Jeremy Laurence described how on June 4, a group of 63 men and women were publicly subjected to mass flogging at a sports field in the city of Sar-e-pul for a series of alleged crimes, including “running away from home” and “moral crimes.”
Nearly 50 men and 15 women were reportedly flogged between 15 and 39 times before being sent back to prison to serve their sentences. The punishment was reportedly carried out in the presence of members of the Taliban authorities and hundreds of local residents, Laurence said.
Clear violations
“Corporal punishment is a clear violation of international human rights law” and Afghanistan is a party to both the Convention against Torture and the Convention against Torture. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rightshe added.
“Under international law, all people have the right to be treated with respect for their inherent human dignity and equality.”
He urged Taliban authorities to immediately cease all forms of corporal punishment and ensure full respect for due process and fair trial procedures, “in particular access to legal representation, for anyone facing criminal charges.”
UNHCR: Nearly three million refugees will need resettlement by 2025
More than 2.9 million refugees worldwide will need resettlement next year, according to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said Wednesday.
The estimate indicates an increase of 20 percent compared to 2024, equivalent to half a million refugees; The alarming trend is driven by ongoing mass displacement, new conflicts and the effects of climate change.
The highest needs in Syria
UNHCR projections indicate that Syrian refugees uprooted by civil war have the highest resettlement needs for the ninth consecutive year, at more than 900,000.
Afghan refugees are next in line – at over half a million, followed by South Sudan (242,000), Myanmar’s Rohingya (226,000), Sudan (172,000) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (158,000).
The need for resettlement has also risen sharply in the Americas, due to unprecedented levels of displacement there, the UN refugee agency said, as it called on more countries to take in vulnerable individuals who would otherwise likely face exploitation by people smugglers and traders.
UNESCO unveils tools to increase climate action education in schools
On the occasion of World Environment Day, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) new instruments launched for “greener education” in classrooms, highlighting the importance of involving young people in solutions to the climate crisis.
In 2021, UNESCO conducted an analysis that found that around 47 percent of 100 national curricula discussed climate change. It also emerged that several of the young people interviewed could not explain climate disruption and were reportedly concerned about teaching the subject.
As a result, Audrey Azoulay, Director General of UNESCO, ensured that environmental education was a “priority in terms of the support the Organization provides to its Member States.”
“Greening schools and curricula is one of the best tools to tackle long-term climate disruption.” said Mrs. Azoulay. “It is time to mainstream environmental education in all school subjects, at all levels of education, with an action-oriented approach that helps young people understand their power to make a difference.”
New roles
UNESCO says a new report it co-published warns that educational institutions have focused more on environmental issues than on how to address them – which the organization says “fails to show students the role they can play in tackling the climate crisis’.
