data from support groups, creating a chilling effect on peaceful protest. FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION After 7 October, a number of different restrictions on freedom of expression were imposed, particularly against those expressing solidarity with Palestinians. In November, the federal Ministry of Interior banned the phrase “from the river to the sea” as a symbol of Hamas, despite the slogan historically being used with a variety of different connotations and by different actors. RIGHT TO TRUTH, JUSTICE AND REPARATION In February, seven UN Special Rapporteurs expressed grave concerns at the alleged “lack of effective reparative measures afforded” to Ovaherero and Nama peoples in Germany’s former colony of “Southwest Africa” (now Namibia), including lack of “an unqualified recognition of the genocide committed” against them during colonization between 1904 and 1908. REFUGEES’ AND MIGRANTS’ RIGHTS Some 1.1 million people from Ukraine were residing in Germany, of whom around 900,000 held a resident permit under the Temporary Protection Directive. Germany launched a humanitarian admissions programme for Afghans at risk in October 2022, which was originally designed to admit 1,000 individuals per month, but only 94 Afghan nationals had been transferred to Germany by the end of the year. Politically motivated raids, assaults, vandalism and physical attacks on refugee reception centres increased significantly compared to 2022. The majority of the attacks were allegedly committed by farright suspects. Family reunification procedures for refugees in Germany continued to be slow, leaving many families still separated after years apart. Family reunification for subsidiary protection holders was subject to quotas and under the administration’s discretion. 180 RIGHT TO PRIVACY In February, the Federal Constitutional Court set high thresholds for the use of automated data analysis in police operations, ruling that it interfered with the right of the individual to make decisions based on informed consent concerning the communication of personal data to others. CORPORATE ACCOUNTABILITY On 1 January, the Corporate Due Diligence Obligations in Supply Chains Act entered into force, creating binding obligations on enterprises to respect human rights. The law applied only to enterprises with 3,000 or more employees, to be extended to those with 1,000 employees from 2024. The law created no civil liability for violations. SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS A commission was instituted in March to discuss “reproductive self-determination and reproductive medicine”. However, despite the urging of the CEDAW Committee in May, no changes were proposed to fully decriminalize abortion to bring it into line with international human rights standards and the new WHO guidelines. RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT In June, the cabinet approved a legislative proposal to amend the Federal Climate Protection Act. This would abolish binding emission reduction goals for each economic sector and requirement for the adoption of emergency programmes if these were not met. A ruling by the Berlin-Brandenburg Higher Regional Administrative Court in November confirmed that emissions budgets in the transport and building sectors were not met in 2021 or 2022. Despite Germany’s self-imposed obligation to end the international financial support of fossil fuels projects by the end of 2022, stateowned development banks approved international finance for at least three projects in 2023. The State of the World’s Human Rights