Outlining the UK's vision as the Council of Europe's new chair, the UK foreign minister, William Hague, addressed delegates at the official handover ceremony in Strasbourg on Monday.

Excerpts of Hague's speech are reproduced below:

"Human rights, democracy and rule of law are central to the policy of the United Kingdom in every area of government.

"We are committed to working through the international system to strengthen the implementation of these principles. They underpin our collective security and prosperity."

“We will make the promotion and protection of human rights the overarching theme of our Chairmanship."

"The United Kingdom is absolutely committed to European Convention on Human Rights, as the founding document for our Government, the Coalition Programme, clearly states. It reflects many of the basic rights and freedoms that have been found in British law for centuries."

See speech in full here.

Hague made these comments whilst speaking at the official handover ceremony in Strasbourg on Monday.

Ukraine had previously held the Chairmanship.

South Sudan denied allegations it was arming rebels in two regions on its borders with Sudan.

Sudan reported South Sudan to the UN Security Council about violations, including the continued assistance to insurgents in the west and the south-east.

The Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed by both countries in 2005 stipulates that neither side should encourage rebellion against the other.

Sudan accused its neighbours of providing rebels with weapons and expertise in fighting the Sudanese army.

South Sudan however rejected the allegations, in turn accusing Khartoum of supporting rebels in the country.

"This accusation is false. (We) are not supplying anybody. The north are supporting rebels in the south and they want to cover it up," South Sudan's army spokesman Philip Aguer told Reuters by telephone.
"It should be the other way round. We should be complaining to the Security Council. We don't even have anti-aircraft missiles ourselves."

The regions concerned, Blue Nile and South Kordofan, used to be controlled by South Sudanese rebels during the civil war, but have been given to Sudan in the peace agreement.

"We will not negotiate on the blood of the victims and martyrs … we will not be deceived. The National Council will not allow the regime to bide for time."

"nothing more to expect from this regime and that despite its occasional announcements it will not commit to a programme of reforms".

"Different initiatives have been taken to try to bring Bashar al-Assad to dialogue. You can see what happened to the last one: Bashar al-Assad accepts the Arab League peace plan and the next day he massacres dozens more people in the streets."

"Chinese communist propaganda creates (a) very rosy picture. But actually, including many Chinese from mainland China who visit Tibet, they all have the impression things are terrible."

"Some kind of policy, some kind of cultural genocide is taking place."

"That's why, you see, these sorts of sad incidents happen, due to the desperateness of the situation."

"We have... repeatedly urged the Chinese government to address its counter-productive policies in Tibetan areas that have created tensions".

"The monks and nuns who immolated themselves were sacrificing their bodies to draw the world's attention to Chinese repression in Tibet."

"While the leadership in exile does not encourage self-immolation, we must focus on the causes... the continuing occupation of Tibet and the Chinese policies of cultural repression, cultural assimilation, economic marginalisation and environmental destruction."

See a report on the immolations from Al Jazeera below.

A former Khmer Rouge member's plea against the charge of genocide, citing a royal pardon and the granting of amnesty, has been rejected by a UN-backed war crimes tribunal, examining allegations of genocide, torture and war crimes during the Khmer Rouge's rule of Cambodia.

Ieng Sary, 86, was the foreign minister of the Khmer Rouge regime. Sary argued that he was immune from charges of genocide after receiving a royal pardon 15 years ago and amnesty upon surrendering to the government.

Rejecting his plea, the tribunal released a statement on Monday, saying,

"the scope of application of the amnesty excludes the crimes of genocide, torture and grave breach of the 1949 Geneva conventions."

"While the royal decree might have been a 'useful negotiating tool' for ending the conflict, it was not accompanied by any truth or reconciliation process for the 1975-79 'Killing Fields' era".

Colombia’s defence ministry has announced it has killed the leader of Farc, Alfonso Cano.

Cano was killed when security forces surrounded his hideout, after aerial strikes hit his camp in the remote region of Cauca in southwest Colombia.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has hailed the Cano’s death as "the most resounding blow to this organisation in its entire history"

The death is seen as a severe blow to Farc who have been suffering continous setbacks since a military campaign backed by the US started in 2002.

After the death of one of its founders and then leader Manuel Marulanda Vélez in 2008, Farc regrouped and stepped up attacks recently, with over 20 Colombian soldiers killed in attacks in October.

