The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is set to return to operate in Venezuela, signaling a thaw in relations between the South American nation and the international community. The announcement came from President Nicolas Maduro during an event at the Miraflores presidential palace on Tuesday, where he was joined by International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Karim Khan, who is currently investigating Venezuela for possible crimes against humanity.
Former two-time Chilean President Michelle Bachelet Monday delivered a speech she said was her last as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Conditions in Venezuela’s prisons are “beyond monstrous”, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said, before calling for an independent and transparent investigation into the death of a leading political opponent of the Government. Issuing the alert in Geneva, OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said that there were specific concerns for the well-being of 59 Colombian nationals, who’ve been held for more than two years without being charged.
Speaking to the media just days after the signing of the historic peace agreement in Colombia and ahead of the 2 October national poll in which Colombians will have their say on the accord, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights reiterated that his Office (OHCHR) will continue to follow the progress of the human rights aspects of the agreement.
The United Nations human rights expert on racism urged Argentina to take urgent measures to sustainably address the invisibility, marginalization and systematic exclusion of indigenous peoples in the country. The UN assessed during a week in Argentina, the situation of indigenous peoples, peoples of African descent, migrants from the region and beyond, and other groups.