S02E15 Colin Jackson on Mega-Sporting Events and Human Rights

‘Measuring the environmental effects of war breaks new ground’

Is it possible to rebuild Ukraine in a greener, fairer way and can this be done while the country is still immersed in war?

Two years have now passed since Russia invaded Ukraine. Tens of thousands have been killed and the fighting has caused immense damage to the environment. A groundbreaking new report has catalogued the environmental damage and outlined the essential steps needed for a green recovery. 

In this episode, IHRB’s CEO John Morrison sits down with Margot ​Wallström, who is co-chair of the group behind the report: the High-level Working Group on the Environmental Consequences of the War. Margot is also chair of IHRB's ​International ​Advisory ​Council, a ​former ​minister ​for ​foreign ​affairs in the Swedish government, and former Vice President of the European Commission.

With the cost of environmental damage estimated to be 56 billion Euros, John and Margot discuss accountability; how environmental damage might now be viewed by international courts as a war crime; and the report's call for a green rebuild of Ukraine’s infrastructure.

The report's recommendations have the health and wellbeing of the Ukrainian people at its heart. Its findings will be of paramount interest to businesses looking to invest in the recovery of Ukraine.

2024 is a record year for elections. Across the globe nearly four billion people will be heading to the polls -  half the world’s population.

In the digital age, misinformation and disinformation can spread easily, with big implications for human rights. How can social media companies protect truth and mitigate these risks?

To answer this question, IHRB’s Salil Tripathi sits down with Priyanka Motaparthy, Director of the Armed Conflict, Counterterrorism, and Human Rights Project at Columbia Law School’s Human Rights Institute, and Iain Levine, director on the human rights policy team at Meta.

In this episode our guests discuss the importance of free speech, what constitutes hate speech, the difference between misinformation and disinformation, and the serious repercussions for elections in an era of ‘fake news’, and what social media companies are doing to counter these issues.

”The UDHR is the heart and soul of the United Nations”

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is clear that "all organs of society" need to respect human rights, and Eleanor Roosevelt spoke about making these rights a reality "on the farm, in the factory and in the office".  

As we mark 75 years of the UDHR, how has this foundation of human rights guided and improved the fulfilment of worker rights?

In this episode of Voices, IHRB’s CEO John Morrison sits down with Sharan Burrow, former General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation, to get a trade unionist perspective on the UDHR’s legacy to improve conditions for workers, in particular for women and marginalised groups, and how collective bargaining and freedom of association are still critical.

‘We could build a future with shared prosperity’

Migration has become a highly politicised issue. Yet labour mobility is hugely important to the future health of the global economy.  

OECD countries are rapidly ageing and unfilled jobs cost the global economy 3 - 7 billion dollars every day.  At the same time, migration is one of the most powerful anti-poverty tools in the world today, with benefits from remittances - the money that migrant workers send back to their origin countries - far outstripping foreign aid.  

Voices host Deborah Sagoe and Carmen Pedraza from IHRB’s migrant workers programme, hear from Rebekah Smith, the Executive Director at Labour Mobility Partnerships.  Lamp is an organisation that believes in the power of movement to address some of the biggest issues we face in the global economy. 

Rebekah shares some startling statistics on the benefits that labour mobility brings to both origin and receiving countries.  

She and Carmen also discuss the best ways to address these issues, given the major challenges that exist in current migration systems, and where as a migration community, we can help.  

Rebekah will be appearing as the keynote speaker at The Global Forum for Responsible Recruitment.  To find out more head to: 

gfrr.org