UN RIGHTS EXPERT WARNS OF ADVERSE IMPACT OF ROMANIA'S GROWING MIGRATION TREND

The rising flow of workers moving in and out of Romania has delivered a significant blow to parts of the population in the Eastern European country, an independent United Nations human rights expert has warned.

Labour migration in Romania is characterized by the number of children left behind by parents searching for work abroad, the growing need for qualified workers as a result of the 'brain drain' and the sheer volume of workers leaving the country, said Jorge Bustamante, UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants.

In a statement issued on Saturday after wrapping up a six-day visit to the country, Mr. Bustamante said that labour migration is "one of the key issues for domestic and foreign policy in Romania given the fact that both immigration and outmigration have been increasing in the recent years."

Mr. Bustamante also noted the development of two contrasting criminal trends: the decrease in human trafficking, on the one hand, and the increase of smuggling workers across borders, on the other.

However, the Special Rapporteur was encouraged by several civil society initiatives, some in partnership with UN agencies and Government institutions which aim to protect and assist victims of abusive forms of migration, such as the slave trade and smuggling.

Although encouraged by the Romanian ratification of several international agreements protecting human rights, he voiced regret that Bucharest had not ratified the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and members of Their Families adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1990.

"I note the Government's interest in addressing some of the problems related to the human rights of migrants but observe with concern certain gaps and ambiguities in the legislative framework regulating the protection of migrant workers," he said.

He added that Romania pointed to the "fact that ratification [of the Convention] has not been a practice accepted by the European Union," a stance taken by other States who have recently joined the EU.

The Rapporteur, who was appointed to the independent and unpaid post in 2005, is slated to present a report on his visit to the upcoming meeting of the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council in September.

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NEW MANDATE CREATED FOR INDEPENDENT UN HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERT ON SUDAN

The United Nations Human Rights Council today established a one-year mandate for an independent expert tasked with examining the situation in Sudan, as it concluded its 11th session.

In one of several resolutions adopted prior to wrapping up the two-week session, the Council requested the new Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Sudan to report to the Geneva-based body at its 14th session.

The new mandate replaces that of the Special Rapporteur on human rights in Sudan, which expires this month.

Also by the same text, the Council called on Sudan's Government of National Unity to continue and intensify its efforts for the promotion and protection of human rights across the country.

Among the other issues the 47-member body took action on were the human rights of migrants in detention centres, the acceleration of efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women, trafficking in persons, the right to education and the Draft Guiding Principles on extreme poverty and human rights.

During its session, the Council also received an update by the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, on human rights themes and situations of particular concern, especially the condition of civilians in armed conflict, and the human rights of migrants.

In addition, the Council held its annual full-day meeting on women's human rights, on the theme of equality before the law.

The next regular session of the Council – which replaced the Human Rights Commission in 2006 – will be held from 7 to 25 September.
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Democracy, Human Rights, Refugees: Election of the United States to the Human Rights Council

Today the United Nations General Assembly elected the United States to a three-year term on the UN Human Rights Council. The promotion and protection of human rights is a fundamental value for our own society and, as such, an integral element of the Obama Administration’s foreign policy. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and U.S. Permanent Representative to the U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice are pleased with the outcome of the election and eager to take up the important work of the Council.

When the United Nations was formed, it sent a powerful and historic message by placing human rights at the very core of its charter. To fulfill that mission, we strongly believe that all member states must work to ensure that the United Nations offers a credible, balanced and effective forum for advancing human rights.

The United States sought a seat on the UN Human Rights Council at this time to underscore our commitment to human rights and to join the efforts of all those nations seeking to make the Council a body that fulfills its promise. We deeply appreciate the support of all UN member states that endorsed our bid. We pledge to work closely with the international community to ensure that together we address the pressing human rights concerns of our time.

BAN WELCOMES US DECISION TO SEEK SEAT ON UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today welcomed the announcement by the United States that it will seek a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council, saying it embodies the country's commitment to a "new era of engagement."

"The Human Rights Council has a critical role to play in the protection and promotion of all human rights for all people, and the US has an important contribution to make to this end," Mr. Ban's spokesperson said in a statement.

"Full US engagement on human rights issues is an important step toward realizing the goal of an inclusive and vibrant intergovernmental process to protect human rights around the globe," the statement added.

The 47-member, Geneva-based Council replaced the Human Rights Commission – which faced increasing criticism over the years as being ineffective and not accountable – in 2006.

The Council has several elements making it stronger, including its higher status as a subsidiary body of the General Assembly, its increased number of meetings throughout the year, equitable geographical representation and also the voting rights associated with membership.

Despite these improvements, the US felt at the time that the Council did not go far enough and was among four countries that voted against setting up the new body.

"The Secretary-General also welcomes the announcement as a concrete embodiment of the US commitment to a 'new era of engagement,'" today's statement said.
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GLOBAL ECONOMIC DOWNTURN IMPERILS HUMAN RIGHTS – UN

GLOBAL ECONOMIC DOWNTURN IMPERILS HUMAN RIGHTS – UN
New York, Feb 23 2009 2:00PM
The United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a resolution today highlighting the threat posed by the global financial and economic crises on the realization of human rights and development goals.

Adopted by a vote of 31 for and 14 abstentions, the resolution <"http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/68B23EF8AD14281EC1257566004856F4?opendocument">stressed the need to set up an equitable, transparent and democratic international system to broaden developing nations' participation in decisions regarding the economy.

The 47-member body, meeting in its <"http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/specialsession/10/index.htm">10th Special Session, also expressed grave concern that the twin crises could jeopardize progress made towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), eight ambitious anti-poverty targets with a 2015 deadline.

Stressing that the worldwide recession does not detract from Governments' responsibilities in promoting human rights, the Council appealed to the international community to establish and improve safety nets to protect the most vulnerable people.

An open, fair and non-discriminatory multilateral trading system could accelerate strides in development and contribute to the attainment of human rights for all, it added.

Last week, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights stressed that the world's poor and disadvantaged are bearing the brunt of the suffering resulting from the current global financial crisis and ensuing economic turmoil.

Navi Pillay appealed to States and the corporate world to ensure that their policies and practices do not jeopardize people's human rights, in an address to the Council's Special Session.

She warned that the downturn in economies around the world is likely to "undermine access to work, affordability of food and housing, as well as of water, basic health care and education."

In a related development, over 100 top Government officials and representatives of workers' and employers' organizations will convene tomorrow at a meeting of the UN International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva to discuss the impact of the economic crisis on the more than 20 million people working in the financial sector worldwide.

According to an ILO report prepared for the two-day gathering, some 325,000 people in the sector have lost their jobs between August 2007 and February 2009. Nearly 40 per cent of these losses – totalling 130,000 jobs – were cut since last October, showing how job losses have gathered speed in recent months.

"As the global economy sinks further into recession, and financial institutions' assets experience even greater impairment, the industry's job losses can be expected to rise even faster," said Elizabeth Tinoco, Chief of ILO's Sectoral Activities Brance.