This is the News in Brief from the United Nations.

Greece: Migration policies riding roughshod over human rights

Human rights for migrants in Greece have been centre stage for UN-appointed independent human rights expert Mary Lawlor during a 10-day visit to the country, which concluded on Wednesday.

Noting that its current migration policy is having a “suffocating effect” on rights defenders, she urged the authorities to shift towards one that supports human rights at its core.

The Special Rapporteur issued a statement decrying how the Government frames migration “as a matter of security and prevention”.

She said this had fostered “an atmosphere of fear,” particularly the criminalization of refugees, asylum seekers, migrants and human rights defenders acting in solidarity with them.

Ms. Lawlor urged Greece to instead use an open approach with everyone working to promote human rights, “no matter the issues concerned”. 

Iran urged to call off amputations: OHCHR

Turning to Iran, Ravina Shamdasani, the Spokesperson for the UN human rights office, OHCHR, expressed deep concern on Wednesday that eight prisoners convicted of burglary will likely have their fingers amputated.

The UN agency urged Iran to call off the planned amputations and urgently revise its criminal penalties to end all forms of corporal punishment, including amputations, flogging and stoning.

The eight men were sentenced to have four fingers on their right hands completely cut off “so that only the palms of their hands and their thumbs are left.”

Iranian civil society organizations report that between January 2000 and the end of September 2020, at least 237 people were sentenced to amputations – at least 129 of which were carried out.

Ms. Shamdasani reminded that Iran is a State Party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which under Article 7 prohibits torture, or other cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment and should respect its obligations under international human rights law.

 Moving towards a low carbon future

Turning to the environment, the UN agriculture agency, FAO, and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development launched a new report on Wednesday on how to take more harmful carbon dioxide emissions out of the food chain.

Investing in carbon neutrality: utopia or the new green wave? identifies five actions to move the decarbonization agenda forward.

It argues for strategically targeting carbon neutrality; standardizing methods; promoting sound governance; supporting companies and farmers to decarbonize; and better education programmes.

Noting that by 2050, the number of chronically hungry people could rise to one billion, FAO Investment Centre Director, Mohamed Manssouri, underscored the need to increase investments, knowledge and innovations to make agrifood systems greener, more resilient and more productive.

Liz Scaffidi, UN News.