They issued a statement expressing shock over the death of Armita Geravand, the teenager who collapsed in the subway in Iran’s capital, Tehran, earlier this month, allegedly following an altercation about failing to wear a headdress or hijab.

Ms. Geravand died on Saturday, according to international reports which cited State media. The experts called for an independent, prompt and impartial investigation into her death, noting that the Government maintains that she suffered brain damage from her fall.

“Women and girls should not be punished for wearing or not wearing any specific piece of clothing and should certainly not be at risk of losing their lives for doing so,” they said.

Parallels with Mahsa Amini

Their statement reiterated concerns previously expressed to authorities in Tehran about the imposition of a dress code on women and girls, and the use of excessive and unlawful force against those who do not comply.

This followed the redeployment of Iran’s so-called “morality police” since the end of July, after the introduction of the Chastity and Hijab Law, which several UN experts are concerned is incompatible with the principles of gender equality and other fundamental freedoms.

“We are dismayed at the parallels between the circumstances of Jina Mahsa Amini’s death and more recent deaths,” the experts added.

Ms. Amini, 22, was arrested in Tehran in September 2022 for her alleged failure to comply with the already strict hijab law and later died while in custody.

Failure to investigate

The experts also expressed grave concern and disappointment at the failure of the authorities to conduct independent investigations into the deaths of women and girls during the nationwide protests sparked by her death.

“We are aware of reprisals against other women, including celebrities, for refusing to comply with the mandatory dress code,” they said.

“Even before the law was passed, there were increasing reports of women facing legal action for violating the dress code. Some have lost their jobs or been sentenced to jail, while others have been ordered to perform forced labour.”

Abolish dress codes

The experts urged the Iranian authorities to amend the Constitution; repeal existing gender discriminatory laws, including regulations imposing compulsory dress codes, and abolish all regulations and procedures whereby women’s dress or behaviour in public or private are monitored or controlled by State authorities.

“We remain concerned and alarmed by the ongoing policies and practices in Iran which amount to total impunity for acts of gender persecution against women and girls and urge the Government to put an end to them,” they said.

About UN experts

The experts who issued the statement were Javaid Rehman, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran; Morris Tidball-Binz, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; Reem Alsalem, Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, and the members of the Working Group on discrimination against women and girls.

They receive their mandates from the UN Human Rights Council and are not UN staff and do not receive payment for their work. 

It opened for signatures in 1996 and has been ratified by 178 countries. Some major powers including the US and China have not done so, and it has yet to come into force, lacking the required support.

According to the Kremlin, say media reports, the move levels the nuclear playing field given the failure of some key nuclear armed States to ratify.

Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) Robert Floyd, said in a statement that the Russian Duma’s decision “goes against renewed global determination to see it enter into force.”

He said, the Test Ban Treaty contributes to global peace and security and is delivering tangible benefits to humanity.

He added that Russia beginning the revocation process “does not mean it is withdrawing from the CTBT and that it remains committed to the Treaty”, including having monitoring stations on its territory and data sharing.

Russia has indicated it will remain a member of the CTBTO Preparatory Commission, he added.

“The global community will not change course”, he said, with the goal of a world without nuclear testing “more important now than ever.”

Climate crisis ‘a health crisis’ increasingly deadly for the most vulnerable

Extreme heat ranks as the deadliest of all severe weather hazards, and heat-related mortality could increase 30-fold – a worrying trend in our fast-warming world.

That’s according to findings from a new multi-agency report led by the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) which show that from 2000 to 2019 some 489,000 people died every year due to heat, close to half of them in Asia – and the impacts are still largely underestimated.

“The climate crisis is a health crisis,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the UN health agency (WHO) which is a key contributor to the report. 

He highlighted a wide range of health risks stemming from increasingly severe and unpredictable weather events, accelerated disease transmission, threats to food security and higher rates of noncommunicable diseases.

End school violence ‘for better health and learning’, urges UNESCO

Marking the International Day against violence and bullying at school – including online – the UN culture and education agency (UNESCO) is calling on everyone with a stake to foster safer learning environments worldwide.

The UNESCO Day recognizes that classroom-related violence in all its forms is an infringement of child and adolescents’ rights to education, health and well-being.

On the theme No place for fear: Ending school violence for better mental health and learning, the agency is calling on all Member States and relevant bodies to boost awareness of the issue, which includes the increasing scourge of cyberbullying.

“The day calls on learners, parents, members of education communities” and others – including the tech industry – to take a part in preventing all forms of violence and fostering safe learning for all.

UNESCO said concern about learners’ mental health and well-being continues to grow, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The strong links between mental health and violence in school are worrying: experiences such as violence, bullying and discrimination at school can contribute to poor mental health and affect learning, while feelings of safety are linked to better mental health and education outcomes.”

