Latest news with #Convention
Scoop
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Scoop
UN CEDAW Committee Breaks New Ground With First Treaty Body Review Of Afghanistan Since Taliban Takeover In 2021
GENEVA (26 June 2025) - At a time when Afghan women warn that their very existence is being erased and their voices rendered invisible on the global stage, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) has taken an unprecedented step by reviewing Afghanistan's compliance with its international women's human rights obligations, without engagement from the existing de facto authorities in the country. As the de facto authorities of the Taliban, currently in control of large parts of the country, are not recognized by the United Nations, the Committee reviewed the fourth periodic report of Afghanistan submitted by the Permanent Mission of Afghanistan to the United Nations in Geneva and engaged in a dialogue with a delegation of former Afghan officials and women's rights leaders in exile. The Committee had also invited the de facto authorities to participate informally in the review, but no response was received. While UN treaty bodies have previously conducted country reviews in the absence of a state delegation, CEDAW's decision to hold a public dialogue with a delegation of former State officials, following the precedent of the fourth cycle Universal Periodic Review of Afghanistan in April 2024, represents a first-of-its-kind arrangement within the treaty body system. This review is not only a CEDAW obligation, but also 'a fervent hope that [the] exchange will prove constructive, anchored in mutual respect and steadfastly committed to strengthening accountability for the rights of Afghan women and girls,' said Bandana Rana, Committee member who led the country review. 'This Committee bears a solemn obligation, a legal, international and moral imperative to examine these developments with unflinching clarity and uncompromising resolve,' she added. In doing so, the Committee reaffirms that the Convention remains legally binding on Afghanistan regardless of shifts in political leadership or regime. 'Our concern transcends politics. It is rooted in principle. It stands upon the bedrock of universal and immutable values: human dignity, equality, non-discrimination, autonomy and justice for all, most urgently for the women and girls of Afghanistan,' said Rana, adding that, 'We harbour the profound hope that today's dialogue will serve not merely to deepen the accountability of all stakeholders but to galvanize a renewed and unified commitment, including of the international community to restore the inalienable human rights of Afghan women and girls, first and foremost their right to education.' Committee Chair Nahla Haidar emphasized that 'this review has set an important precedent for how treaty bodies can establish responsibility when those exercising effective control in a country fail to uphold that country's human rights obligations and their responsibility to protect their population. It was an unprecedented opportunity to recall the principle of accountability and solidarity enshrined in the United Nations Charter.' CEDAW remains committed to its mandate and stands with the women and girls of Afghanistan by calling on all stakeholders, including the international community, to uphold their obligations under international law. The Committee will publish its findings, formally known as Concluding Observations, on 7 July.
Scoop
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Scoop
UNFCCC Parties Must Help Protect Civic Space In Climate Talks, Says Civil Society
Bonn, 24 June 2025 - Civil society constituencies participating in the UNFCCC climate negotiations have today shared an open letter with all Parties to the Convention, raising urgent concerns over the UNFCCC Secretariat's arbitrary and escalating censorship of peaceful expressions of solidarity with the Palestinian people. The letter - signed by the Women and Gender Constituency, YOUNGO, and Environmental Non-Governmental Organisations - the Global Campaign to Demand Climate Justice (DCJ) and Climate Action Network (CAN), calls attention to the Secretariat's recent decision to prohibit the use of the phrase 'End the Siege' during a planned action at SB62 in Bonn, despite allowing language such as 'end the genocide.' The UNFCCC Secretariat cited the need to 'maintain a neutral and constructive environment,' but civil society actors reject the idea that silence in the face of a humanitarian catastrophe constitutes neutrality. Tasneem Essop, Executive Director, Climate Action Network International, said: 'Let's be clear: the UNFCCC Secretariat is not neutral - it's policing civil society while the rest of the UN system, including the Secretary-General and the High Commissioner for Human Rights, openly call for an end to the siege of Gaza. When our banners are censored for using the same language as UN leaders, it's not about rules - it's about politics. The UNFCCC is embarrassingly out of step with the rest of the UN and with fundamental human rights. We refuse to be complicit in this erasure of the truth.' The letter states,'Silence is not neutrality. To censor calls to 'End the Siege' is to condone it. The climate crisis cannot be addressed in isolation from broader struggles for justice and human rights.' Read the letter: To: All Parties to the UNFCCC Cc: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat Bonn, 20th June 2025 Subject: Civil Society Protest Against UNFCCC's Arbitrary Censorship of Solidarity with Palestine Your Excellencies, We write to you today with grave concern and indignation. As civil society, we have been a part of the UNFCCC for close to three decades. Our engagement has included advocating for and bringing voices of peoples and communities on the frontlines through actions and press conferences inside the UNFCCC amongst others. For the last two years in the UNFCCC sessions, COP's and