In an announcement, Volker Türk urged authorities in Kampala to repeal it in its entirety, along with different discriminatory laws handed into regulation by parliamentary majority.
“Near 600 persons are reported to have been subjected to human rights violations and abuses primarily based on their precise or imputed sexual orientation or gender identification” since being enacted final Might, mentioned Mr. Türk.
“It should be repealed in its entirety or sadly this quantity will solely rise.”
He referred to as on politicians to uphold the rights and dignity of all, no matter sexual orientation or gender identification.
“Criminalization of and software of the demise penalty to consensual same-sex relations are opposite to Uganda’s worldwide human rights treaty obligations.”
Constitutional rights
He identified that even Uganda’s personal structure calls for equal therapy and non-discrimination.
“It’s essential that the authorities additionally repeal Part 145 of the Penal Code Act, which additionally imposes prison penalties for consensual same-sex sexual relations”, he added, along with enshrining sexual orientation and gender identification “as prohibited grounds for discrimination.”
Mr. Türk mentioned there wanted to be “a conducive surroundings for all human rights defenders – together with LGBTQ rights advocates – to hold out their reliable human rights work” together with by enabling them be work overtly with out discrimination and train their rights to freedom of expression, affiliation and peaceable meeting.
Healthcare in Haiti below assault by armed gangs
Hospitals in Haiti’s capital have come under increasing attack by armed gangs, with some being looted amidst the continued turmoil, the UN humanitarian coordination workplace, OCHA, reported on Wednesday.
Two healthcare amenities in Port-au-Prince have been compelled to close down, whereas two others stay closed regardless of plans to reopen, after being shuttered because of the rising violence.
Solely La Paix College Hospital stays operational within the capital space, and it has come below vital pressure as a consequence of rising demand for its providers.
The Delmas 18 Hospital and Saint Martin well being centre have been each looted on 26 and 27 of March.
PAHO, the UN-administered Pan American Well being Group, is offering it with important provides resembling medicines, gasoline, and logistical help to assist it preserve providers going.
Pharmacies raided
According to OCHA, armed teams have additionally focused and raided some 10 pharmacies in Haiti’s capital, severely hindering public entry to medicines.
Rising violence has additionally affected the work of HIV and tuberculosis service websites. Native UNAIDS providers are collaborating with Haiti’s Well being Ministry, with HIV testing being prioritized.
Amid a political vacuum, Haiti’s highly effective gangs have launched coordinated assaults on numerous targets since February, together with police stations, prisons, airports, and seaports, ensuing within the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry three weeks in the past.
Whereas a state of emergency is in impact, a transitional authorities has but to be established.
On Tuesday the World Meals Programme (WFP) distributed scorching meals to over 28,000 individuals within the capital and final week the UN well being company (WHO), kids’s company (UNICEF) and native companions carried out practically 600 consultations in displacement websites.
UN in Sudan and South Sudan staff as much as make essential assist deliveries
Responding to the crucial wants of civilians impacted by the continued warfare in Sudan, the World Well being Group’s (WHO) nation groups there and in neighbouring South Sudan have teamed up to ship provides to the Blue Nile and Nuba Mountains.
The continued disaster has considerably impeded the power of the WHO workplace in Sudan to entry and ship important emergency medical provides to the 2 areas, mentioned WHO in an announcement on Wednesday.
By leveraging the South Sudan workplace’s logistical experience, and out there assets, emergency well being kits have been prepositioned from present stockpiles in areas alongside the Sudan-South Sudan border, guaranteeing well timed and efficient help to these in dire want.
Dedication to collaboration
The joint effort is a testomony to the dedication of each workplaces to cross-border collaboration, and the inter-agency emergency well being provides are anticipated to serve roughly 830,000 individuals within the conflict-affected Blue Nile and Nuba Mountains areas for the subsequent three months.
The cargo is the second that WHO South Sudan has been capable of ship throughout the border for the reason that outbreak of the brutal battle between rival militaries practically a yr in the past.
The dispatch of the provides is a part of WHO’s steady reduction efforts in help of the Sudanese individuals, the company mentioned.
Egypt should halt executions, urge UN human rights consultants
A bunch of unbiased UN human rights consultants on Wednesday expressed grave concern after demise sentences have been handed all the way down to seven individuals by Egypt’s highest court docket in January, within the years lengthy so-called “Helwan Brigade” counter-terrorism case.
Their executions would represent arbitrary killings in violation of the appropriate to life as a consequence of unfair trials and different human rights violations, they mentioned in an announcement.
Suspected Helwan Brigade members have been accused of focusing on safety forces within the wake of the army coup towards former democratically-elected President Mohamed Morsi greater than 10 years in the past.
Observe worldwide regulation
“Capital punishment might solely be carried out after a authorized course of that ensures the entire safeguards required by worldwide human rights regulation,” the Human Rights Council-appointed consultants mentioned.
The circumstances allegedly concerned grave violations of worldwide regulation, together with enforced disappearances and incommunicado detention, torture and compelled confessions, denial of entry to attorneys and household visits, protracted pre-trial detention, solitary confinement, and mass trials earlier than particular terrorism courts which didn’t meet honest trial requirements.
“Egypt has additionally didn’t independently and successfully examine and treatment these alleged violations as required by worldwide and Egyptian regulation,” they mentioned.
The demise sentences additional violate worldwide regulation as a result of they’re primarily based on convictions for obscure and overly broad terrorist offences, the consultants added.
There’s additionally an actual threat that executions in apply might represent prohibited torture or merciless, inhuman and degrading therapy.
“We urge Egypt to halt these executions, to independently examine the alleged human rights violations and overview the judicial proceedings in gentle of Egypt’s worldwide obligations,” they mentioned.
Rapporteurs and different UN rights consultants are unbiased of any authorities, will not be UN staffers and obtain no wage for his or her work.
