These are unprecedented times and our countries are facing challenges on a scale we could scarcely have imagined. IOI President Peter Tyndall and IOI Secretary General Werner Amon would like to address IOI members in these difficult times.

Within the space of a few weeks, Coronavirus (COVID-19) has had a profound impact on daily life, with many facing restrictions upon personal movement and personal freedoms to enable the authorities to better combat the pandemic through public health emergency measures. The UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) issued today advice related to the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19).

Dunja Mijatović, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe (CoE), called on all CoE member states to review the situation of rejected asylum seekers and irregular migrants in immigration detention, and to release them to the maximum extent possible.

Catalina Devandas, UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, warns that little has been done to provide people with disabilities with the guidance and support needed to protect them during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, even though many of them are part of the high-risk group, today warned

The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has published today a statement of principles relating to the treatment of persons deprived of their liberty in the context of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

Le Comité pour la prévention de la torture et des peines ou traitements inhumains ou dégradants (CPT) du Conseil de l'Europe publie aujourd’hui une déclaration de principes relative au traitement des personnes privées de liberté dans le contexte de la pandémie de coronavirus (COVID-19).

Les hacemos llegar la publicación con las ponencias y mesas de trabajo que se llevaron a cabo en el Primer Encuentro Binacional de Organismos Gubernamentales de Derechos Humanos - Comisiones de DDHH de México y Defensorías del Pueblo de la República Argentina, realizado en el mes de junio de 2019 en la Ciudad de Buenos Aires.

Following the declaration of State of Emergency aimed at preventing the spread of Novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the Human Rights Defender received complaints from persons with disabilities requesting the Defender's support in accessing information. 

Aujourd’hui, l’OMS/Europe a publié des recommandations provisoires sur la gestion de la maladie à coronavirus (COVID-19) dans les prisons et autres lieux de détention, intitulées « Preparedness, prevention and control of COVID-19 in prisons and other places of detention » [Préparation, prévention et lutte contre la COVID-19 dans les prisons et autres lieux de détention]. Ces recommandations contiennent des informations utiles pour le personnel et les prestataires de soins de santé travaillant dans les prisons, ainsi que pour les autorités pénitentiaires.

Today, WHO/Europe has published interim guidance on how to deal with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in prisons and other places of detention, entitled “Preparedness, prevention and control of COVID-19 in prisons and other places of detention”. The guidance provides useful information to staff and health care providers working in prisons, and to prison authorities.

Taiwan is located on the circum-Pacific earthquake zone, where thousands of earthquakes occur every year. To enhance the seismic resistance of public buildings, the Executive Yuan (EY) in June 2000 ratified a project to assess and fortify their seismic resistance; however the execution was less than ideal. The Control Yuan (CY) thus launched an investigation to protect the lives and property of citizens.