Bi-weekly press briefing - Protests around the world - OHCHR
/
2:47
/
MP4
/
112.8 MB

Edited News | OHCHR

Bi-weekly press briefing: Protests around the world - OHCHR

Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: Ravina Shamdasani on protests and unrest around the world

Date: 25 October 2019

Location: Geneva

Subject: Press briefing Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)

At the United Nations briefing in Geneva Ravina Shamdasani spokesperson for the Office of the UN high Commissioner for Human Rights, comments on the Protests and unrest around the world.

SOUNDBITE (English)— Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) “As you are all aware current or very recent protests, some of which we will talk about today, include ones taking place in Bolivia, Chile, Hong Kong, Ecuador, Egypt, Guinea, Haiti, Iraq and Lebanon. And of course, we have also seen major protests taking place earlier in the year in Algeria, Honduras, Nicaragua, Malawi, Russia, Sudan Zimbabwe, as well as in a number of EU countries, including France, Spain and the UK. And this list is far from exhaustive, there are several other that we have not mentioned here.”

Of course, the reasons behind these protests are complex and varied, and it is important not to come to sweeping conclusions. There are common threads among many of the protests: populations that are fed up and angry, especially with socio-economic conditions, corruption, inequalities and the general widening gap between rich and poor.

These sentiments are exacerbated by growing mistrust of institutions of government, politicians and ruling elites. Some protests have been triggered by one or two specific developments, and have then metamorphosed into expressions of deep public dissatisfaction on a whole range of issues spanning the political, social and economic spectrum.

Some have been fanned by poor government responses or by excessive use of force against the initial protestors, which have brought tens of thousands more people into the streets in solidarity with those who have been killed, injured or arrested by security forces who in many cases have failed to abide by international standards governing use of force, and tried to obstruct fundamental human rights such as freedom of peaceful assembly and association, and of expression.”

ENDS

For more information and media requests, please contact: Rupert Colville - + 41 22 917 9767/rcolville@ohchr.org or Ravina Shamdasani - + 41 22 917 9169/rshamdasani@ohchr.org or Marta Hurtado - + 41 22 917 9466/mhurtado@ohchr.org

Tag and share—Twitter: @UNHumanRights and Facebook: unitednationshumanrights

SHOTLIST

  1. Wide shot: briefing room Palais des Nations Geneva

SOUNDBITE (English)— Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “As you are all aware current or very recent protests, some of which we will talk about today, include ones taking place in Bolivia, Chile, Hong Kong, Ecuador, Egypt, Guinea, Haiti, Iraq and Lebanon. And of course, we have also seen major protests taking place earlier in the year in Algeria, Honduras, Nicaragua, Malawi, Russia, Sudan Zimbabwe, as well as in a number of EU countries, including France, Spain and the UK. And this list is far from exhaustive, there are several other that we have not mentioned here.”

  1. Cut away: Medium shot Audience attending the press briefing
  2. SOUNDBITE (English)— Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “Of course the reasons behind these protests are complex and varied, and it is important not to come to sweeping conclusions. There are common threads among many of the protests: populations that are fed up and angry, especially with socio-economic conditions, corruption, inequalities and the general widening gap between rich and poor.”
  3. Cut away: Journalists typing
  4. SOUNDBITE (English)— Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “These sentiments are exacerbated by growing mistrust of institutions of government, politicians and ruling elites. Some protests have been triggered by one or two specific developments, and have then metamorphosed into expressions of deep public dissatisfaction on a whole range of issues spanning the political, social and economic spectrum.”
  5. Cut away: journalist typing
  6. SOUNDBITE (English)— Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “Some have been fanned by poor government responses or by excessive use of force against the initial protestors, which have brought tens of thousands more people into the streets in solidarity with those who have been killed, injured or arrested by security forces who in many cases have failed to abide by international standards governing use of force, and tried to obstruct fundamental human rights such as freedom of peaceful assembly and association, and of expression.”
  7. Cut away: Various cut aways

Similar Stories

HRC - Press Conference: Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory 13 March 2025

2

1

1

Press Conferences , Edited News | HRC

HRC - Press Conference: Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory 13 March 2025 ENG FRA

Senior human rights investigators reporting to the Human Rights Council alleged on Thursday that sexual and gender-based violence by Israeli security forces against Palestinian men, women and children have been increasingly used “as a method of war” following the 7 October 2023 attacks that sparked the Gaza war.

