Human Rights

The UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) meets at the UN every spring to discuss different issues of relevance for indigenous peoples worldwide, such as education, language, culture and rights. 2000 delegates participate this year. Norway’s delegation consists of representatives from the Sami Parliament, Gáldu Resource Centre and from the government. Read more

“We need to fight the root causes of hate speech – racism and discrimination”, Ambassador Geir O. Pedersen said in his welcoming remarks on a panel discussion on how hate speech can be an incitement to violence and genocide. The balance between upholding the principle of freedom of expression and not allowing for hate speech resulting in hatred and violence was a key issue in the debate. Read more

Ricky Martin and the princess of Africa, Yvonne Chaka-Chaka, stood together with Ban Ki-moon, LGBT activists and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Gry Larsen in the fight against homophobia. Read more

Never before have so many of UN's Member States joined the fight against the death penalty. Read more

Almost two thousand delegates attended this year’s session of the UN Permanent Forum for Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) in New York, most of them representatives of the world’s indigenous peoples. Read more

Hundreds of delegates assembled for the opening ceremony of the UN Permanent Forum for Indigenous Issues on May 7. Representatives of both the Government of Norway and the Sámi Parliament of Norway will follow proceedings during two week session. Read more

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged people to combat homophobic bullying at an event marking Human Rights Day. Individuals and states have a responsibility to stop discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The UN debate was organized by Norway and several other countries. Read more

Norway’s initiative has resulted in the unanimous adoption of a resolution in the UN General Assembly on strengthening the protection of human rights defenders and the right of peaceful protest. “This UN resolution throws into sharp relief the use of force against protesters that we are seeing in a number of countries. It strengthens our hand when we seek to make governments accountable for... Read more

“The Arab Spring has shown that efforts to promote democracy and human rights make a difference,” commented Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. The Government has increased its allocation to efforts to promote democracy and human rights in the budget for 2012 by NOK 45 million (appx USD 7,7). Read more

When The Norwegian Children and Youth Council sends two delegates to the United Nations, it is because they know that youth participation still is an unsolved issue in many countries. Read more

What role can social media play in order to promote democracy and human rights? This was the theme for the fourth Trygve Lie Symposium on Fundamental Freedoms which took place on the opening day of the 66th UN General Assembly in New York. Norway’s Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre led the debate. Read more

What role can social media play in order to promote democracy and human rights? This is the theme for the fourth Trygve Lie Symposium which takes place on the same day as the opening of the 66th UN General Assembly in New York. Read more

The annual United Nations forum on indigenous issues opened Monday with Mr. Ole Johan Eira performing a ceremonial joik, a unique form of cultural expression for the Sámi people Read more

“I am deeply concerned about the deterioration in the human rights situation in Bahrain,” commented Minister of Foreign Affairs Jonas Gahr Støre. Read more

“I am saddened and shocked to hear that the brave and dedicated human rights defender David Kato was killed in his own home yesterday evening,” said Minister of the Environment and International Development Erik Solheim. Read more

Professor Kirsten Sandberg has been elected to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. “I congratulate Ms Sandberg. We are proud that such a prominent representative of Norwegian research in the field of child law has been elected to a body that is so important for children’s rights,” said Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. Read more

On International Human Rights Day, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon recalled that we commemorate not the “Partial” or “Sometimes” Declaration of Human Rights, but the “Universal” Declaration of Human Rights. Mr. Ban spoke at an event calling for an end to violence and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons. Norway was one of the organisers of the event. Read more

The UN General Assembly has called on member states to establish a moratorium on executions as a step towards the abolition of the death penalty. Norway, in cooperation with a group of countries from all parts of the world, led the initiative, which was supported by 107 countries. Read more

The Government of Norway nominates Professor Kirsten Sandberg, Supreme Court Justice, as a candidate for the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child for the period 2011-2015. Professor Sandberg is currently serving as Supreme Court Justice. Read more

Every year a high number of journalists are killed at work around the world. This week, Norway contributed to putting the topic on the agenda in the UN. Read more