Is Bangladesh heading toward another ‘one-sided’ election?
12/12/2023: The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party has said it will boycott the general election on January 7, citing the arrest of its entire leadership, along with thousands of activists, over the past five weeks. The past two elections were marred by allegations of massive vote rigging. A fourth successive term for the Awami League and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina seems the likely outcome.
Source: DW
Challenges loom a week from DR Congo election
13/12/2023: Confidence in conduct of the elections in Democratic Republic of Congo is strained, as conflict rages in the east, logistical problems remain unresolved and fears over fraud linger. The sheer size of the DRC is a logistical nightmare. The European Union cancelled its election observation mission after it failed to receive permits to use satellite equipment.
Source: The East African
UN human rights declaration turns 75
10/12/2023: The UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 1948. Germany's Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock, has warned of the threat posed to the principles enshrined in that document. She opposed the position that "human rights were for fair-weather politics that are only important when there are no other problems."
Source: DW
Ugandan minister accuses West of pushing LGBTQ agenda
7/12/2023: Uganda has pushed back against criticism of its draconian anti-gay laws. US President Joe Biden as well as the European Union and UN chief Antonio Guterres have slammed the legislation, warning that foreign aid and investment for Uganda could be jeopardised unless the law is repealed.
Source: The East African
Aid rankings for sexual and reproductive health
1/12/2023: The US is the only country to allocate more than 10% of its aid budget towards sexual and reproductive health programmes. However, a new donor funding atlas takes into account the policies pursued by each donor nation, as well as the amount of finance.
Source: Devex
Rights concerns over Ugandan license plate tracking
14/11/2023: Uganda’s new surveillance system allows the government to track the real time location of all vehicles in the country. Human Rights Watch has called for the system to be scrapped, on grounds of privacy and rights to freedom of association.
Source: Human Rights Watch
Democracy ‘in trouble’ across the world
2/11/2023: Nearly half the countries across the world are seeing a decline in the robustness of their democracy, according to the Stockholm-based International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance. Several established democracies including Austria, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and the UK are deteriorating.
Source: DW
UN Human Rights Council puts abusers in guardian role
9/10/2023: Elections for new members of the UN Human Rights Council are anticipated in October. In 2023, only 30% of member countries were classified as "free" by the US think tank Freedom House. As the number of authoritarian regimes has grown globally, their presence on the Human Rights Council has increased.
Source: DW
Southeast Asia: Why is free speech not a priority?
2/10/2023: Southeast Asian countries are ranked among the worst in the world for standards of press freedom and media rights, according to a report by the Pew Research Center. A majority of respondents in three of the four surveyed Southeast Asian states agree with their governments that national "harmony" must come before free speech.
Source: DW
New map reveals state-sanctioned violence against protesters
19/9/2023: Authorities across the world are increasingly resorting to unlawful use of force and repressive legislation to crush protests, according to Amnesty International. Its new interactive map charts the numerous human rights violations perpetrated against protesters around the world.
Source: Amnesty International