The Conference assessed efforts within the existing system of human rights protection, at the universal and regional levels, to monitor the impact on human rights of national measures taken to combat terrorism and their conformity with international human rights norms and standards. The Conference aimed to determine whether any substantial gaps exist in these monitoring systems and, if so, how such gaps might be filled.

The Conference heard from experts charged with supervising States' compliance with the UN human rights treaties as well as those appointed by the UN Human Rights Commission to examine the questions of torture and arbitrary detention. Representatives from the UN Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, the European Union, the Council of Europe, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the European Court of Human Rights, and the International Committee of the Red Cross addressed the Conference. Presentations were also delivered on the Inter-American, African and Arab systems of human rights protection.

Please find below the program of the Conference.

Human Rights and Counter-Terrorism: International Monitoring Systems
23-24 October 2003
Palais des Nations (Room XVI), Geneva



Thursday 23 October: Universal Systems of Monitoring


Morning

9:00-9:30: Registration

9:30 - 10:00: Opening remarks

 Ernst Lueber, Acting Secretary-General, International Commission of Jurists (ICJ)
 Sergei M. Ordzhonikidze, Director-General, United Nations Office in Geneva
 Bertrand Ramcharan, Acting UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

10:00 - 11:00: International monitoring of domestic counter-terrorism measures and international monitoring: Needs and challenges

 Claudio Cordone, Senior Director, International Law and Organisations Program, Amnesty International
 Antoine Bernard, Executive Director, Fédération Internationale des ligues des Droits de l'Homme (FIDH)
 Rory Mungoven, Global Advocacy Director, Human Rights Watch

Moderator: Ernst Lueber, Acting Secretary-General, ICJ

11:00 - 12:30: United Nations Treaty Body Monitoring

 Nigel Rodley, Human Rights Committee
 Martin Scheinin, Human Rights Committee
 Fernando Mariño Menendez, Committee against Torture
 Kurt Herndl, Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Moderator: Christopher Sidoti, Director, International Service for Human Rights

12:30-14:30: Lunch Break


Afternoon

14:30 - 16:30: United Nations Charter-based Mechanisms

 Leila Zerrougui, Chairperson-Rapporteur, UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention
 Theo van Boven, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture
 Françoise Hampson, Expert of the United Nations Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights
 Ben Majekodunmi, Human Rights Officer, Assistant to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the situation of human rights defenders

16:30 - 17:30: OHCHR and ICRC

 Jelena Pejic, Legal Advisor, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
 EJ Flynn, Legal Officer, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

Moderator: Loubna Freih, Geneva Director, Human Rights Watch



Friday 24 October


Morning: Regional Systems of Monitoring

9:30 - 11:15: European System of Human Rights Protection

 Markus Jaeger, Deputy to the Director of the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe
 John Hedigan, Judge, European Court of Human Rights
 Olivier de Schutter, Professor, UCL, Expert and Co-ordinator of the E.U. Network of Independent Experts in Fundamental Rights
 Ambassador Christian Strohal, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights in Warsaw - ODIHR

Moderator: Rachel Brett, Representative, Quakers United Nations Office

11:15 - 12:30: Inter-American, African and Arab Regional Systems

 Rafael Barrios, Lawyer, Colombia
 Ibrahima Kane, Legal Officer for Africa, Interights
 Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Lawyer, ICJ

Moderator: Melinda Ching, Representative to the United Nations, Amnesty International

12:30-14:30: Lunch Break


Afternoon: Conclusions and Ways Forward

14:30 - 15:30: Assessment of Universal and Regional Human Rights Monitoring Systems: Limits and Gaps

 Federico Andreu, Senior Legal Advisor, ICJ

15:30 - 17:30: Towards an Effective United Nations Mechanism or Procedure of Human Rights Monitoring of Anti-terrorist Measures

 Ian Seiderman, Legal Advisor, ICJ
 Jean-Daniel Vigny, Minister Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations in Geneva
 Juan José Gómez Camacho, Director General for Human Rights, Mexican Ministry for Foreign Affairs

Moderator: Mark Thomson, Secretary-General, Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT)