On January 31, 2023, the United Nations Human Rights Council Working Group held the Universal Periodic Review of Japan's human rights record. The Universal Periodic Review is a process through which all UN member countries assess each other's human rights circumstances in light of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, human rights treaties, and other mechanisms and provide recommendations for areas that need to be improved.

I write as a Mashpee Wampanoag. It is who I am and inevitably shapes my views. The Wampanoag have the distinction of being among the “first contact” Tribes in the Americas, and as such we have a four-centuries-old tradition of interacting with the forces of colonization. This means we have four centuries of grievances, but also four centuries of solutions based on experience. We have seen time and again that the promises of “forever” rarely last more than 30 years.

Over the past few years, the European Union has undertaken a more robust legislative approach requiring a more human rights-focused and environmentally conscious framework in its legislative initiatives.

The experience of being Indigenous and Transgender brings about a variety of unique intersectional challenges. Growing up in Tana (Deanu), Sápmi land, Levi Sørum (Sámi) lived most of his life rooted in Sámi culture and language. He says he feels fortunate to have attended Sámi kindergarten and one year of Sámi elementary school, in light of Norway’s history of attempting to erase Sámi culture.

In the United States, March is Women's History Month. The official designation seeks to highlight the struggle of women in public life and in achieving gender equality. The UN established March 8 as International Women’s Day, which has become a day of vibrant social movements around the world such as collective marches led by and for women.

Kablaj Qawuq

Venimos desde muy temprano, recorriendo nuestras montañas y valles.  Acompañado del sonido del agua, que es la sangre que recorre todas las venas de nuestra “sagrada tierra”.  

Mientras caminos, escuchamos el canto de los pájaros y de otros animales, que son nuestros hermanos pequeños.  

Every year on March 22, the world celebrates World Water Day, a day dedicated to promoting the importance of freshwater and raising awareness about the global water crisis. This year's theme is "Accelerating Change," which emphasizes the urgency for better water governance and management.

“The exercise of self-determination is a necessary task prior to the consultation because we have seen that many consultation exercises begin as a reaction to someone who wants to set up a project or a mine. Part of the community becomes active, but since the community is not consulted as a People, internal conflicts begin there.