Latest

Bishop José Raúl Vera López, the 2010 Rafto Prize laureate, is a strong defender for Mexico’s most vulnerable, and once again he gave a voice to their struggles at business seminar in Bergen on 3 November and Rafto Symposium on 4 November 2011

A former Kirti monk set fire to himself in a protest on the main street in Ngaba (Chinese: Aba) county town just before noon on October 15, according to exiled Tibetan sources. Norbu Damdrul, a 19-year old former monk at Kirti monastery in Ngaba, shouted “We need freedom and independence for Tibet,” and called for the return of the Dalai Lama to Tibet as his body was burning

On 4 November Frank Mugisha, the laureate of rafto prize 2011, in his keynote address at the Rafto Symposium spoke about his work for LGBT people in Uganda and the challenges human rights defenders are facing. The annual Rafto symposium included a number of famous human rights defenders who talked about challenges HR defenders are facing in the future.

The United Nations Human Rights Committee engaged on 24 and 25 October a dialogue with the Norwegian government on questions related to the implementation of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in the country. Discussions were enriched by the Norwegian NGO Forum for Human Rights that submitted a report and its replies to the List of Issues to the Committee.

The United Nations Human Rights Committee concluded its review of the 6th periodic report of Norway on questions relating to the promotion and protection of human rights in the country.

The human rights record of Norway will on Monday, 24 October, face the scrutiny of the United Nations Human Rights Committee in a meeting that will be webcast live on the Internet.

Frank Mugisha-Executive Director of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) will be awarded Rafto prize on November 6th

The 2011 Rafto Prize is awarded to Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG). Frank Mugisha, Executive Director of SMUG, will receive the award on behalf of the organisation. The Prize is awarded to SMUG for its work to make fundamental human rights apply to everyone, and to eliminate discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

Series of cross-border air strikes by Turkey has killed up to 100 Kurdish guerrillas in northern Iraq, according to the Turkish military leadership. However, government’s continued military action against Kurds is criticised both by the opposition and many Middle East analysts. The ruling party is also blamed for inability to stop the oppression of its ethnic minorities and silencing critical voices.