Universal application of human rights
ÁFRICA
BRAZZAVILLE
Less than 2% of the 690 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine administered to date worldwide have been in Africa, where most countries received vaccines only five weeks ago and in small quantities. There have been about 4.3 million cases of COVID-19 on the African continent and 114,000 people have died. Kenya is experiencing a third wave and the epidemic is showing an upward trend in 14 other African countries. https://www.wfp.org/news/wfp-reaches-over-1-million-people-emergency-food-assistance-tigray
TIGRAY
The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) has provided emergency food assistance to 1 million people since distributions began in the northwestern and southern parts of the Tigray region in March. A total of 5.2 million people, 91 percent of Tigray’s population, have been in need of emergency food assistance due to the conflict since last November. https://www.wfp.org/news/wfp-reaches-over-1-million-people-emergency-food-assistance-tigray
ASIA
THAILAND
International webinar on “The Role of the Ombudsman during and after the COVID-19 pandemic” on the occasion of the 21st anniversary of the successful establishment of the Ombudsman in Thailand. https://www.facebook.com/thaiombudsman
CHINA
Crimes against humanity in Xinjiang. Mass detention, torture, cultural persecution of Uyghurs, other Turkic Muslims. Crimes against humanity are considered one of the most serious human rights abuses under international law. https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/04/19/china-crimes-against-humanity-xinjiang
AUSTRALIA-ASIA-PACÍFICO
VANUATU
The Ombudsman of the Republic of Vanuatu, Hamlison Bulu, has warned all politicians to stop using all public assets as leaders in the upcoming provincial elections. He reiterated that as Ombudsman, his role is to ensure that all leaders must comply with the law in everything they are doing. https://ombudsman.gov.vu/index.php/media-releases/391-ombudsman-warns-against-use-of-public-assets-in-provincial-elections5
TAIWAN
The National Human Rights Commission and the Ministry of Education jointly held a press conference today (26) to launch the “Intensive Cooperation Project on Human Rights Education”. Chen Ju, chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, said that the primary and secondary education system is a very important starting point for the promotion of human rights education. https://www.cy.gov.tw/News_Content.aspx?n=742&s=20250
LATINOAMÉRICA Y EL CARIBE
ARGENTINA
Report on the Social Effects of the Covid-19 Scenario in the Communes and Villas of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires. It was carried out by the Observatorio de la Deuda Social of the UCA and the Defensoría del Pueblo de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires (Ombudsman’s Office of the City of Buenos Aires). This study analyzes the impact of the COVID-19 scenario on the quality of life of households, deficits in the area of health, indebtedness, the valuation of democracy, household connectivity and household financial inclusion. https://defensoria.org.ar/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/INFORME_DEFENSORIA_ABRIL-2021-V5-AS-25_04.pdf
GUATEMALA
Given the deterioration of food and nutritional security due to the impacts of the health crisis, the Human Rights Ombudsman, Jordán Rodas Andrade, recommends declaring of national interest the efficient execution of extensive and deep interventions in order to mitigate a situation that can configure a humanitarian crisis. That the prevalence of chronic malnutrition in the country among children under 5 years of age is 46% and 42% among children under two years of age, being the highest in the continent. https://www.pdh.org.gt/comunicacion/noticias/63-21-ante-el-deterioro-de-la-seguridad-alimentaria-y-nutricional-por-los-impactos-de-la-crisis-sanitaria-el-procurador-de-los-derechos-humanos-jordan-rodas-andrade-recomienda-al-presidente-de-la-republica-declarar-de-interes-nacional-la-ejecucion-eficiente-de-intervenciones-extensas-y-profundas-a-fin-de-mitigar-un-cuadro-que-puede-configurar-una-crisis-humanitaria.html
EUROPA
SPAIN
The Ombudsman (e.f.), Francisco Fernández Marugán has recommended to the Ministry of the Interior to regulate in an “exhaustive and detailed” way the use of electric discharge weapons (taser guns). Fernández Marugán calls for a state regulation that establishes guidelines so that all police forces have common criteria for their use. https://www.defensordelpueblo.es/noticias/armas-descarga-electrica/
FRANCE
The Ombudsman, Claire Hedon, launches an information campaign aimed at anchoring the Antidiscriminations.fr platform and the 39 28 telephone number as a remedy and practical and concrete help for people who are victims of discrimination. The platform is based on a site equipped with chat functionality and a 4-digit telephone number allowing dialogue with specialized lawyers and the search for contacts of proximity, through the territorial network of the Defender of Rights. https://www.defenseurdesdroits.fr/fr/a-la-une/2021/04/antidiscriminationsfr-le-defenseur-des-droits-lance-une-campagne-dinformation-pour
NORTEAMÉRICA
CÁNADA
Toronto City Council today unanimously approved the biggest change in police oversight in recent history. It asked the Toronto Ombudsman to develop a Memorandum of Understanding with the Toronto Police Services Board and the Toronto Police Service, giving the Toronto Ombudsman authority to review the fairness of Toronto Police procedures and programs. https://www.ombudsmantoronto.ca/Publications/News-Releases/News-Folder/Ombudsman-Toronto-to-Undertake-Oversight-of-Toront
MÉXICO
The number of asylum applications in Mexico broke its record in March with more than 9,000 requests. So far in 2021, the number of requests has increased by more than 30% over last year. Since January, 22,606 applications have been registered, according to data from the Mexican Commission for Refugee Aid, according to a press release from the UN Refugee Agency. https://news.un.org/es/story/2021/04/1490802