Poverty in the UK is violating human rights. So…What’s next?

The report has been created and issued,but the Government disputes its findings, but the finding tend to show that the views of the population are correct.

The Government needs to accept the report and put their own ‘house’ in order.

The Government is proceeding on a a denial, they wish to believe their own misguided views rather than those of an independent enquiry.

This goes to prove that this Government does not care for the population of the UK, but only care for themselves and their immediate friends.

‘Credible evidence’ Saudi crown prince liable for Khashoggi killing – UN report | World news | The Guardian

The crown prince of Saudi Arabia should be investigated over the murder of the dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi because there is “credible evidence” that he and other senior officials are liable for the killing, according to a damning and forensic UN report.

In an excoriating 100-page analysis published on Wednesday of what happened to Khashoggi last October, Agnes Callamard, the UN’s special rapporteur, says the death of the journalist was “an international crime”.

“It is the conclusion of the special rapporteur that Mr Khashoggi has been the victim of a deliberate, premeditated execution, an extrajudicial killing for which the state of Saudi Arabia is responsible under international human rights law,” she says.

Using recordings of conversations from inside the Istanbul consulate where Khashoggi was killed, her report pieces together his last moments, and how he was confronted by Saudi officials, one of whom said: “We are coming to get you.”

When Khashoggi refused to cooperate, a struggle can be heard, including heavy panting. The special rapporteur’s report concludes: “Assessments of the recordings by intelligence officers in Turkey and other countries suggest that Mr Khashoggi could have been injected with a sedative and then suffocated using a plastic bag.”

Saudi Arabia dismissed the report. The minister of state for foreign affairs, Adel al-Jubeir, tweeted it was “nothing new … the report of the rapporteur in the human rights council contains clear contradictions and baseless allegations.”

The report highlights how critics of the kingdom are deliberately targeted, and comes amid a number of claims that Saudi Arabia has been using sophisticated surveillance spyware to hack the phones of journalists and academics.

The Guardian can now reveal it has been warned that its journalists have been targeted by a hacking unit inside Saudi Arabia.

Despite repeated requests to the Saudi authorities to address the claims, and to provide reassurance that no such operation is under way, the kingdom has refused to do so.

The UN report’s findings will heap pressure on the kingdom, particularly Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has repeatedly been urged to explain what he knew about the murder of Khashoggi.

The kingdom initially denied any involvement, and then described it as a rogue operation that the heir to the throne knew nothing about.

That is not the view of the special rapporteur’s report. Its main findings include:

• There is credible evidence, warranting further investigation, of high-level Saudi officials’ individual liability, including the crown prince’s.

 

Source: ‘Credible evidence’ Saudi crown prince liable for Khashoggi killing – UN report | World news | The Guardian

Trump pulling U.S. out of U.N. arms treaty, heeding NRA – Reuters

Trump told members of the gun lobby at an annual meeting he intends to revoke the status of the United States as a signatory to the Arms Trade Treaty, which was never ratified by the U.S. Senate.

“We’re taking our signature back,” Trump said to thousands of cheering attendees, many wearing red hats emblazoned with the Republican president’s “Make America Great Again” slogan.

 

Source: Trump pulling U.S. out of U.N. arms treaty, heeding NRA – Reuters

The decimation of the welfare state

A truly worrying situation and one that could be happening within the UK. The DWP situation with Benefit claims and while the appeal process is reversing many of the wrongful dismissed cases, will this always be so. Not if we implement the American system as we appear to be doing.

It is very worrying and this should be noticed by the DWP, but will it be, I fear not.

UN Says Solution to UK Austerity is to Make Poverty Illegal : Global Citizen

After a 12-day tour of the UK, a report from UN envoy Philip Alston has said the UK government’s policy of austerity has inflicted “great misery” on the public.

Alston is what’s known as a “rapporteur,” an independent expert appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to objectively examine how a country is performing on a certain issue.

During a press release on Friday, Alston said the UK was in potential breach of four UN human rights agreements: women, children, people with disabilities, and economic and social rights.

 

Source: UN Says Solution to UK Austerity is to Make Poverty Illegal : Global Citizen

It took a UN envoy to hear how austerity is destroying lives

This is all good that the UN envoy is listening and including it in the forthcoming report, but what guarantee is there that our Government will listen and then react accordingly.

When you are a member of an organisation there should be penalties when members disregard recommendation, etc.

Is there, in fact any country or organisation that really listens and then acts accordingly to any part of the UN, where is its teeth.

UN turns its gaze on the UK over ‘extreme’ poverty and benefit changes : Welfare Weekly

The UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Philip Alston, has begun a fact-finding visit to the United Kingdom from 5 to 16 November 2018 to investigate Government efforts to eradicate poverty.

“The United Kingdom is one of the richest countries in the world, but millions of people are still living in poverty there,” said Alston, designated by the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva to monitor, report and advise on extreme poverty and its intersection with human rights.

“I have received hundreds of submissions that make clear many people are really struggling to make ends meet.”

During his two-week visit, the Special Rapporteur will travel to England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, and visit Belfast, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Essex, Glasgow, Jaywick, London, and Newcastle.

He will meet with Government officials, including at the devolved and local level, to discuss efforts to eradicate poverty.

He will also meet with individuals affected by poverty to hear about their experiences and with civil society organisations working on poverty and human rights, academics, and national human rights institutions.

 

Source: UN turns its gaze on the UK over ‘extreme’ poverty and benefit changes : Welfare Weekly

Is UK Government breaking international law over welfare policies?

I am not surprised that the UK Prime Minister’s office did not offer comment as this Government is not recognising the findings already published by the UN regarding UK welfare reforms. As is stated in 2016 the UN findings showed that the UK welfare reforms had led to “grave and systemic violations” of disabled people’s rights, which the UK Government disputed.

How can it be that the UK, which is greatly involved in the UN, being they are one of the prime countries in the UN Security council is failing to take on board findings from the UN regarding the results of the already created UK welfare reforms are having on the lives of people with disabilities within the UK.

What is the point in having the UN if one of their major members is ignoring comments made by the UN.

Should, in fact, the UK be allowed to remain on the UN Security council.

A DWP policy that breached UN regulations

What, another one are the Tories going for a record.

The UK is a permanent member of the UN Security Council and while this is not a security issue under the terms of that council it does beggar belief that if this current Conservative Government is not prepared to listen and follow the UN guidance and regulations in other matters why belong to an important council, if, even a member of the UN full stop.

What example is this setting to other member countries, in fact should the UN be there at all or the UK be a member of it.

Trump Says He Has ‘Obliterated’ ISIS. The Terror Group Seems Not To Have Noticed. : HuffPost

WASHINGTON ― While President Donald Trump claims he has “eradicated,” “wiped out” and even “absolutely obliterated” ISIS, there is one group that has ignored the president’s words: the terrorists themselves.

According to recent estimates by the United Nations and the U.S. Defense Department’s inspector general, the self-described Islamic State has between 20,000 and 31,100 fighters ― figures nearly identical to CIA estimates of the terror group’s strength in 2014 when it was near its zenith.

What’s more, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria ― or the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, as it is also known ― actually regrouped somewhat earlier this year. Foreign affairs experts suggest it will concentrate on overseas attacks now that it has lost most of the territory it used to control in Iraq and Syria.

“Despite the damage to bureaucratic structures of the so-called ‘caliphate,’ the collective discipline of ISIL is intact,” according to a July 27 report commissioned by the U.N. Security Council. “The general security and finance bureaus of ISIL are intact.”

 

Source: Trump Says He Has ‘Obliterated’ ISIS. The Terror Group Seems Not To Have Noticed. : HuffPost