31st SESSION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCILGeneva, Switzerland, 29 February -24 March 2016Media accreditation Representatives of the media will need to be accredited for the coverage of the session. All journalists applying for accreditation must submit proof that they represent a bona fide media…

The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Mr. Staffan de Mistura, asked for the opportunity of a meeting with senior officials of the five Permanent Members of the Security Council ("the P5") in order to update them on his latest regional travels and the resulting impressions about preparations…

The twenty-fourth session of the Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group will be held in Geneva from 18 to 29 January during which the next group of 14 States are scheduled to have their human rights records examined under this mechanism. The group of States to be…

Hala Hameed, the new Permanent Representative of Maldives to the United Nations Office at Geneva, today presented her credentials to Michael Møller, the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva. Prior to her appointment to Geneva, Ms. Hameed had been serving as Ambassador-at-Large at…

Junichi Ihara, the new Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations Office at Geneva, today presented his credentials to Michael Møller, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva. Prior to his appointment to Geneva, Mr. Ihara had been serving as Director-General of the…

Ahmad Fawzi, Director a.i. of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing attended by spokespersons for the United Nations Children’s Fund, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, United Nations…

Special Envoy de Mistura concluded today his present round of regional consultations with meetings in Tehran. He had useful exchanges with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Deputy Foreign Minister Hussein Amir-Abdollahian. Mr de Mistura updated his interlocutors on preparations…

The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Mr. Staffan de Mistura, had a useful meeting today in Damascus with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Syrian Arab Republic, Mr. Walid Mouallem. In the meeting, Mr. de Mistura outlined preparations currently underway for the intra-…

Ahmad Fawzi, Director a.i. of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing attended by spokespersons for the World Health Organisation, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations Refugee Agency, United Nations Children Fund and International…

Michele Zaccheo, Chief, United Nations Television & Radio, United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing, which was also attended by spokespersons for Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations Refugee Agency and International Organization for…