Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United Nations (video statements)

President of the Human Rights Council (HRC) Jürg Lauber said that “In a divided world,” the ability to keep dialog on human rights alive is “an achievement in itself.”

Addressing the press in New York, Laubersaid said, “At its 60th session concluded earlier this month, the Council adopted 35 resolutions, including those establishing a new Investigative Mechanism on Afghanistan, merging the mandates of the Special Rapporteurs on slavery and human trafficking and taking steps to strengthen the Council’s efficiency under resource constraints.”

He continued, “The Council renewed a number of country and thematic mandates on Sudan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and the Russian Federation, while bringing others to conclusion, such as those in Somalia and the DRC. It also postponed the adoption of Nicaragua’s UPR outcome, while inviting continued engagement.”

He noted, “The challenge now is to ensure that the Council can sustain this work as it enters its 20th year in 2026. The budgetary outlook may be difficult, but the commitment of member states to dialog, cooperation and accountability remains strong.”

Answering a question, he said, “If states, and we have some examples, disengage in the work of the Council, disregard the importance of human rights in relation also to peace and security and development, and turn the wave. That’s, for me, the threat, and that finds an expression in the budgetary constraints we have. It’s not the only reason, but it’s among them.”

He stressed, “And we see increasing these decisions taken by the Council not being implemented because the money is missing. I give you one particular example: we had the special session upon request of the Democratic Republic of the Congo concerning the human rights situation in eastern Congo in February, where it was decided, among other things, to establish a commission of inquiry. I recently was able to nominate the three experts, but we’re still waiting to have money for the commission to start.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lif-DqCJiyk

Source: United Nations (video statements)

The Chair of the United Nations Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua, Jan-Michael Simon, said the Government of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, “has demonstrated a cynical and calculated approach to international cooperation.”

Briefing journalists in New York, Simon said, “they have been leveraging Interpol anti-money laundering and counter financing and terrorism cooperation frameworks to persecute transnational opponents. And this includes abuses of the Interpol retinal system and the circulation of false alerts on travel documents, misusing, databases dedicated to this by Interpol.”

He said, “they have also been circulating misinformation to trigger on the anti-money laundering compliance warnings within the financial compliance systems, leading to freezing of closure, of bank accounts and, of the targets.”

The Group Chair said, “the goal is to avoid scrutiny and accountability while continuing to perpetrate human rights violations. But the second point, which is less evident is, here, more important even, in this consists in a direct and aggressive, challenge to the international legal order.”

Ariela Peralta Distefano, a Member of the Group, said, “we continue to raise alarm over the increase of simultaneous mass arrests and prolonged incommunicado detention. Authorities refuse to disclose their fates and whereabouts of thousands of detainees, which amounts amount to enforce two disappearances. The resurgence of enforced disappearances is one of the most alarming developments we have seen since the group began its mandate in 2002.”

Distefano said, “it is important to underscore that international human rights law does not require a minimum duration for an act to qualify as an enforced disappearances. In this regard, the November 2024 detention of at least 40 political opponents whose whereabouts work on sale for two weeks constitute clear violation of international law, regardless of their duration.”

The third Member of the Group, Reed Brody, said, “the state and the ruling Sandinista party have virtually fused into a unified machine of repression, operating a wide intelligence network, surveilling the population and selecting the targets for violation of rights.”

Brody said, “our reports have identified 54 officials responsible for grave human rights violations, abuses and crimes. In addition, Nicaragua’s large-scale use of the arbitrary deprivation of nationality as a mechanism of targeted political repression is a manifest violation of the UN Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, and we are urging states to bring Nicaragua before the International Court of Justice for that violation.”

The Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua is an independent body mandated by the UN Human Rights Council. Established in March 2022, it is tasked to conduct thorough and independent investigations into all alleged human rights violations and abuses committed in Nicaragua since April 2018.

The expert members of the Group of Human Rights Experts were appointed by the President of UN Human Rights Council to gather data on alleged human rights violations, collect unbiased information and provide independent analysis.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eY8kcypHxmI

Source: United Nations (video statements)

The Second World Summit for Social Development takes place from November 4 to 6, 2025, in Doha, Qatar, focusing on social development issues and reaffirming commitments to the Copenhagen Declaration. World leaders come together to redefine strategies for social progress, strengthen global partnerships, and promote inclusive policies that foster equitable opportunities for all. The goal: to build societies that are more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable.

Subject to the rules of procedure of the General Assembly, Member States, members of the United Nations specialized agencies and observers of the General Assembly to be represented at the level of Head of State or Government or at the highest possible level are invited to make statements in plenary of up to five minutes.

Thirty years after the landmark 1995 World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen, the global community will gather once again — this time in Doha, Qatar, from 4 to 6 November 2025 — for the Second World Summit for Social Development. In a world facing growing inequalities, demographic shifts, and rapid technological transformation, the need for a renewed commitment to social progress has never been more urgent.

