“Allegations of egregious human rights violations taking place in Western Sahara demand international attention and require serious investigation and remedy. The UN should expand MINURSO’s mandate,” said Kerry Kennedy. “Reports of torture in detention, medical negligence towards ailing prisoners, unmonitored landmine blasts, forcible dispersal of peaceful protests, and constraints on entry and travel within the region cannot be left unaddressed.”

In addition, during the time period covered by this report, an anonymous individual began releasing hundreds of Moroccan diplomatic cables via Twitter. The leaked cables show Morocco engaging in improper activity at the United Nations with the apparent aim of preventing the expansion of MINURSO’s mandate to include human rights monitoring. The UN has said that it is conducting an investigation into the matter.

“The information presented in the cables is serious and demands serious attention. The ongoing UN investigation must examine the question of whether questionable actions taken by Morocco and UN staff prevented the expansion of the mandate,” continued Kerry Kennedy.

In the period of time covered by this report, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights identified nearly 90 separate instances of human rights violations, many involving multiple victims. Most abuses are violations of the right to arbitrary arrest, the right to freedom of assembly, and the right to freedom of movement. There are instances, however, of physical mistreatment and torture, landmine injuries and death, and death while in detention. Taken as a whole, the frequency and nature of the abuses paints a grim picture of the human rights situation in Western Sahara.

Read the full article and download the report here: http://rfkcenter.org/new-robert-f-kennedy-human-rights-report-highlights-abuses-against-sahrawi-people-in-western-sahara

Investment in early childhood development is linked to direct returns in the form of equity and social justice, particularly in regards to children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Those are the findings of the Roma Early Childhood Inclusion (RECI) Studies, a joint initiative of the Open Society Early Childhood Program, the Roma Education Fund (REF), and UNICEF. The studies present a unique opportunity to promote research-based advocacy that helps ensure equal access to quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) for Roma children.

The Roma Early Childhood Inclusion+ (RECI+) Croatia report [PDF]—which is the sixth in the series and launched in Zagreb in February 2015—confirms that education is one of the most critical areas of intervention for Roma children. While its findings show that progress has been made to bridge the gaps in educational policy and reaffirm the initiatives set out in the National Roma Inclusion Strategy 2013–2020, it also indicates that gaps in the ECEC system have a disproportionately negative impact on Roma children and their families.

The RECI+ Croatia study highlights the significantly lower level of resources allocated to programs that support family and child well-being in Croatia, compared to other European countries. Although the start of the research coincided with a period of economic crisis and austerity policies, with extensive cuts to welfare benefits and social services, it remains clear that for Croatia to achieve a successful education and fulfilling life for every child, early childhood education and care for all children must be a top priority.

There is a growing body of evidence that underscores the importance of investment in early childhood development. This is especially true in the case of Roma children. It is time that government, civil society, international agencies, and donors acted at local, national, and international levels to apply what has been learned about the benefits of early childhood education and care for all children.

Read the full article and download the report here: http://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/voices/when-roma-children-get-better-education-society-benefits

A new report from Amnesty International throws the spotlight on the human face of Syria’s refugee crisis, through the stories of eight people and families who have fled the conflict and are struggling to survive in Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq.

Hardship, Hope and Resettlement: Refugees from Syria tell their stories highlights the life-changing opportunity that international resettlement can offer to some of the most vulnerable refugees. Its publication marks the launch of Amnesty International’s#OpenToSyria campaign.

The campaign aims to put pressure on wealthy countries, through public support, to accept a greater numbers of vulnerable refugees from Syria through resettlement and other humanitarian admission programmes. So far, the international response to the crisis has been pitiful and some of the richest countries have done very little.

“With close to 4 million refugees, the scale of the crisis is overwhelming. This report tells the stories of the real people behind the numbers, in their own words,” said Sherif Elsayed-Ali, Amnesty International’s Head of Refugee and Migrants’ Rights.

Background

More than 190,000 people have lost their lives and more than 11 million have been forced to flee their homes as a result of the conflict in Syria. Around 7.6 million people have been displaced within Syria and 4 million have fled the country.

Around 95% of refugees from Syria – 3.8 million people- are being hosted in five main countries within the region: Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt. The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has identified 380,000 refugees in those countries as in need of resettlement. So far however just 79,180 resettlement places have been offered globally by wealthier countries, a fifth of what is needed.

Read the full article here: https://www.amnesty.org/en/articles/news/2015/02/untold-stories-syria-s-most-vulnerable-refugees/