SB's, we have faced an escalating pattern of arbitrary censorship from the UNFCCC Secretariat - specifically targeting expressions of solidarity with the Palestinian peoples. Despite our repeated efforts to navigate and comply with an increasingly ambiguous and inconsistent set of restrictions, the Secretariat has continued to impose arbitrary limits on our collective rights. Legitimate, peaceful expressions of solidarity - statements, words, signs, and slogans that align with international human rights and international humanitarian law - have been censored or blocked. This situation has reached a new and deeply troubling low. The UNFCCC Secretariat, in a response to an application for a Palestine solidarity action in the venue of SB62, communicated that they could not authorise the use of the phrase 'End the Siege' in the banners and any accompanying text. As they did not object to the other phrases we use, including 'end the genocide', their focus on the siege wording is unusual and perplexing. This further demonstrates the arbitrariness of their decision-making. The reason provided by the UNFCCC Secretariat was their need to 'maintain a neutral and constructive environment that supports open dialogue among Parties', and authorisation must be assessed in light of the current context. We struggle to understand how a clamp down on the calling out of an ongoing and well-documented humanitarian catastrophe can be considered neutral, particularly when the UN Secretary General, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and representatives of other UN bodies have called for the same thing using the same language. In addition, a majority of states who are also Parties to the UNFCCC process have voted for a resolution in the UN General Assembly demanding an immediate and lasting ceasefire and an end to the blockade in Gaza. To silence the call to 'End the Siege' is to condone it. This is no longer a question of procedure or neutrality. It is picking a side, and in this case, a side that does not align with the UN's own values and international humanitarian law. Civil society has decided to end our negotiations on Palestinian Solidarity actions with the Secretariat that compromises our rights to civic space and freedom of expression within this space. We refuse to accept a decision that directly contradicts the rights and freedoms that the UN was founded to protect. We have therefore decided to make our grievances public in the hope that all people of conscience will support basic human rights and bring it to the attention of Parties because the UNFCCC Secretariat's attempts at silencing us is done in the name of Parties. . The climate crisis is inseparable from questions of justice and human rights. The Paris Agreement itself is emphatic that 'Parties should, when taking action to address climate change, respect, promote and consider their respective obligations on human rights [...]' The Secretariat's refusal to acknowledge an unfolding crime against humanity, together with its active suppression of calls to end the genocide and siege, and doing so in the name of Parties in the UNFCCC, has deeply shaken our confidence in this body's ability to safeguard humanity's future. This is a sentiment that echoes far beyond these walls, and risks making multilateralism irrelevant to humanity. The UNFCCC Secretariat's narrow understanding of climate, ignoring its intersections with civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights, not only is contrary to the Convention and the Paris Agreement but will lead to a failure in finding systematic and sustained solutions to the climate crisis. We appeal to Parties to reaffirm the rights of civil society, particularly our freedom of expression in calling out a genocide and the vested interests that uphold this as well as the climate crisis. Silence is not neutrality. Sincerely,
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
India flags finance as Bonn talks end
India has endorsed the views of Like-Minded Developing Countries, G77 and China groupings that adherence to Article 9.1 of the Paris Agreement, which mandates developed nations to provide financial assistance to developing countries, is critical as the world approaches the annual climate conference scheduled for November. Bonn Climate Meetings act as a midway point before COP (AP) During the closing plenary at the Bonn Climate Meetings, which act as a midway point before COP, India said that lack of progress on Article 9.1 has emerged as one of the foremost challenges related to climate finance. 'Lack of any progress on Article 9.1 is one of the foremost challenges related to climate finance. This is a global priority. This is a priority for Global South. This is not possible without international cooperation and the developed countries meeting their obligation and ensuring the urgent implementation of Article 9.1,' India's delegate at Bonn said. India has also expressed concerns about unilateral trade measures. '…we are concerned about the unilateral trade measures against the provision of Article 3.5 of the Convention. We are hearing unilateral carbon border adjustments, which directly contravene the principles of equity, CBDRRC, and the multilateral spirit of the Convention. We strongly urge parties to reflect on this and extend support to these matters in future deliberations,' Rajashree Ray, economic advisor, MoEFCC, said. While Article 9.1 says that developed countries must provide financial resources to assist developing countries for mitigation and adaptation, Article 3.5 of the UNFCCC mandates countries to cooperate for a supportive and open international economic system that would lead to sustainable economic growth and development. 