WORLD WORLDWIDE INTERNATIONAL #HumanRightsWatch News Journal Update - THE WEEK IN RIGHTS

 

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March 31, 2023

Children play on the beach in the town of Takara, on Efate Island, Vanuatu, which was damaged during Cyclone Pam, May 30, 2015. © 2015 AP Photo/Nick Perry Plea for Climate Action Gets Strong Support Where do you go when the very existence of your entire country is threatened by climate disaster? Vanuatu is a South Pacific state comprised of 80 islands totaling just 4,706 square miles. Its economy is largely fueled by agriculture and tourism. And now climate change is threatening to wipe out the homes and destroy the livelihoods of its people. As with many communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis, this is not a future threat. It’s happening now. Just this month, Vanuatu experienced back-to-back Category 4 cyclones that caused widespread damage and flooding – extreme weather events that climate change is expected to intensify. Not content to passively see its country decimated, Vanuatu’s government initiated a resolution in the United Nations General Assembly that would make it easier to hold polluting countries legally accountable for failing to tackle the climate crisis. Eighteen other countries, many of them small, from the Global South, and experiencing threats from climate change, joined Vanuatu. This week, the General Assembly adopted the landmark resolution. Here’s why that’s important: The resolution asks the International Court of Justice to issue an advisory opinion clarifying states’ obligations regarding climate change, including to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The resolution also asks the court for guidance on questions of accountability for “states that have caused significant harm to the climate.” Though nonbinding, the court’s opinions can carry moral and legal authority and can ultimately become part of customary international law, which is legally binding on states. Vanuatu and its coalition have acted boldly at the UN, showing yet again that small countries facing the greatest risks know what is at stake and can turn the tide. We should listen to them. Read More Human Rights Watch Has a New Executive Director WATCH: Tirana Hassan's statement as new Executive Director of Human Rights Watch We have news! Tirana Hassan, a lawyer and veteran human rights investigator who has documented human rights abuses throughout crises and conflicts globally, has been named the next executive director of Human Rights Watch. Hassan was previously HRW’s chief programs officer and had been serving as acting executive director since September 2022, following the departure of our long-time leader, Kenneth Roth. “I’m honored and humbled to lead this exceptional organization at a moment when the defense of human rights feels more urgent than ever,” Hassan said. “I look forward to building on Human Rights Watch’s formidable foundation to uplift the human rights defenders we work with and the communities we serve to put pressure on those in power to realize a rights-respecting future for us all.” Please join us in welcoming Tirana to her new role! Read More In Other News Q&A: Justice Efforts for Ukraine The recent International Criminal Court warrant for Russian president Vladimir Putin reflects an evolving justice effort that is needed elsewhere in the world. This question-and-answer document explains how the international justice effort is progressing in the Russia-Ukraine war. Read More “A Nightmare for Everyone” A new HRW report details how Pakistani authorities have systematically deprived prisoners of adequate health care, leaving thousands at risk of disease and death. Read More Taliban Expand Crackdown Mortaza Behboudi arrived in Kabul, Afghanistan on January 5, intending to do his job as a journalist. Instead, he ended up in prison. Read More Video of the Week WNBA Stars Condemn Sex Abuse of Mali Players “Basketball is promise.” Star US women basketball players are speaking out to condemn sexual abuse of teenage athletes in Mali to spotlight the need for action and reform in international basketball. Hear them in their own words. Watch Weekly Quiz Test Your Human Rights Knowledge It's that time. Do you know your news? Take our weekly quiz and see how you stack up. Find It Here

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