Building on the 10 Commitments of the 1995 Summit and the Copenhagen Declaration, the Second Summit will accelerate action on poverty eradication, the promotion of full employment and decent work, and social inclusion, ensuring that no one is left behind in an increasingly complex and interconnected world. It aims to address persistent gaps, reaffirm global commitment to social development, and give new momentum to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

In Doha, world leaders will come together to redefine strategies for social progress, strengthen global partnerships, and promote inclusive policies that foster equitable opportunities for all. The goal: to build societies that are more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable.

The Summit will serve as a pivotal platform for dialogue, cooperation, and joint solutions, convening governments, international organizations, the UN system, civil society, cooperatives, academia, the private sector, and experts to strengthen international cooperation for inclusive social development.

More info: https://social.desa.un.org/world-summit-2025/about

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QWNZ_rw2lw

Source: United Nations (video statements)

The head of the Independent, Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, Nicholas Koumjian, said, “the situation in Myanmar, unfortunately, is only getting worse. The intensity, the frequency and the severity of war crimes being committed in the country is increasing.”

Koumjian spoke to reporter after presenting the Mechanism’s report on Tuesday to the General Assembly’s Third Committee.

The head of the independent mechanism said, “We’re sharing evidence about the Rohingya situation with several ongoing processes, including an investigation by the federal court in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Also with the International Criminal Court, which is investigating because the Rohingya were forced over the border onto the territory of a Member State of the ICC, Bangladesh, and that could constitute the crime of deportation.”

He added, “the judges of the Court have authorized an investigation in that regard, and the prosecutor in November of last year said he would be seeking arrest warrants against the Commander in Chief and several others would be presented later.”

Koumjian also said the Mechanism has “shared evidence with parties that the International Court of Justice, where the Gambia filed a case alleging that Myanmar has failed to fulfill its obligations under the Convention for the Prevention, Punishment of Genocide.”

“That case now, the written proceedings closed at the end of last year. We anticipate hearings to start early next year, and I think that’s an exciting development. We have shared evidence with both parties, and I believe our evidence will play an important role in those in that case,” he added.

Koumjian also highlighted, “The so-called elections are coming up and expected, anticipated to begin according to the current de facto authorities in December.”

“We’re very concerned with what’s going on with these elections. These are, I use the word elections, but these are elections without a choice,” he said.

The head of the independent mechanism reiterated, “if the opposition forces are targeting individuals simply because they are participating in the election in some way, or facilitating the election. These are not combatants, and this would be a violation of the laws of war.”

Asked about challenges, Koumjian said that it begins with the lack of access to the country. “Unfortunately, the authorities are not cooperating with us. We can’t go to the crime scenes. We can’t access many of the witnesses and even witnesses who are outside of the country now, in some of the neighboring countries, we don’t have the consent of those States to cooperate with us and allow us to collect evidence on their territory,” he explained.

The financial challenges, especially in for next year, “are really great despite the expanding number of crimes, that are occurring, we have shrinking resources,” Koumjian also said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzhR37h6ciw

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Virtual guests: The International Organization for Migration (IOM) Deputy Director General for Operations, Ugochi Daniels; United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Deputy High Commissioner, Kelly Clements; United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Deputy Executive Director, Humanitarian Action and Supply Operations, Ted Chaiban; and World Food Programme (WFP) Assistant Executive Director, Valerie Guarnieri. They brief reporters on their recent visit to Sudan and a joint press release on that topic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pny7HWQbJYI

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher, also briefed the Council, describing the horrific humanitarian situation in El Fasher.

He said that the Sudan crisis is fundamentally a failure of protection, and of our responsibility to uphold international law. The violence extends beyond Darfur as well.

Fletcher noted that across Sudan, and despite the massive threats, cuts, and constraints to our work, the humanitarian community has reached 13.5 million people between January and August.

He said, “Stop arming this violence and insist that stopping this conflict is more important than any narrow political or commercial interests. Those who want to leave El Fasher must be able to do so safely. Those who remain must be protected. There must be accountability for those carrying out the killing and the sexual violence. For those giving the orders. And those providing the weapons should consider their responsibility.”

He also said, “Humanitarians simply asking that we be allowed to do our jobs and save lives is not working. You must demand that we are able to operate everywhere, including by deploying national and international staff into areas of greatest need. We ask you to use your muscle to create genuine pressure to ensure this.”

In this context, he added, “I am furious that the World Food Programme’s Country Director and Emergency Coordinator have been expelled by the Sudanese authorities, without explanation.”

Al-Harith Idriss al-Harith Mohamed, Permanent Representative of Sudan to the United Nations affirmed that the World Food Program “supports the Sudan and that the decision to evict some of those persons who work for the program doesn’t reflect on a relationship with the program. We are, we are determined to facilitate Mr. Fletcher’s work in the Sudan.”

He concluded, “I want to be clear: there will be no negotiation with this terrorist militia unless it lays down its arms and ceases its aggression against the Sudanese people.”

After the meeting, the members of the Security Council issued a press statement expressing grave concern about the violence in and around El Fasher.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClrUm0bh5YA