The nature of power and influence at the Human Rights Council: a membership network analysis
By Mr Anatoly Boyashov, Universal Rights Group
Why do States run for membership of the Human Rights Council? All UN Member States are, in principle, able to participate in and contribute to the work of the Council, either as a member or an observer. So why do some States choose to ‘go the extra mile’ and campaign for a seat on the body? ...
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Does the UN already have the tools to prevent violent extremism? The newly discovered role of social exclusion and discrimination in violent extremism
By Mr Samuel Gordon, Universal Rights Group
When the United Nations was established in 1945 one of its fundamental ambitions was to create a world that wasn’t plagued by religious and racial persecution and discrimination. In the aftermath of WW2, the mantra of never again, was continuously used to represent the new commitment to the protection of religious and minority rights...
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Is the US giving the Human Rights Council the cold shoulder?
By Ms Danica Damplo, Universal Rights Group
In November 2018, URG published a blog post entitled “Is the US flirting with the Human Rights Council?”, reflecting on the mercurial behavior of the US toward the Council. After the US left the Council in June, former Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley called it “the UN’s greatest failure.” Yet on November 2nd in New York, the US delegation gave a largely positive response to the presentation of Council President Vojislav Šuc to the Third Committee...
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The Arc of the Covenant: The unfinished business of UN efforts to combat religious intolerance
By Mr Ben Greenacre, Universal Rights Group
The combating of religious discrimination is one of the oldest thematic topics of discussion within the UN human rights system. Originally bound closely with discussions on racial discrimination, particularly in the context of resurgent anti-Semitism in the aftermath of World War 2, it harks back to the mandate first handed the Commission on Human Rights by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) upon the former’s ...
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