Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Dr. Harsh Vardhan has said that India is committed to the cause of Climate Change.
Jul272017
Jul272017
Press release: Change of Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Afghanistan
Jul272017
UN expert urges two Koreas to discuss human rights
27 July 2017 – The proposed resumption of dialogue between the two Koreas is an opportunity to discuss and improve the human rights situation in the North, a United Nations expert has said at the end of his second visit to the South.
The Republic of Korea’s new President has proposed the resumption of dialogue with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) on military and humanitarian issues.
“While I welcome the initiative by the administration of President Moon Jae-in to resume dialogue, it is important that that engagement serves as a platform for North Korea to discuss ways to improve human rights,” said Tomás Ojea Quintana, the Special Rapporteur on human rights in DPRK.
During his five-day mission to Seoul, from 17 to 21 July, the Special Rapporteur met senior Government officials as well as representatives of civil society and other groups. His requests for access to the North have not been granted.
The Special Rapporteur reiterated his deep concern about human rights violations in the North, including allegations of arbitrary detention, human trafficking and enforced disappearances, as well as sexual and gender-based violence against women detained in holding centres in the border areas.
“The information I have been receiving points to different violations that continue to affect the lives of ordinary North Koreans and even foreigners,” he said.
Pyongyang has recently rejected a call by Seoul to resume family reunions, which have not been held for two years, after DPRK resumed nuclear tests and long-range missile launches.
The Special Rapporteur met with a man who wishes to return to DPRK where his wife and son live, despite the risk of being punished for leaving for ROK three years ago.
“If anything, these cases highlight the complexity of the family separation issue that started 70 years ago, and the fact that it continues to take new forms and affect people in the Korean peninsula in profound ways,” he said.
The expert highlighted a surge in the number of Koreans from the North caught in China. They are detained or sent back. Usually harsh labour sentences await them upon their return.
“North Koreans who leave their country are caught in a horrendous cycle of physical and psychological violence, and I received information that some take their own lives when they find out that they are scheduled for repatriation,” said Mr. Ojea Quintana.
The expert noted that China has a responsibility to abide by the principle of non-refoulement in international law. “I appeal to the Government of China to halt the policy, protect those in custody and engage with my mandate and with relevant UN agencies to think of alternatives,” he stressed.
The Special Rapporteur will report his findings and recommendations to the UN General Assembly in October 2017.
Special Rapporteurs and independent experts are appointed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a specific human rights theme or a country situation. The positions are honorary and the experts are not UN staff, nor are they paid for their work.
Jul272017
Press release: Priti Patel thanks Search and Rescue Team ahead of World Humanitarian Day
International Development Secretary Priti Patel today visited Essex Fire and Rescue Service in Colchester where she met members of the UK’s International Search and Rescue (ISAR) team.
DFID supports these lifesavers when they are sent to the front line in response to rapid onset emergencies such as earthquakes or floods, where they use their expertise to help rescue people from collapsed buildings, search for missing individuals and coordinate local rescue efforts.
There are 265 personnel around the UK who stand ready to be deployed as part of the UK ISAR team and these individuals, along with their humanitarian counterparts in the health service and across NGOs will be publically thanked for their efforts on Saturday 19 August, when at Westminster Abbey the UK will celebrate the UN’s World Humanitarian Day.
International Development Secretary Priti Patel said:
The whole country should recognise these brave men and women who, without a moment’s hesitation, can deploy to some of the world’s most dangerous and challenging places to save lives.
The members of Essex Fire and Rescue Service that I met today show the very best of British values. For 365 days a year, they stand ready to respond to a natural disaster, selflessly choosing to risk their own lives to save others and alleviate human suffering.
By providing this British expertise and helping countries better prepare for and deal with long-term crises, we are playing our part in building a more stable, secure and prosperous world for all which is firmly in Britain’s interest.
The World Health Organisation has recently recognised DFID’s deployable field hospital, which the ISAR team help to deploy, as meeting world class standards.
This is just one demonstration of the UK’s vital global leadership role, in continuing to raise the bar and push others to step up their own response.
Jul272017
The prison crisis is a stark example of failure by the Conservative government – Richard Burgon
Richard Burgon MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of
State for Justice, responding to the latest Ministry of
Justice statistics, said:
“The crisis in our prisons is a stark example of
failure by the Conservative government. Violence and assaults on staff are now
at record levels. This has resulted in a failure to rehabilitate prisoners,
meaning the system is failing to keep the public safe.
“We have also seen record numbers of prisoners
being released by mistake. With staff over worked and underpaid it is
hardly surprising that our prisons are in such a desperate state.
“The public and those who work in our prisons
deserve better.”