The agency stressed we must end violence and promote good mental health in schools to ensure learners learn and thrive in safe and supportive spaces.

The UN is calling on stakeholders “to make our schools and educational institutions more safe and vibrant for all learners.”

Clashes intensified on Sunday and continued through the week, significantly impacting northeast and southeast Myanmar and forcing over 48,000 people from their homes, amid rising needs, according to the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

There are also reports that an alliance of three rebel groups seized towns in the country’s north, overrunning and occupying over 90 army outposts. The military has reportedly acknowledged the loss of at least three towns.

Routes cutoff

In a flash update issued late on Thursday, OCHA reported that vital transport links connecting northern Shan to China had been obstructed by the Myanmar Armed Forces (MAF) and Ethic Armed Organization (EAOs) checkpoints.  

At least one critical bridge had been destroyed, with numerous places in northern Shan, eastern Bago and Kayin states facing “extensive disruptions” in mobile data and telecommunications.

Thirteen civilians, including children, lost their lives in the fighting in various locations, and a further two died after they were unable to access emergency medical services, according to the flash update. Several people are reported to have been injured.

Humanitarian needs

According to OCHA, in northern Shan state, faith-based organizations and host communities are delivering immediate assistance, including shelter, food, drinking water, hygiene supplies and non-food items.  

Almost all of the people newly displaced since 27 October are seeking refuge in religious compounds and few are known to have entered pre-existing Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) sites.

Gaps and challenges

OCHA underscored the need for secure and unimpeded humanitarian access to deliver timely assistance. It added that disrupted telecommunications, particularly in northern Shan, is hindering relief work.

“Ongoing hostilities, coupled with the existence of checkpoints, road closures, and structural damage to bridges, are severely restricting the ability of humanitarian agencies to reach affected people, conduct verification of needs, and transport vital supplies,” it said.

Human rights situation

Meanwhile, the human rights crisis in the country “is bad and is getting exponentially worse”, Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews said.

In an interview with UN News last week in New York, on the margins of his report to the General Assembly, the independent human rights expert described the situation in the country, adding that no one is safe.

Hear the full interview below

Special Rapporteurs and other independent experts are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council and form part of what is known as its Special Procedures. They serve in their individual capacity, are not UN staff, and do not receive a salary.

The stark report comes against the backdrop of a sharp uptick in fighting between the Government’s Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and RSF and heightened intercommunal tensions in the restive region.

The rival militaries plunged the country into a brutal civil war more than six months ago. Thousands have died and more than 5.7 million are displaced, inside and outside the African nation. Around 25 million are now relying on some form of humanitarian aid.

Representatives from the warring parties are now meeting in Saudi Arabia for renewed peace talks, steered by Saudi and the United States, and joined by the East African regional bloc, IGAD, according to news reports.

Survivors, witnesses and other sources have reported that over 20 women and girls have been taken, but the number could be higher, said OHCHR Spokesperson Liz Throssell.

“Some sources have reported seeing women and girls in chains on pick-up trucks and in cars,” she said.

‘Attributed to men in RSF uniforms’

As of Thursday, more than 50 incidents of sexual violence linked to the hostilities have been reported to the joint OHCHR-UNITAMS (the UN assistance mission) office in Sudan, impacting at least 105 victims – 86 women, one man and 18 children.  

Twenty-three of the incidents involved rape, 26 were of gang rape and three were of attempted rape.

At least 70 percent of the confirmed incidents of sexual violence recorded – 37 incidents in total – are attributed to men in RSF uniforms, eight to armed men affiliated with the RSF, two to men in unidentified uniform, and one to the SAF, according to the office.

The remaining cases involved men who have not yet been identified.

Call for urgent release

Ms. Throssell called for the urgent release of the abducted women and girls and for perpetrators to be held accountable.

She reiterated High Commissioner Volker Türk’s calls on senior officials of the SAF, the RSF and affiliated armed groups to enforce a policy of zero tolerance of sexual violence in their ranks.

Stop the fighting: UN Mission

UNITAMS also voiced deep concern over the military escalation in Darfur and its dire impact on civilians, including displacement, casualties, and property destruction.

The Mission called on all warring parties to abide by international human rights and humanitarian laws, and ensure protection of civilians, allowing them to leave conflict-affected areas safely.  

“At a time when so much hope is being placed on the Jeddah talks to achieve a sustainable ceasefire and facilitated humanitarian access, I call on all parties to refrain from escalating and expanding the conflict,” Clementine Nkweta-Salami, the deputy head of UNITAMS, said in a statement on Thursday.

“The toll this conflict is taking on civilians is unimaginable. Fighting needs to stop and parties to the conflict need to ensure the safe passage of humanitarian assistance to the millions of people in Sudan who desperately need it.”