Despite the annihilation of two major Japanese cities in 1945, atomic bombs have not been relegated to the pages of history books, but continue to be developed today – with increasingly more power to destroy than they had when unleashed on Hiroshima and Nagasaki back in 1945.  

A new bill being debated by lawmakers in the United Kingdom increases the risk of discrimination and “serious human rights violations” and breaches the country's obligations under international law, five independent UN human rights experts said on Friday.

Authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and in neighbouring Serbia, must condemn and refrain from any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said on Friday. 

Iran must halt the looming execution of juvenile offender Hossein Shahbazi, four experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council said on Thursday. 

UN human rights officials have welcomed the “historic” conviction on Thursday by a German court of a former senior Syrian intelligence officer, for crimes against humanity. 

As the death toll from the recent unrest in Kazakhstan mounts to 164, the UN Office for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Tuesday requested “prompt, independent, impartial investigations” into the killings, and whether “unnecessary and disproportionate use of force was made by security forces”.

Authorities in Tunisia are being urged to immediately release - or properly charge - former justice minister Noureddine Bhiri, and another man, who have been detained under suspected terrorism offences, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said on Tuesday.

The use of explosives that lie dormant, particularly in populated areas, is “a persistent and growing threat to children and their families”, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday, expressing deep sadness over the death of eight students in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan.

A group of independent human rights experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council has condemned the continued operation of the Guantánamo Bay detention facility in Cuba as a site of “unparalleled notoriety” and “a stain on the US Government’s commitment to the rule of law”.

Amid alarming reports of deadly violence in Kazakhstan, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Central Asia have called for restraint and dialogue.  

Fifty-five journalists and media professionals were killed last year, latest UN data showed on Thursday, with nearly nine in 10 killings since 2006 still unresolved. 

The arrest and detention of at least 29 casino union leaders and activists during a strike that began on New Year’s Eve in Cambodia, may represent a breach of human rights law, independent UN rights experts said on Wednesday. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how critical it is to ensure essential information is accessible to everyone, including people living with disabilities.  On World Braille Day, observed on 4 January, UN agencies have been highlighting how they are promoting a disability-inclusive response to the crisis. 

The winner of this year’s Photography4Humanity prize is Indian photographer Apratim Pal, for his picture “A Thirsty Earth”, which captures both the environmental and human costs of the escalating climate crisis in West Bengal, India.

Azerbaijani activist Maryam Majidova is fighting to improve gender equality in her country, and address the daily challenges faced by women and girls.

Reported killings and injuries during peaceful demonstrations in Sudan is a cause for deep concern, said the UN human rights office on Friday (OHCHR).

Conflict, health crises and the climate emergency may have dominated headlines this year but, behind the scenes, countless unsung heroes were working tirelessly to put the values of the UN into action. Here are some of the inspiring personal stories we featured on our UN News pages during 2021.

Armed conflict, inter-communal violence and insecurity continued to take a devastating toll on thousands of children throughout 2021, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), warned on Friday. 

The Security Council condemned on Wednesday the reported killing of at least 35 people, including four children and two humanitarian workers in Myanmar’s Kayah State on 24 December.

France should consider the economic and development benefits of partnership with people of African descent, the head of a Working Group appointed by the UN Human Rights Council said in a statement on Monday.