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Bob Last

Head, UK Mission Political and Human Rights Team

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8th March 2011 Geneva, Switzerland

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by Bob Last

Head, UK Mission Political and Human Rights Team

Combating Discrimination Against Women

Guest blog by Jacqui Hunt, Equality Now This session of the Human Rights Council sees the appointment of a new mechanism to promote women’s rights – a working group to focus on discrimination against women in law and practice.  A significant milestone in respect of women’s rights of which the Human Rights Council should be […]

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1st March 2011 Geneva, Switzerland

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by Bob Last

Head, UK Mission Political and Human Rights Team

A visit from the boss (and everyone else’s)

These are heady days at the Human Rights Council. On the back of Friday’s firm action on Libya, senior figures from around the world descended on Geneva today for the start of the Council’s March session.  It’s the first time so many leading politicians have come to the Council and with them came the world’s […]

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23rd February 2011 Geneva, Switzerland

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by Bob Last

Head, UK Mission Political and Human Rights Team

Empty Sausages and Children’s Menus

I’m not sure how it started, but there’s a growing trend in UN human rights meetings these days to convey displeasure through culinary metaphor.  The German Ambassador did this to great effect when he revealed his reaction to the latest set of proposals on the Human Rights Council Review, which is finally approaching a close […]

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14th December 2010 Geneva, Switzerland

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by Bob Last

Head, UK Mission Political and Human Rights Team

Putting the “Universal” Back in the Universal Declaration

 Guest blog by John Fisher, ARC International* “It is not called the ‘Partial’ Declaration of Human Rights,” UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon underlined at a World Human Rights Day panel on Ending Violence and Criminal Sanctions based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.  “It is not the ‘Sometimes’ Declaration of Human Rights.” The Secretary General […]

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8th December 2010 Geneva, Switzerland

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by Bob Last

Head, UK Mission Political and Human Rights Team

The 5 year review and a spot of eavesdropping

I hope you’re all keeping warm. Like some other places in Europe, winter arrived particularly early in Geneva this year and caught the usually well prepared Swiss road and rail and services off guard last week. I miss the lengthy conversations about the weather which I used to hear wherever I went back home in […]

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About Bob Last

Bob Last (OBE) is Head of the UK Mission Political and Human Rights Team. He worked on human rights in the UK and Uganda before joining the UK Mission to…

Bob Last (OBE) is Head of the UK Mission Political and Human Rights Team. He worked on human rights in the UK and Uganda before joining the UK Mission to the UN in 2002. His blog shares thoughts and experiences, following the work of the Human Rights Council and other UN human rights meetings in Geneva.

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