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Dalit men take a bathe at an open place in Dhaka, Bangladesh
Dalit men take a bathe at an open place as they have limited water and toilet facilities, in Dhaka, Bangladesh
© EPA/Abir Abdullah

Stigma: an obstacle to universal access to water and sanitation

States have an obligation to combat stigmatization that prevents marginalized groups from claiming their rights to water and sanitation, says Catarina de Albuquerque, UN Special Rapporteur on the right to water and sanitation.


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Human rights activist Maha Rashed of Yemen. © OHCHR

Minority Fellow Maha Rashed: speaking up for the rights of Al-Akhdam women

“They are isolated from society,” says Maha Rashed, of her own community—the Al-Akhdam minority group in Yemen. Rashed participated in the UN Human Rights Office Minorities Fellowship Programme in Geneva.
Old woman in Khemisset Province, Morocco. © UN Photo

Older persons, “free and equal in dignity and rights”

By 2050, seniors will represent 20% of the world’s population. However, their rights are not well-protected in the current international human rights framework.

Human Rights in the news 

Pillay / LGBT parade in Serbia
High Commissioner Navi Pillay urges Serbian authorities to lift the ban on a pride parade for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and confront prejudice against minorities.

Rights defenders in Tunisia
Two United Nations and African human rights experts urge the Tunisian authorities to ensure full participation of rights defenders in the drafting of the new Constitution.

EU banking sector reform
Reacting to the ‘Liikanen report’, UN experts on extreme poverty, external debt and equitable order call for EU banking sector reform in line with States’ human rights obligations.

High-level visit to Mali
UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Ivan Šimonović will visit Mali from 5 to 8 October 2012 to undertake an assessment of the human rights situation in the country.

Honduras killings / security
UN experts have expressed their dismay at the killing of prominent human rights lawyer Antonio Trejo Cabrera in Honduras, amidst serious concerns for the security of human rights defenders in the country.

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From : 01-10-2012 To : 19-10-2012
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