United Nations

In March 2021, War Resisters’ International has submitted a report in the context of the 3rd Cycle of the Universal Periodic Review of Greece by the UN Human Rights Council.

The report details numerous violations of human rights of conscientious objectors in Greece, including:

QUNO released the updated edition of their publication “International Standards on Conscientious Objection to Military Service”. The booklet includes information on the ways in which conscientious objection has been recognised and is protected under human rights treaties and mechanisms.

A coalition of more than a hundred NGOs has called for an immediate international arms embargo on Myanmar, as a response to the military coup that took place in early February.

The second webinar of our series Campaigning for Conscientious Objection to Military Service is taking place on 24th February (1pm UTC). The event, organised by WRI, QUNO and IFOR, will focus on the United Nations (UN) human rights system with speakers from Geneva and Athens.

In December 2020, War Resisters' International has submitted a report to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) - Indigenous Peoples and Minorities Section (IPMS), providing information on discrimination against conscientious objectors.

The UN's special envoy to Libya, Stephanie Williams, has described the country as “an experimental field for all kinds of new weapons systems”, as supporters of the warring parties violate the UN's arms embargo and continue to ship weapons into the country.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has released a new report on conscientious objection: Approaches and challenges with regard to application procedures for obtaining the status of conscientious objector to military service in accordance with human rights standards

In December, War Resisters' International has submitted a report to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The submission was in response to the OHCHR's request for information on different approaches and challenges with regard to application procedures for conscientious objection to military service.

In early July, following years of campaigning from anti-nuclear activists, the United Nations formally adopted a treaty that categorically prohibits nuclear weapons. Read more from the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons. This news was met with joy amongst those staying at the Coulport Disarmament camp – run by Trident Ploughshares – who undertook ten days of direct action at the nuclear weapons depot on Loch Long.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights' Quadrennial Analytic Report on conscientious objection to military service is out, read it here.

WRI was one of the civil society organisation that submitted information to the OHCHR for the report, and it is referenced a number of times in the report.

Published today: we're calling for the renewal of the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Eritrea.

We're glad to be amongst those working to keep the focus on the human rights situation in #Eritrea, where conscription is indefinite and militarisation "excessive" (according to Special Rapporteur Sheila B. Keetharuth).

The letter was initiated by Civicus.

In February, War Resisters' International responded to a request for information from the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on conscientious objection to military service, towards a quadrennial analytical report on conscientious objection to military service that will be presented to the Human Rights Council.

Find the pdf of our submission here.