Geneva - The former chief prosecutor of the international courts for Yugoslavia and Rwanda, Richard Goldstone, is to head a fact finding mission to investigate human rights violations in the Gaza Strip, the United Nations announced Friday .
Other members of the mission, to look into violations during the recent Israeli offensive in the coastal enclave, will include Hina Jilani, a Pakistani jurist and former envoy of the UN's secretary general for human rights defenders and Christine Chinkin, a professor of international law at the University of London.
Geneva - 2009 is taking on signs of being more dangerous for journalists than 2008, the Press Emblem Campaign said Thursday.
In the first three months of 2009, 35 journalists have been killed, including eight in March. Two died in Afghanistan, two in Iraq, and one each in India, Pakistan, Russia and Honduras.
During the first quarter of last year, 20 journalists were killed. In total in 2008, 91 died on duty.
The Geneva-based campaign said kidnapping also remained a looming threat to reporters.
Geneva - All countries should attend the upcoming United Nations-sponsored conference against racism, the international body's top rights expert said Thursday.
Navi Pillay, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said victims of racism would reap the greatest benefits from the conference which should not get bogged down by "diversions," a reference to parochial issues that some states had been pursuing.
Geneva - Swiss Reinsurance Co, the world's second larger re-insurer, announced Thursday it would cut by 10 per cent its current global headcount of 11,560 employees over the next 12 months.
The company also named Agostino Galvagni as Chief Operating Officer and Member of the Executive Committee, starting the beginning of next month
Swiss Re said cost-cutting measures, including the layoffs, would lead to reductions of running costs of 400 million Swiss francs (350 million dollars) by the end of 2010.
Geneva - Israel's chief diplomat in Geneva said Wednesday he was awaiting instructions from his new government before making statements regarding a two-state solution to the Middle East peace process.
"This government is committed to all previous agreements that all previous governments were committed to," said Aharon Leshno-Yaar, specifically mentioning the "road map" of former US President George W Bush.
Geneva - The US administration' announcement that it will seek a seat on the Human Rights Council has been greeted warmly by United Nations officials, who see it much in the light the US has been hoping: A step in the direction towards global engagement.
"I warmly welcome the engagement of UN member States to contribute to the important work which lies ahead of us," said Martin Ihoeghian Uhomoibhi, the president of the council in Geneva.
Geneva - The former chief prosecutor of the international courts for Yugoslavia and Rwanda, Richard Goldstone, is to head a fact finding mission to investigate human rights violations in the Gaza Strip, the United Nations announced Friday .
Geneva - 2009 is taking on signs of being more dangerous for journalists than 2008, the Press Emblem Campaign said Thursday.
Geneva - All countries should attend the upcoming United Nations-sponsored conference against racism, the international body's top rights expert said Thursday.
Geneva - Swiss Reinsurance Co, the world's second larger re-insurer, announced Thursday it would cut by 10 per cent its current global headcount of 11,560 employees over the next 12 months.
Geneva - Israel's chief diplomat in Geneva said Wednesday he was awaiting instructions from his new government before making statements regarding a two-state solution to the Middle East peace process.
Geneva - The US administration' announcement that it will seek a seat on the Human Rights Council has been greeted warmly by United Nations officials, who see it much in the light the US has been hoping: A step in the direction towards global engagement.
