Opinions


The UN Secretary-General’s Message on Human Rights Day

For 10.December 2022, the Human Rights Day, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres gives the following message to the world: The world is facing unprecedented and interlocking challenges to human rights. Hunger and poverty are increasing – an affront to the economic and social rights of hundreds of millions of people. Civic space is shrinking. Media freedom and the safety of journalists are in dangerous decline in almost every region of the world. Trust in institutions is evaporating, especially among young people. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased levels of violence against women and girls. Racism, intolerance and discrimination are running rampant. New…


On “Monitoring Mechanism for Human Rights, an Online Dialogue” — Transcript

On 18. October, the Secretary General of Urban Forum, Mag. Bernhard Müller, held an online dialogue with the Austrian lawyer MMag. Florian Horn on the topic of “Monitoring Mechanism for Human Rights, an Online Dialogue”. Following is the transcript of the insightful conversation, partially joined by SINOPRESS, too. Enjoy! Müller: Dear friends, welcome to our online dialogue! It’s a pleasure for me to speak with a special guest today on the topic of “Monitoring Mechanism for Human Rights”! With Mr. Volker Türk being appointed recently as the next United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, following approval by the General Assembly,…


Announcement of the Forum on “Monitoring Mechanism for Human Rights, An Online Discussion”

We are proud to announce the upcoming forum on Thursday, 18. October 2022 on the topic of “Monitoring Mechanism for Human Rights, An Online Discussion”, an event co-organized by URBAN FORUM and SINOPRESS.   Date: 3.45pm-5.00pm, 18.October 2022 Venue: ZOOM Meeting Join Zoom Meeting https://us05web.zoom.us/j/84615400500?pwd=T090NFBNaFVPNjZ2UjVUb25lcXVldz09 Organizers: URBAN FORUM, SINOPRESS Moderation: MMag. Alice Schmatzberger/Mag. Bernhard Müller    Agenda: With Mr. Volker Türk being appointed recently as the next United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, following approval by the General Assembly, Austria has drawn the world’s attention as a stronghold in the monitoring mechanism for human rights. According to the Vienna-based…


Review of the Online Forum on “Structural Violence and Public Policy”

The online forum on “Structural Violence and Public Policy” was successfully convened on 14. June 2022. Social violence, which involves a range of different social, political and economic contexts, is a complex phenomenon. Becoming a serious public problem, it has an increasing impact on members of society, especially in the complex context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian-Ukrainian war. With “Structural Violence and Public Policy” as its topic, SINOPRESS invited the following experts including Dr. Laszlo Flamm (Hungary, historian, PhD, foreign policy expert), Dr. Anat Hochberg-Marom (Israel, geopolitical Expert), Dr. Franz Piribauer (Austria, public health expert, graduate of Harvard…


UN Secretary-General’s Address to the General Assembly of the UN on 20.09.2022

On 20. September 2022, UN Secretary-General António Guterres addressed the general debate of the 77th Session of the General Assembly of the UN (New York, 20 – 26 September 2022). The full text is as follows: Mr. President of the General Assembly, Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen, Our world is in big trouble. Divides are growing deeper. Inequalities are growing wider. Challenges are spreading farther. But as we come together in a world teeming with turmoil, an image of promise and hope comes to my mind. This ship is the Brave Commander.  It sailed the Black Sea with the UN flag…


UN Secretary-General António Guterres appoints Mr. Volker Türk of Austria as UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Volker Türk of Austria as the next United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, following approval by the General Assembly. He will succeed Michelle Bachelet of Chile, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for her commitment and dedicated service to the United Nations. Mr. Türk has devoted his long and distinguished career to advancing universal human rights, notably the international protection of some of the world’s most vulnerable people – refugees and stateless persons.  He is currently Under-Secretary-General for Policy in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General where he coordinates global policy work….


THE UN SECRETARY-GENERAL’S REMARKS ON SIGNING OF BLACK SEA GRAIN INITIATIVE

Yesterday, 22 July 2022, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres held a speech in Istanbul at the signing of the Black Sea grain exports agreement: Your Excellency, President Erdoğan, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Today, there is a beacon on the Black Sea. A beacon of hope – a beacon of possibility – a beacon of relief — in a world that needs it more than ever. I want to recognize and thank all those who helped make it happen. To our hosts, President Erdoğan and the government of Türkiye: Your facilitation and persistence have been essential through every step of this process….


Announcement of Online Forum on “Structural Violence and Public Policy”

  We are proud to announce our next online forum on the topic of “Structural Violence and Public Policy”!     Date and Time: 14. June, 2022, 3.30pm to 5pm CET Venue: ZOOM Conference Agenda: At the backdrop of anti-terrorism, COVID- 19 pandemic and the imminent war situation in Ukraine, social violence has become a critical public health problem, creating compromised health and social suffering. It is also a complex phenomenon that involves a spectrum of behavioral and social interactions that vary across the lifespan and different social, political and economic contexts. A term first coined by Johan Galtung, “structural violence” refers…


The UN Secretary-General’s Remarks at Joint Press Conference in Austria

On 11, May, during his visit in Austria, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ made remarks at Joint Press Conference with the Austrian Federal Chancellor H.E. Karl Nehammer and the Foreign Minister H.E. Alexander Schallenberg: Chancellor Nehammer, ladies and gentlemen of the press, Minister Schallenberg, I want to begin by expressing my deep gratitude for your country’s generous support to the United Nations and unwavering commitment to multilateralism. This support and commitment are more critical today than ever. We face multiple and interlinked global crises, and a proliferation of conflicts – not least the Russian invasion of Ukraine which is a…