As part of our work to end lethal disregard for people on the move, the Human Rights and Refugees Programme has collaborated to draft a joint letter calling on the Human Rights Council to undertake a global investigation into deaths, enforced disappearances, torture and other grave human rights violations faced by people in transit across international borders. Joined by 228 organizations (by 25 June), the letter highlights the global pattern of deaths and grave human rights violations in transit. The letter notes the interconnection of racism and human rights violations in transit. We believe that this additional mechanism is needed to complement the work of the Special Rapporteur on human rights of migrants, to sustain attention on this pressing issue, hear from migrants and their family members and engage political will to end the dehumanization of migrants.

Organizations and groups can add their support for the letter here: https://forms.gle/8JkUwy2i9u7GRiXG7 

QUNO delivered an oral statement on the rights of children of parents sentenced to death or executed during the 30th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

The issue was raised by QUNO in response to an update to the UN Secretary General's report on Capital punishment and implementation of the safeguards guaranteeing the protection of the rights of those facing the death penalty.

Daniel Cullen, Programme Assistant for Human Rights and Refugees, delivered the statement during the General Debate discussion on Friday 18 September.

Text and video (beginning at 01:41:30) is available below: 

QUNO delievered an oral statement in response to the Report of the Independent Expert on the issue of human rights obligations relating to the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment. The oral statement is a joint statement from the QUNO programmes on Natural Resource Conflict and Cooperation, and Climate Change. The statement was delivered by Programme Assistant David Elliott at the 28th Session of the Human Rights Council on the Promotion and Protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development.

Text and video (beginning at 02:37:04) of the statement are available below.

This statement welcomes the work of the UN Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation, and discusses Quaker perspectives on the issue.

QUNO Geneva's newsletter for February to June 2010. Featured stories:

• Armed Violence & the Millennium Development Goals
• UPOV, Intellectual Property & Food
• Non Proliferation Treaty Review Conference Concludes on Positive Note
• New UN Ruling on Conscientious Objection to Military Service
• Update from QUNO New York
• Vacancy Announcement: QUNO Geneva Director

This is the third such publication developed by Rachel Brett on the workings of the UN Human Right’s Council. This report covers the period from 19 June 2008 to 18 June 2009, “the first ‘normal’ operational year of the Human Rights Council.” It explains the workings of the Council’s mechanisms and outlines its achievements and particular problems. It also looks in general at the substantive work of the Council, giving an overview of issues of particular importance for QUNO.

QUNO Geneva's newsletter from August to October 2008. Featured articles:

• Conscientious Objection to Military Service
• Geneva Declaration Summit
• Transfer of Technology and Developing countries
• CD Impasse Continues - 12 Years and Counting (Out?)
• Staff News

This is the second publication developed by Rachel Brett on the establishment and workings of the UN Human Right’s Council. This report covers the Council’s second year (June 2007 – June 2008), in which it was to complete the ‘institution-building’ phase, and transition into a more substantive mode of work.

During the Doha negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO), least developed countries (LDCs) have expressed a strong interest in increasing possibilities for their nationals to work as service providers in other countries. In the WTO, this is discussed in the context of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) under the heading known as Mode 4 – the presence of natural persons.

Trade negotiators and politicians from the US and EU argue that GATS Mode 4 is unworkable, particularly for semi-skilled and unskilled service providers, if source countries cannot guarantee the return (and hence the ‘temporariness’) of their service providers working abroad.

This paper examines different countries’ experiences and finds evidence that many migrant workers do desire to return to their home countries, and conditions and opportunities to help them to do so are a major factor in encouraging their return.