Secretary General Matthias K. Boehning in the UN’s General Assembly Hall in New York © ISHR

Dear members, friends, and partners of the International Society for Human Rights,

the last few weeks have been full of events of global significance – both extremely worrying developments but also positive signs of international efforts for peace, understanding and respect for human rights. We are looking with great consternation towards the Middle East, where there is a noticeable escalation of the conflicts between Israel and its neighbouring countries, and where an even fiercer region-wide war is looming.

The ongoing crises, conflicts and wars in many parts of the world (be it in Ukraine, Sudan, Myanmar, Haiti, Yemen or the Democratic Republic of the Congo) continue to keep the world and us in our global network in suspense. At the same time, the world’s heads of state and government recently gathered in New York for the ‘Summit of the Future’ to discuss multilateralism and better as well as more effective cooperation at the United Nations level.

However right and important this approach may be, the outcome of what many experts consider to be the most important UN summit of this decade is disappointing and, in view of the global challenges (including the ongoing climate change, technological development and the question of how to deal with artificial intelligence and the still rampant poverty and hunger in the world), it is, of course, falling far short.

I participated as an NGO observer in the Summit of the Future in New York benefiting from ISHR’s ECOSOC accreditation. While the summit’s results could have and should have been much more far-reaching, the days in New York were a good opportunity to make new connections (and strengthen existing ones) with representatives of Permanent Missions from various UN Member States and within the NGO community. One of the topics I dealt with more intensely during these days was the protection of civic spaces globally and the access to as well as participation of civil society organizations in key UN processes. We joined the UNMute Civil Society initiative, which was launched in 2020 as a collaborative effort between member states and civil society to highlight and expand the shrinking civic space at the UN. As of today, the UNMute recommendations prepared by civil society organisations with support from the Permanent Mission of Denmark and the Permanent Mission of Costa Rica have been endorsed by 52 member states and over 500 civil society members. By supporting the initiative, we emphasise the importance of civil society monitoring and constructively critical accompaniment of events within our societies around the world, but also at the level of international relations and multilateral efforts to solve the most pressing problems of our time.

This newsletter is an expression of this necessary vibrant civil society. The contributions from different parts of the world and a great variety of authors contain critical analyses of current political and human rights developments, tell of serious violations of human rights and approaches to practical and legal assistance for the people who are affected. Join us on an insightful journey to Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Lebanon, Lithuania, Pakistan, Uganda and Venezuela.

And as always: stay in touch with us and continue to support us ideally, financially, through your contacts, insights, commitment and knowledge.

Matthias Boehning
Secretary General, ISHR