Nov 29, 2016 | Advocacy, News, Non-legal submissions
The ICJ and 77 other civil society organizations and UN agencies called today on the EU institutions and Member States to do more to protect the rights of refugee and migrant children.
The call came in a statement released to mark the opening of the 10th European Forum on the Rights of the Child in Brussels.
The refugee and migrant crisis in Europe will soon enter its third year, with children playing an ever larger part and the impact on their lives all the more tragic.
Between January and September 2016, more than 664,500 children claimed asylum in Europe; nine in ten children arriving in Italy this year were unaccompanied; 23,000 children in Greece remain in limbo – their futures hanging in the balance, their education on hold.
More than 700 children are estimated to have died at sea trying to reach Europe this year alone. Last week a six-year old child died in a fire in the Moria camp on the Greek island of Lesbos.
The ICJ is deeply concerned at the failure to prioritize the protection of children’s rights. Children lack access to basic procedural rights, such as access to a guardian, access to a lawyer or access to information.
Children stranded in Greece have been out of school for an average of 20 months.
Many children have to wait for more than a year to reach family members in other EU Member States or even more when their parents or siblings are outside of the EU. In many cases they cannot reunite with their parents or siblings because it is simply too expensive for them.
The EU and Member States can do a lot more to protect children’s rights and address their particular needs and vulnerabilities.
78 partner organizations identify seven priority actions to protect refugee and migrant children today and prepare them for the future.
These actions include the urgent adoption of an EU Action Plan on children in migration, strengthened safeguards in the asylum legislation, increased funding for national child protection systems and building mechanisms to protect children across borders.
The reform of the common European asylum system, currently debated in the European Parliament, provides a unique opportunity to ensure children get access to guardians, education and family reunification.
EU action is also needed to end the detention of migrant and refugee children, and the identification of alternatives.
The full statement can be downloaded here:
eu-joint-statement-refugee-and-migrant-children-advocacy-non-legal-submission-2016-eng
Information about the November 2016 ICJ Geneva Forum on the role of judges and lawyers in relation to large movements of refugees and migrants (including special consideration of migrant and refugee children), is available by clicking here.
Nov 28, 2016 | News
The ICJ, along with a number of other NGOs, issued a joint statement expressing solidarity for the families of executed prisoners in Singapore.
The statement was issued following the execution of a Nigerian national, Chijioke Stephen Obioha, and a Malaysian national, Devendran a/l Supramaniam in Singapore on 18 November 2016.
The full statement can be downloaded here:
singapore-joint-ngo-statement-singapore-executions-news-web-story-2016-eng (PDF)
Nov 25, 2016 | Multimedia items, News, Video clips
The ICJ has launched a new women’s rights defenders profile series, beginning with ICJ Commissioner and Justice of the Supreme Court of Serbia, Radmila Dragicevic-Dicic.
The monthly profile series, introducing the work of ICJ Commissioners and Honorary Members on women’s rights, has been launched to coincide with the International Day to Eliminate Violence against Women and the first day of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign.
The Judges Association of Serbia was established by Radmila and others in 1997, during the regime of Slobodan Milosevic. The Association was formed under the slogan ‘I do not agree’ in opposition to the misuse of the judiciary. Many women were involved in this fight against corruption and in protection of the independence of the judiciary.
In the year 2000, shortly before the fall of Milosevic, Radmila was one of fifteen judges that were dismissed because of their opposition to the repressive regime; although she was quickly reinstated following the elections that took place later that year.
During the civil war period in the 1990s, violence against women grew significantly and domestic violence was rampant in Serbia. Radmila, and other women in the judiciary, worked on issues of organized crime and human trafficking and they were brave to do so as the State couldn’t guarantee their security.
Radmila spoke of women’s continued obstacles in accessing justice and the important of protecting victims of violence. She commented that some States still lack the facilities, resources, personnel and awareness to provide adequate protection for victims.
Human trafficking continues to be one of the biggest problems that affects women, not only in Europe but globally. Justice Dragicevic-Dicic said it was beneficial for those working on women’s rights to share their experiences and learn from one another. Although the motivations and circumstances of women trafficked in different parts of the world may vary, all these women are subject to the same kinds of violence.
In the Serbian constitution, human trafficking is categorized as a crime against humanity and is taken very seriously, although this was not always the case.
Radmila spoke of one case she presided over that helped her to understand what it meant to be a victim. The case concerned two Ukrainian students who had dreamt of going to work in Germany to earn some money for their families but were trafficked into prostitution. She said that this case helped her to understand that anyone can be a victim.
It is everyone’s right to have dreams and to be naïve but no-one has the right to violate your rights. Radmila works to raise awareness amongst other judges that their role is not to judge the victims but those that have exploited them.
There remains a number of issues for victims of trafficking that Justice Dragicevic-Dicic highlighted, including ensuring the non-punishment, safety and protection of victims as well as addressing their access to compensation. Even where the offender isn’t known, victims are still entitled to the full rights of a victim within criminal proceedings.
The judiciary and independent organizations, like the Association of Serbian Judges and the International Commission of Jurists, have an important role in protecting the rights of women. Radmila explained that this can be done through promoting international standards, ensuring that victims are made visible and ensuring that States understand their responsibilities and obligations.
Judicial education on gender-based violence is important, not just in countries undergoing transitional periods, but for all countries where regional and/or international standards have been developed.
Radmila advised anyone interested in defending women’s rights that this work can be done from any position or microsystem that an individual or group is operating in, providing they take the time to educate themselves and build awareness. What is important is that as many people as possible come together to promote and protect women’s rights. Progress can be made, even if this is little by little.
“Sometimes you think you are doing little and you feel hopeless”, said Radmila, “but then I always say if you put a little seed somewhere then it will grow, after you leave, in one year, two years it’s always worth it.”
Watch the video interview:
The series of profiles introducing the work of ICJ Commissioners and Honorary Members on women’s rights was launched on 25 November 2016 to coincide with the International Day to Eliminate Violence against Women and the first day of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign.
Nov 21, 2016 | Advocacy, News
The ICJ and five other human rights groups are calling on the Malaysian authorities to drop all charges against the Bersih organizers and activists, return all items confiscated from their offices and stop making further arbitrary arrests in connection with these events.
Download the statement here:
malaysia-bersih-5-statement-advocacy-2016-eng (full text in PDF)
Nov 19, 2016 | Advocacy
Ten years after the Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA) ended Nepal’s bloody civil war, Nepali authorities must renew their commitment to ensure truth, justice and reparation for victims of the conflict who are still waiting for redress, the ICJ said today.
The CPA, signed by the Government of Nepal and the country’s major political parties, including the then Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) on 21 November 2006, called for a credible transitional justice process that would ensure victims’ rights to truth, justice, reparation and effective remedy in accordance with Nepal’s international human rights obligations.
“The hope and promise to conflict victims towards fulfillment of their rights to truth, justice and reparation that came with the signing of the CPA and the end of the conflict ten years ago have yet to be realized,” said Sam Zarifi, ICJ Asia director.
“Over the last ten years, various governments from all the different parties have blocked or hindered the transitional justice process, ignoring rulings by the Supreme Court that demanded compliance with international law and standards,” he added.
The full statement can be downloaded here:
nepal-statement-cpa-anniversary-advocacy-2016-eng (full text in PDF)
