The United Kingdom was voted to on to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for the term January 2017 to December 2019, on Monday.

The decision came following an eleven month campaign by the to secure another term as a voting member of the Human Rights Council.

Speaking in New York today, the British Human Rights Minister Baroness Anelay, said,

Northern Ireland could have a different relationship to the European Union’s single market compared to the rest of the United Kingdom following its exit from the EU, said the leader of the British province.

Northern Ireland’s First Minster Arlene Foster has repeatedly said she wants to avoid having a “hard border” with customs checks with the Republic of Ireland.

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said she was “deeply concerned” over the spate of extrajudicial killings that have taken place in the Philippines since President Rodrigo Duterte came in to power earlier this year.

Fatou Bensouda said she was "deeply concerned about these alleged killings and the fact that public statements of high officials of the republic of the Philippines seem to condone such killings".

The cities of Fowler and Madera in California have recognised the 1984 killings of Sikhs in India as genocide, last week.

The total number of American cities that have labelled the killings as genocide now stands at eight.
Kerman City Council member Bill Nijjer posted on social media:

Gambia announced its withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC) after accusing the tribunal of acting towards the “persecution and humiliation of people of colour, especially Africans”.

The announcement follows the withdrawal of South Africa and Burundi earlier this month.

Opposition supporters rallied throughout Venezuela against the incumbent socialist President Nicolas Madura, reports Reuters

The rally was led by a coalition of opposition leaders who criticise Mr Maduro of preventing a change in leadership and resorting to dictatorship/

The UN Special Rapporteur on the freedom of opinion and expression David Kaye has released a report on the violations of freedom of expression globally. 

UN human rights chief Zeid Ra’ad al Hussein said that violence in the Syrian city of Aleppo “constitutes crimes of historic proportions” and should be immediately brought before the International Criminal Court, in a statement released his week.

The statement reads, 

The town of Srebrenica, which saw the genocide of 8,000 Muslim men and boys by Serbian forces in 1995, has seen a Serb nationalist who denies the killings were a genocide elected as its mayor.

Mladen Grujicic was elected to the post earlier this month to the dismay of Bosnian Muslims in the town. Mr Grujicic continues to deny that the massacre constitutes genocide, despite international criminal rulings. “When they prove it to be the truth, I’ll be the first to accept it,” he said.

The South African government has begun a formal withdrawal from the International Criminal Court, after beginning official proceedings according to media reports.

An "Instrument of Withdrawal" document has been signed by South Africa's foreign minister and sent to the United Nations, report several media outlets, who have obtained copies of the document.

Burundi’s President Pierre Nkurunziza signed a decree on Tuesday for Burundi to undertake proceedings to leave the International Criminal Court , reports Reuters.

The decision to remove the country from the ICC came after a parliamentary vote saw 94 parliamentarians vote to leave the ICC whilst 2 voted to remain within its jurisdiction.

The Russian and Syrian forces have halted all air strikes on Aleppo two days ahead of the planned pause to allow rebels and civilians to leave the city reports Reuters.

Saudi Arabia has agreed to a ceasefire if the Houthi militants agree said the Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir on Monday.

Speaking to reporters in London , the Saudi Foreign Minister said, “We are prepared, the Yemeni government is prepared, to agree to a cessation of hostilities if the Houthis agree to it. The coalition countries will respect the desire of the Yemeni government.”

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) announced that it will be discussing the impact of major pharmaceutical companies in a meeting set to take place this week.