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Switzerland must fall into line regarding the transparency of political funding
In a report published on 25 August, GRECO, the Council of Europe’s anti-corruption group, states that Switzerland has achieved real progress in implementing the group’s recommendations on incriminations.
Increasingly complex armed conflicts have dire impact on children — UN envoy
The impact on children of the collective failure to prevent and end conflict is severe, with regions in turmoil and violations against children intensifying in a number of conflicts, the senior United Nations envoy on the subject said on 24 August, stressing that this situation stems directly from an erosion of respect for international humanitarian and human rights law by conflict parties.

To escape gangs and poverty, Central American children making risky journey to US — UNICEF
The flow of refugee and migrant children — seeking refuge from brutal gangs and stifling poverty in Central America and making their way to the United States — shows no sign of letting up, despite the risks of being kidnapped, trafficked, raped, or killed on the journey, a report from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) found.

OSCE supports training seminar on data journalism in Kazakhstan
An OSCE-supported training seminar on data journalism for some 15 journalists from across Kazakhstan was held 22–23 August in Astana.
More than 3 million displaced in Yemen — joint UN agency report
A joint report by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has found that the conflict in Yemen has resulted in the displacement of some 3,154,572 people, of which 2,205,102 remain displaced across the country and some 949,470 have attempted to return home.
UK and Australian citizen Scott Richards held in Dubai
Scott Richards, who holds both British and Australian citizenship, promoted a charity drive to buy blankets and tarpaulins for refugees in Afghanistan.

Human rights watchdog calls for urgent action on Britain’s 'deep-rooted' inequality
Britain can expect widening social divisions and increased racial tensions unless the government takes urgent action to tackle deep-rooted inequalities, the new chair of the UK’s equalities watchdog has warned.
Yemen: United Nations Secretary-General condemns reported coalition airstrike on rural hospital that leaves 11 dead
On 16 August, reiterating his call on all warring parties in Yemen to immediately implement the cessation of hostilities, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned the reported coalition airstrike on a hospital in the rural town of Hajjah that killed 11 people.
Bangladesh: End illegal detentions immediately
Bangladeshi authorities should immediately end the illegal detentions of Mir Ahmed Bin Qasem and Humman Qader Chowdhury, arrested respectively on 9 August and 4 August, said on 14 August Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

UN rights chief sees ‘worrying signs’ in Bulgaria’s detention regime for migrants
On 11 August, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein expressed serious concern that virtually all people entering Bulgaria in an “irregular manner” are subjected to detention, and that they could be prosecuted and even jailed if they try to leave, “placing many of them in an invidious Catch-22 situation.”