'We need to put our best foot forward to strengthen multilateralism, rebuild trust, and ensure to find a just and equitable solution that leaves no one behind. As ever, India stands ready to work constructively with all parties… India is committed to a scientific approach to addressing climate change,' she said. One of the key agendas for COP30 is the 'Baku to Belem' road map to 1.3T, which is all about mobilising climate finance for the developing world. The spokesperson for LMDC grouping said there were 'many, many unfulfilled promises' from developed country partners. 'We have faced a lot of resistance from our developed country partners in moving forward agenda items that would support actual implementation of the Paris Agreement... Instead, our partners prefer to talk about having more dialogues, obfuscating the real issues underlying their failure to fully comply with their long-standing commitments since 1994… And as if to add insult to the injury, against our needs which run into trillions of dollars, developed countries chose to offer to mobilise only $300 billion for the New Collective Quantified Goal on climate finance (NCQG),' said Diego Pacheco, Bolivia's climate negotiator and spokesperson for LMDC. 'COP30 needs to inspire all of us to implement the Paris Agreement, grounded squarely on the principles of the Convention, equity and CBDR-RC, while unlocking the provision of public finance through implementation of Article 9.1, while seriously addressing trade restricted unilateral measures,' he added. At COP29, held in Baku, developing nations sought the mobilisation of $1.3 trillion with a $600 billion of this coming through grants and grants equivalent resources by 2030. However, the chair hastily gavelled a climate finance goal of 'at least $300 billion per year by 2035' from a wide variety of sources. Experts said the Bonn discussions were an example of the 'hypocrisy' of wealthy countries. 'In Bonn, we saw the theater of rich nations once again dodging their duty, hiding behind the smokescreen of technical talks while communities in the Global South are left to drown in broken promises. After decades of negotiations, the fundamental truth remains unchanged: there is no climate justice without climate finance,' Harjeet Singh, Climate Activist and Founding Director, Satat Sampada Climate Foundation. 'And the hypocrisy is stark: wealthy countries can find trillions for military spending and the fossil fuel industry, yet they sideline the adaptation finance that is crucial for helping people suffering from losses and damages. We cannot achieve a just transition away from fossil fuels or protect our people from devastating climate impacts until the wealthy countries that created this crisis finally meet their commitments with real, public grants,' Singh said.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Cobra Kai' Star Alicia Hannah-Kim Files Police Report Against Martin Kove for Biting Her at Fan Convention
'Cobra Kai' star Alicia Hannah-Kim accused 78-year-old franchise star Martin Kove of biting her Sunday at a fan convention, according to a police report obtained and reviewed by TheWrap. The actress did not file charges for the alleged assault, which created a visible bite mark and bruising on her arm, but police asked the actor to leave the Washington State Summer Con after being called in to address the incident. According to the report, Hannah-Kim approached Kove in a VIP area to say hi, and when she tapped him on the shoulder he 'suddenly grabbed her arm and bit her upper arm so hard it nearly drew blood, and she yelled out in pain.' After Hannah-Kim cried out, Kove allegedly started kissing the bitten area. The actress left to find her convention handler and husband Sebastian Roche who went and confronted Kove. 'The Karate Kid' alum reportedly 'exploded on them saying something to the effect of how dare they confront him, and he did not do anything wrong.' After being approached by the police, he admitted to biting Hannah-Kim and that he thought he was being funny and 'they play fight all the time on the set of 'Cobra Kai.'' Hannah-Kim reportedly pulled the officer aside and let them know she did not wish to file charges against Kove but 'wished to have a report filed in case this continues.' Kove was sent home afterward and would not return to the event 'due to his behavior.' Kove played John Kreese in 'The Karate Kid' franchise and later reprised his role in 'Cobra Kai' as Johnny Lawrence's (William Zabka) mentor. Hannah-Kim joined the Netflix series in Season 5 as Kim Da-Eun – a South Korean sensei who works closely with Kreese in the final two seasons of the series. 'Cobra Kai' aired its final episodes in February. Representatives for Netflix did not immediately respond to TheWrap's request for comment. The post 'Cobra Kai' Star Alicia Hannah-Kim Files Police Report Against Martin Kove for Biting Her at Fan Convention appeared first on TheWrap.
Scoop
5 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
NZ Government Out Of Touch On Employment Rights
The commitment at the 113th International Labour Organization conference to develop a binding Convention for securing decent work in the platform economy shows how disconnected and out of touch the New Zealand government is when it comes to employment rights. 'This decision is a huge step towards establishing internationally recognised labour rights for digital platform workers,' said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Secretary Melissa Ansell-Bridges. 'This is the mandate for much-needed regulation of digital labour platforms and by doing so, ensuring that innovation is not achieved at the expense of workers' rights. 'It's really telling, that while the international community comes together to support platform workers, Brooke van Velden has introduced a new Employment Relations Amendment Bill that will undermine the rights of those very workers in Aotearoa. 'Her Bill, which intends to misclassify workers as contractors and remove their legal right to challenge their employment status in court, is a severe undermining of worker rights. It is completely out of touch, and the Bill must be voted down', said Ansell-Bridges.