However, Cano was seeking peace talks with the government, a move that was backed by the Farc leadership, but his death is likely put an end to those efforts.

“We have no intention of dropping the charges and the government headed by the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) will not withdraw them.”

Kashmiris across the world observed Jammu Martyrs day on Sunday, 6th November.

The day marks the massacre of upto 300,000 Muslims fleeing to Pakistan. The killings occurred sixty-four years ago in the city of Jammu and are believed to have been orchestrated by Hindu extremists and the Indian army led by Maharaja Hari Singh.

On the day, Kashmiris pledged to continue the freedom struggle of the Kashmiri people and never forget the sacrifice made by those who died in 1947.

In a statement, the chairman of the All Parties Hurriya Conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, said that the massacre of Kashmiris including women and children in 1947 was the blackest chapter of the history of Jammu and Kashmir, and the people of Jammu and Kashmir would not allow the sacrifices of their martyrs go waste and would accomplish their mission at all costs.

The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) is a political front formed as an alliance of 26 political, social and religious organizations in Kashmir, sharing the common vision of the Kashmiri people's right to self-determination.

Indonesia’s National Commission on Human Rights (Komna) accused the country's security forces of carrying out human right violations, during a separatist rally in Papua, in a report released on Friday.

The report details incidences of police brutality against Papuans, which caused the deaths of four people.

“We found four examples of human rights violations: the right to life, the right to live free from torture and brutal actions, property rights and the right to not live in fear,” Komnas chairman Ifdhal Kasim told the Jakarta Globe on Friday.

“The National Police should independently investigate their members who have clearly violated human rights and sanction those officers,” he said.

“We also demand the evaluation of troop placements in Papua and West Papua, as there are too many law enforcers there.”

The commission recommended that Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono accelerate talks with native Papuans and hear their grievances.

Security forces attack, as Papua declares independence (19.10.11)

Genocide charges against mining giant (26.10.11)

Speaking at the end of her visit to Moldova, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, reiterated the importance of media freedom, upholding the rule of law and freedom from torture.

See here for full speech.

Extracts reproduced below:

"Impunity is an issue I raised in connection with torture. Torture is a serious crime and cannot be tolerated in any circumstances.

"Any state official who carries out torture must be prosecuted and brought to justice. In addition, victims of torture are entitled to effective remedies, including reparations."

" I am very concerned at a punitive fine issued against the weekly journal Ziarul de Garda. This case is currently still the subject of legal proceedings. The mere fact of the threat of this fine has a troubling, chilling effect on independent media. Such measures are incompatible with democratic societies based on the rule of law. I encourage strengthened minority language use in the media."

"I welcomed the positive spirit of my meetings, as well as the engagement of the Government to seriously contemplate human rights reform. I was nevertheless troubled by the message of some that certain groups must wait for human rights.

"I have been clear in emphasizing that, where human rights are concerned, the time is now."

A militia leader, accused of horrific war crimes by UN investigators is to stand in Congo’s parliamentary elections.

Ntabo Ntaberi Sheka is alleged to have been involved in mass rapes committed by his troops, the Mai Mai militia in 2010.

Although Congolese prosecutors issued a warrant for Sheka’s arrest in January, he can claim immunity from prosecution, if elected as a member of parliament.

Human Rights Watch have called for his immediate arrest in a statement released on Wednesday.

"The failure to arrest someone who is out publicly campaigning for votes sends a message that even the most egregious crimes will go unpunished," said Anneke Van Woudenberg, principal researcher at HRW's Africa division.

"If the Congolese government is serious about ending sexual violence, then it needs to demonstrate the political will to arrest those implicated in mass rape.

"It’s a mockery of justice to start a trial before the principal suspects are even in detention and while one of the accused is openly campaigning for government office."

“There are allegations of crimes committed by Nato forces, allegations of crimes committed by NTC-related forces … as well as allegations of additional crimes committed by pro-Gaddafi forces.

These allegations will be examined impartially and independently by the prosecution.”

"We expect that the ICC Prosecutor will carry out a thorough and impartial investigation into all alleged crimes by all parties to the conflict in Libya.

"The number of civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure from actions of all the belligerent parties in Libya is are very high. Unfortunately, actions of the NATO-led coalition resulted in civilian deaths too."

“all those guilty of serious crimes – according to the international law – committed in Libya will be punished."