A girl among the rubble of her school in the suburbs of Kyiv. Main news of the day | Monday: HRC, Afghanistan, IAEA, protection of education Human rights
Main news of the day in the UN and in the world: UN High Commissioner Volker Türk spoke at the opening of the 57th session of the Human Rights Council, systematic oppression of women in Afghanistan, meeting of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency, International Day for Protection from Attacks in Education.
Human Rights Council
The world is at a “fork in the road” and must choose between a “dystopia” and a future in which human rights and justice prevail. This was emphasized by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, speaking on the first day of the 57th session of the Human Rights Council. He called for a stronger commitment to human rights as the foundation of peace, sustainable development and justice. Türk stressed that “work on human rights is crucial for peace,” and international institutions such as the UN Human Rights Office must be supported accordingly.
The situation in Afghanistan
In his address to the Human Rights Council, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan recalled the systematic oppression of women and called on the international community to include Afghan women and civil society representatives in all processes concerning the country’s future and to keep human rights at the forefront. He informed the Council of the alarming situation of minorities, children, LGBTIQ representatives, human rights defenders and journalists, as well as older persons and people with disabilities, who are suffering as a result of the worsening humanitarian crisis.
Nuclear Safety
The situation at the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant remains extremely difficult. This was stated by IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi on Monday, speaking at a meeting of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna. According to him, IAEA experts continue to assess the current situation at the Zaporizhzhya NPP. Grossi also briefly spoke about his recent visit to the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant. He stressed that nuclear safety is paramount and that no nuclear power plant, wherever it is located, should be a military target.
Attacks on schools
The start of the school year was marked for Ukraine by a series of deadly attacks, children were forced to hide in shelters, many were injured, and school buildings were damaged. On the International Day for Protection from Attacks in Education, which is celebrated on September 9, the head of the UN called for ensuring safe learning conditions for all children in the world. Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, 2,180 children have been killed and wounded in Ukraine. More than 1,300 educational institutions have been damaged and destroyed. These are only UN-confirmed figures; the real numbers could be much higher.