Briefing for NGOs and Human Rights Defenders of St-Petersburg on the outcome of the Universal Periodic Review for Russia and the report of last year’s visit of the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers

Presentation of the UN joint publication Russia: on the Path to Equal Opportunities, in cooperation with the UN Information Centre and the Office of the UN Commissioner for Human Rights in RF, and with support of St. Petersburg Gerzen Pedagogical University and St. Petersburg Humanities and Policy Research ‘Strategy’ Centre.

Opening of an exhibition of photographs “The Upper Pechora,” on the occasion of the International Day of the World’ Indigenous Peoples, in partnership with the Representative Office of Komi Republic under the Russian President

Opening of four playing rooms for children in social institutions

Investing in Women and Girls: Cost-Effective and Smart Economics, Says UNFPA

UNITED NATIONS, New York, 9 July 2009—Investing in women and girls during the global financial crisis will help set the stage for economic recovery and reduce inequality and poverty, according to Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, Executive Director of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund. “There is no smarter investment in troubled times,” added Ms. Obaid in her statement for World Population Day, which falls on Saturday, 11 July.

The Moscow State Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation (MGIMO), the Russian State University for the Humanities (RSUH) and the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (PFUR) with support from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reaffirmed their commitment to launch the pilot phase of a Human Rights Master’s Programme for the 2009/10 academic year. The purpose of the programme is to train highly qualified human rights professionals.

GENEVA, 21 July 2009 – Seven UN human rights experts reiterate their request to the Russian authorities to extend an invitation to visit the country to assist the authorities in conducting an independent investigation into a series of killings of human rights defenders, lawyers and journalists in recent years, many of them related to the human rights situation in Chechnya and other Republics of the North Caucasus, including the latest killing of Natalia Estemirova.

The Secretary-General is appalled and saddened by the murder of the Russian human rights activist Natalia Estemirova following her abduction from her home in Grozny.

He urges the Russian authorities to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation in order to bring the perpetrators of this heinous killing to justice, and by so doing, to send a strong and unambiguous message that the targeting of human rights activists will not be tolerated.

Geneva-- The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) wishes to express its shock and deep sorrow at the murder on 15 July of Ms. Natalia Estemirova, a staff member of UNHCR’s implementing partner, Memorial, in the Russian Federation. Ms. Estemirova was found dead in the North Caucasus region of Ingushetia following her abduction from her home in Grozny.

UNHCR extends its condolences to Memorial and Ms. Estemirova’s family.

Recent gains in eradicating hunger and poverty endangered by economic and food crises, says UN report

UN Secretary-General calls on rich and poor countries to boost efforts and meet aid commitments

6 July, Geneva Ц More than halfway to the 2015 deadline to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), major advances in the ight against poverty and hunger have begun to slow or even reverse as a result of the global economic and food crises, a progress report by the United Nations has found.