Detainees on Pacific island “completely without hope”

Migrants and refugees being held on the Pacific island of Nauru are “completely without hope” according to the regional head of the UN human rights office, OHCHR. Nauru has been operating an off-shore processing centre for the Australian government despite calls from the UN and other organizations to shut it down. A vast majority of the people in these centres were transferred by Australia to Nauru more than three years ago. Many women have said they have been sexually assaulted at the centre. Julia Dean has been speaking to Chitra Massey who heads up OHCHR’s regional office in Fiji.

Global migrant compact should address threat of human trafficking

Nearly 250 million people, or just over three per cent of the world’s population, live and work outside their countries of origin, according to UN data. While the experience has been beneficial for many, the fear is that with global displacement at a record high, more people might fall into the hands of organized crime gangs who buy and sell human beings like products. At a recent meeting here at UN Headquarters, ambassadors heard why the scourge of human trafficking needs to be factored into a proposed global compact on migration. It follows a newly agreed international declaration to protect the rights of refugees and migrants. Countries are now working towards creating a global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration to be operational by 2018. John Brandolino heads the Division for Treaty Affairs at the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, one of the sponsors of the meeting.

Women’s access to judicial rights needs a holistic approach in Nepal

‘Lack of awareness of legal remedies, complex court procedures and financial constraints are some of the issues women face in accessing justice. This is according to a UN official from Nepal. Sudhir Bhattrai, Under Secretary in Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, participated in a recent event at UN headquarters on developing a ‘Transformational Approach’ to ensure every woman’s access to justice. According to UN Women, in countries like Nepal, less than a third of women victims of violence and discrimination seek support from the justice sector institutions. The nation recently launched a report to understand some of the hindrances women face in accessing their legal rights. Priyanka Shankar has been talking to Sudhir Bhattrai about these issues.

Presenter: Dianne Penn

Production Assistant: Sandra Guy

Duration: 10'00″