The Member States of the Convention on Cluster Munitions are meeting for the third time, returning to Oslo, Norway, where the treaty was first opened for signature. Member States are rightly hailing the speed with which cluster munitions have been stigmatized.

On the occasion of women’s day, an indepth look by the NYTimes at the challenges women in Egypt face as the movement for a change of government makes its way.

An important Op-Ed by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus in the NYTimes on sticking to the principles of the brilliant idea to provide microfinance to those in need of (economic) empowerment and criticizing those who loose sight of the intentions and focus on the potential profits.

On July 28 2010 the United Nations’ General Assembly declared access to clean water a human right. So far, access to water has been interpreted as part of the right to food as enshrined in Article 11 of the Covenant on Economic & Social Rights, which states inter alia:

The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living for himself and his family, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions.

The Committee charged with monitoring the implementation of the Covenant and its interpretation, in 2002 explained in great detail why water is an essential part of food, declaring:

The human right to water is indispensable for leading a life in human dignity. It is a prerequisite for the realization of other human rights.

The move by the General Assembly adds to this the weight of a resolution, recognizing the importance of access to clean water on a human rights based approach.

Recently retired Australian High Court Judge Michael Kirby had the following to say about human rights in an Op-Ed published the other day: 
The essential underpinning of fundamental human rights is love. Love for one another. Empathy for fellow human beings. Feeling pain for the refugee; for the victim of war; for the prisoner deprived of the vote; for the child dying of cholera in Zimbabwe. We can imagine what it must be like to be a victim because, as human beings, we too feel, and yearn for, life, freedom and justice.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has put together a catalogue of actions necessary to restore “freedom”, particularly in the realm of civil and human rights. 

In this vein one may also want to read the Open Letter written by Julie Mertus, Professor of Human Rights at American University, to President-Elect Barack Obama, published by truthout. Mertus among others calls on Obama to repair the US’ relationship with UN human rights bodies by reaffirming the committment to the UN human rights framework, to investigate all acts that gave – and give – the impression of the US being above international law, and to sign as well as implement some of the international human rights treaties such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child, a convention signed by every country in the world except for the United States and Somalia, and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.