SYRIA AS A PRIORITY FOR UN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSIONER.

On the 27^th of May the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms Navy Pillay, opened the 23^rd session of the Human Rights Council expressing her deep concern for the brutal human rights violations presently occurring in Syria, and she strongly urged the International Community to act to put an end to the violence and come to an immediate and lasting solution to the conflict.  She defined the Syrian situation as “an intolerable affront to the human conscience”.  While strongly condemning the violations of human rights and of the international humanitarian law perpetrated by regime’s forces as well as by the rebels, the High Commissioner affirmed that the International Community cannot and must not continue to ignore the plea of the Syrian people. “I fear that we in the international community are failing to meet our fundamental obligations to the victims”. Ms Pillay urged the States to work to put an end to this humanitarian disaster, even if, she affirmed “it sometimes seems that we can do little more than cry out in the darkness and try to count the dead”.

Third International Conference "VOLUNTEERISM - AVENUE FOR SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION"

The Conference «Volunteerism – Avenue for Social Transformation» is an annual international forum aimed at forming effective cooperation among volunteers from different countries and at disseminating information and experiences of successful social voluntary practices.

This year the Conference took place on the 14^th and 15^th of May 2013 at Palais des Nations in Geneva.

15th May: International Day of Family

Today we want to propose to you the Message of the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon for the International Day of Family 2013:  

"Families hold societies together, and intergenerational relationships extend this legacy over time.  This year’s International Day of Families is an occasion to celebrate connections among all members of the constellation that makes up a family.  It is also an opportunity to reflect on how they are affected by social and economic trends – and what we can do to strengthen families in response.

Unemployment is forcing many young people, often eager for independence, to rely on their parents longer than they would have hoped.  The lack of affordable and quality childcare is complicating efforts by parents in dual-earner families to combine their work and home obligations.  Inadequate pensions and care for older persons demands more attention as we succeed in our goal of extending lives.

The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights opens fiftieth session with an important innovation.

On April 29, 2013 the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR), opened its fiftieth session with an important innovation: on the fifth of May of this year, the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights will enter into force, meaning that victims of violations of rights stated in the Covenant will be allowed to submit statements to the Committee and seek justice at the international level.