into alleged violations and crimes during the conflict between Israel and Hamas

UNHRC session: US co-sponsors EU-led resolution over Myanmar human rights

The US co-sponsored a resolution led by the EU that highlighted ongoing human rights concerns, including for Rohingya and recalled developments since February 1 in the 46th session of UNHRC

Chidambaram attacks Centre for abstaining from UNHRC vote on Sri Lanka

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram urged the people of Tamil Nadu to punish the AIADMK-BJP alliance in the upcoming state assembly elections for abstaining from the UNHRC vote on Sri Lanka