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The Burmese government was urged by countries around the world during the tenth session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group, to end violations of the right to freedom of expression and other human rights, prosecute perpetrators of human rights abuses, and begin a process of real reform in the country.

Hunger and malnutrition in Nepal is still widespread and affects at least 4 million of its population, says Sabine Pabst from FIAN International. Yesterday Nepal’s human rights situation was reviewed for the first time under the United Nations Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism. FIAN sent a report to the UPR working group in which several cases of violations of the right to food are denounced and recommendations to the Nepalese government presented.

Norwegian authorities call on Norwegian companies not to invest in Burma (Republic of the Union of Myanmar), while Norway is complicit in grave human rights abuses through the state owned Pension Fund’s investments in controversial companies in the Burmese oil and gas sector, says the Norwegian Burma Committee.

15 Norwegian organisations and political parties in Oslo appealed to the Norwegian authorities to increase their pressure on Republic of Belarus and demand release of all arested after the preisdential elections on 19 December. Around 35-40 persons in front of the Norwegian Parliament demonstrated in support of human rights defenders and political prisoners in the Republic of Belarus.

Amnesty International Norway and the Norwegian Helsinki Committee react strongly against the arrest and planned deportation of Maria Amelie, 25-years-old, whose parents left Caucasus when she was still a child. Maria Amelie has chosen to show a paperless face through her book and various appearances in the Norwegian society. Now she stands in danger of being deported.

A number of organizations in the Norwegian NGO-forum for Human Rights submitted a report to the United Nations Human Rights Committee regarding Norway’s respect of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The report presents alternative information to the Committee regarding the implementation of ICCPR by Norway. The report also suggests recommendations to both Norway and the Committee.

Four candidates for presidential elections in the Republic of Belarus in 2010 – Aliaksei Mikhalevich, Uladzimir Niakliayeu (right), Andrei Sannikov and Mikalai Statkevich – are still in custody along with campaign leaders, relatives and party leaders and activists, Human Rights Center Viasna, partner of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, reports. Several of the prisoners have been severely beaten and in need of medical attention which they are denied.

SLUG invites to a seminar to launch the report “Debt at the expense of human rights” that looks at how debt servicing goes beyond health care, education and other services that all people, according to their individual and universal human rights, are entitled to. The report’s author is Line Madsen Simenstad from SLUG.

The Turkish / British author and former head of International PEN Writers in Prison Committee, Moris Farhi, holds the lecture “The Courage to Forget” in which he asks whether we have the courage to forget about wars and conflicts. Interview with Norwegian journalist Christian Borch and debate after the lecture. Tuesday 15 February at 19:00, the House of Literature, Amalie Skram.