Rohingya Cox's Bazar update - UNICEF

1

1

1

Edited News | UNICEF

Rohingya Cox's Bazar update - UNICEF ENG FRA

Bangladesh: Humanitarians describe ‘extreme desperation’ as aid cuts deepen Rohingya children’s suffering

In Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar refugee settlements, child malnutrition has surged and cuts in aid funding risk creating a humanitarian “catastrophe”, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned on Tuesday.

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Thameen Al Kheetan on Syria

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Thameen Al Kheetan on Syria ENG FRA

The UN Human Rights Office on Tuesday gave an update on the situation in Syria’s coastal region as reports continue to emerge of the distressing scale of violence there since 6 March. 

DR Congo crisis update - UNHCR 07 March 2025

1

1

1

Edited News | UNHCR

DR Congo crisis update - UNHCR 07 March 2025 ENG FRA

The aid response in Burundi to the crisis in neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) “is literally buckling”, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, warned on Friday, as it relayed dramatic testimonies from people forced to flee the unchecked advance of Rwanda-backed M23 rebels.

DRC displacement crisis - UNHCR

1

1

1

Edited News | UNHCR

DRC displacement crisis - UNHCR ENG FRA

Close to 80,000 have fled DR Congo amid fighting, sexual violence: UNHCR

In the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), insecurity and horrific sexual violence have pushed tens of thousands to flee across borders with no sign of the exodus stopping, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Tuesday.

HRC58 - UN Human Rights High Commissioner Volker Türk  global update speech

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

HRC58 - UN Human Rights High Commissioner Volker Türk global update speech ENG FRA

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Monday delivered his global update to the Human Rights Council, highlighting key issues and trends, and the human rights situation in more than 30 countries. 

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on the human rights situation in Myanmar

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on the human rights situation in Myanmar ENG FRA

The UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk told the Human Rights Council in Geneva that the human rights situation in Myanmar was among the worst in the world. 

Haiti children in armed groups - UNICEF 28 February 2025

1

1

1

Edited News | UNICEF

Haiti children in armed groups - UNICEF 28 February 2025 ENG FRA

Haiti: Massive surge in child armed group recruitment – UNICEF

The ongoing emergency in Haiti is crushing children’s chances of an education and a better future as scores of youngsters are recruited by heavily armed and violent gangs, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned on Friday.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on situation in Sudan

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on situation in Sudan ENG FRA

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk today called on UN member states to act with urgency towards a ceasefire and to ease the suffering of the Sudanese people.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory ENG FRA

“We are at an inflection point in the crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” the UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk told the Human Rights Council in Geneva.  

Nicaragua - Human Rights Council

1

1

1

Edited News | HRC

Nicaragua - Human Rights Council ENG FRA

Investigators tasked by the UN Human Rights Council to track alleged grave abuses of power by top Nicaraguan officials on Wednesday insisted that the International Court of Justice should prosecute what they called the systematic and systemic repression of the country’s people.

OPT health update - WHO

1

1

Edited News | WHO

OPT health update - WHO ENG FRA

Gaza: Polio campaign reaches target, additional medical corridors needed, says WHO 

The second mass polio vaccination campaign in Gaza has reached almost 548,000 children under the age of 10, according to the UN health agency (WHO). That represents 92 per cent of the 591,000 due to be vaccinated, said Dr Rik Peeperkorn, Representative of the World Health Organization in the occupied Palestinian territories (OPT) to journalists in Geneva via videolink from Gaza.