GENEVA, December 8 (UNHCR) – With delegates into a second day on Thursday of a landmark UNHCR conference in Geneva, there were signs of rapidly accelerating progress in the fight to tackle statelessness – a problem afflicting millions of people worldwide.

On Wednesday evening, at a special treaty event at the Geneva Palais, Serbia and Turkmenistan became the two newest states parties to the 1961 and 1954 stateless conventions respectively, joining Panama, Nigeria, the Philippines, and Croatia in having acceded to stateless conventions during this year.

Report Issued Ahead of Annual Meeting

(Bangkok, November 23, 2011) – The new use of landmines in a handful of countries threatens to undermine progress toward banning the weapons, Human Rights Watch said today at the launch of Landmine Monitor 2011, a global report released in Bangkok. The membership in the international treaty banning antipersonnel landmines has expanded, however, to 158 countries.

ROGATICA, Bosnia and Herzegovina, November 15 (UNHCR) – In April last year, Lena Babic had her photograph taken with Hollywood star Angelina Jolie in the dilapidated building where she had lived in exile for years.

Thanks to the generosity of donors who saw this moving image in the world's press, the 78-year-old and her sister Mara, aged 73, were able to move into a modern apartment in a new housing block earlier this month.

GA/11174

Sixty-sixth General Assembly
Plenary
58th Meeting (AM)

Briefing Assembly, Officials Say Courts Winding Down Work, Need International Community’s Support to Retain Staff, Prevent ‘Impunity Gap’

As deterrents of war crimes and guards against the “baser” aspects of human nature, the International Criminal Tribunals for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia had had a far‑reaching impact over the course of their lifespan, said General Assembly delegates in a joint debate today.

Europe Report N°214 – 6 October 2011

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Briefing Notes, 23 September 2011

This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Adrian Edwards – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at the press briefing, on 23 September 2011, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

This week has seen quiet but significant developments on the sidelines of the General Assembly session in New York with regard to statelessness. Three countries, Croatia, Nigeria, and the Philippines, have all become parties to one or both of the international treaties on statelessness.

A shipment of humanitarian aid for the people of Libya sailed out from Rijeka towards Benghazi, organised by the Government of the Republic of Croatia.

The humanitarian aid worth approximately $200.000 includes a donation of medical supplies provided by the Government of the Republic of Croatia, as well as a private donation of medicines. The entire operation was coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of Croatia, which provided the funds to cover the related transport expenses.

Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia today convicted Momčilo Perišić, a former Chief of the General Staff of the Yugoslav Army, for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia and sentenced him to 27 years of imprisonment.

Belgrade, 3 Aug 2011 – The Serbian Commissariat for Refugees stated today on the occasion of 16th anniversary of beginning of the Croatian military and police operation “Storm“ that Serbia makes great efforts to create and implement programmes that will lead to lasting solutions, sustainable integration and dignified life of refugees.

On 4 August it will be 16 years since the beginning of operation “Storm“ in which in only a few days 2,500 Serbs were killed, 200,000 expelled to Serbia and 2,300 are still missing.