UNESCO, the educational, scientific and cultural arm of the United Nations, has been accused of complicity in the illegal eviction and abuse of indigenous people around the world in a report published today — World Heritage Day.
In its report, rights organisation Survival International uncovers repeated cases of torture, rape, and killings of indigenous people in and around Unesco-designated world heritage sites.
The report highlights the case of the Maasai people in Tanzania who live near the Ngorongoro conservation area. The government there plans to evict thousands of Maasai from lands where they have lived for generations — a move Unesco has explicitly backed, according to the report.
ANSELM ELDERGILL looks at the legality of the wars in the Middle East and the means used to fight them. It is said that truth is the first casualty of war, so what is the truth with regard to the legality of America’s and Israel’s wars in Iran, Palestine and Lebanon?
As the world marks International Women’s Day, African women warn that wars, mineral grabs and militarism are drowning out promises of peace. Human rights defender MARIE-CLAIRE FARAY explains
MARTYN GRAY asks TUC congress to endorse measures that would help stop the present exploitation of seafarers
The horrors in the Congo have much in common with Gaza’s genocide, most notably the financial and military support of the US, writes LINDA PENTZ GUNTER


