Summary: 1 June 2013, Singapore - Speech delivered by European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton on "Defending national interests, preventing conflict" at the Shangri-La Dialogue

Human Rights Council

Twenty-third session

Agenda item 3

Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development

Regional study: management of the external borders of the European Union and its impact on the human rights of migrants*

Summary

Une stratégie unique qui englobe pour la première fois l’aide humanitaire, la coopération technique et financière, les mesures de politique économique et commerciale et la coopération avec les pays de l’Est : ce tournant important a été salué aussi bien par le Parlement que par l’opinion publique, soulignent le directeur de la DDC Martin Dahinden et Marie-Gabrielle Ineichen-Fleisch, Secrétaire d’Etat et directrice du SECO, dans le rapport annuel 2012 sur la coopération internationale de la Suisse qui vient de sortir de presse.

"Civilians bear the brunt of this crisis in which human rights violations have reached horrific dimensions. Confronted with the flagrant disregard of international law and human life on every side, I feel utter dismay," said Pillay.

Period covered by this Final Report: 24 February 2011 to 30 September, 2012.

Appeal coverage: Up to 31 September 2012 the level of the appeal coverage has reached 74 per cent through cash and in-kind contributions

Appeal history:

• CHF150,000 was allocated on 24 January 2011, from the IFRC’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) to support the Tunisian Red Crescent (TRC) in its response to civil unrest in Tunisia.

Testimony, Donald Y. Yamamoto
Acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs
Opening Statement
Washington, DC
May 21, 2013

[Before the House Subcommittees on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights; International Organizations; Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade; Middle East and North Africa]

CAIRO, 16 May 2013 (IRIN) - Until government and revolutionary forces attacked the Libyan town of Bani Walid, about 170km southeast of the capital Tripoli in October last year, Abdullah Warfella had been determined never to leave.

But after two weeks of imprisonment and torture, the 68-year-old former contractor fled.

"They accused me of supporting [former ruler Muammar] Gaddafi during the revolution, which is not true at all," Warfella told IRIN in Cairo. "These people have turned life into hell for people, not just in Bani Walid, but everywhere in Libya."

(Tunis, May 13, 2013) – Tunisia’s National Constituent Assembly (NCA) should modify articles in the new draft constitution that threaten human rights, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch analyzed the draft constitution to identify human rights concerns.

HIGHLIGHTS

• A 7.8 earthquake hit South-Eastern Iran on 16 April, close to the border with Pakistan. The impact was felt in both countries, with 14 people killed, 73 injured and two missing.

• New and worsening humanitarian crises since 2011 have led to a considerable increase in CERF allocations to the MENA region. The largest recipients have been Pakistan, Syria and Yemen.