International Commission of Jurists
Submission for the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Australia

Submission for the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Australia

Mar 20, 2015 | Advocacy, Non-legal submissions

Today, the ICJ made a submission to the Universal Periodic Review of Australia.

The submission brings to the attention of the members of the Human Rights Council’s Working Group issues concerning:

  • The treatment of asylum-seekers and Australia’s attacks against international refugee law;
  • The treatment of aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples;
  • The weakening and undermining of the Australian Human Rights Commission; and,
  • International instruments and mechanisms.

Australia-UPR-Advocacy-2015-ENG

Council of Europe: ICJ and AI submission on draft foreign fighters protocol

Council of Europe: ICJ and AI submission on draft foreign fighters protocol

Mar 19, 2015 | Advocacy, Legal submissions, News

The ICJ and Amnesty International have presented a submission on the draft of an Additional Protocol supplementing the Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism.

In their submission, the ICJ and AI outlined before the Committee on Foreign Terrorist Fighters and Related Issues (COD-CTE) of the Council of Europe the general principles of human rights law related to the issue of foreign fighters and the implementation of Security Council resolution 2178(2014) and made observations on the draft criminal offences contained in the draft protocol.

The submission outlines positions and concerns with relation to:

  • The lack of definition of central concepts like “terrorism”, “terrorist acts”, and “foreign fighters”
  • The risk of introducing criminal offences lacking the clarity, accessibility and foreseeability required by the principle of legality
  • The risk of conflation of of different legal regimes, notably of international humanitarian law and ordinary criminal law
  • The need to investigate and prosecute existing crimes under international law
  • The need to ensure that any criminalisation of acts or omissions must have a close connection to the commission of the principal criminal offence, with a real risk that such a principal criminal act would in fact take place
  • Specific comments on the draft offences of participation in an association or group for the purpose of terrorism; receiving training for terrorism; travelling abroad for the purpose of terrorism; funding travelling abroad for the purpose of terrorism; organizing or otherwise facilitating travelling abroad for the purpose of terrorism.

CouncilofEurope-Submission-ForeignFighters-Advocacy-Legal Submission-2015-ENG (download the observations)

Side event: legally binding instruments on business and human rights – European perspectives

Side event: legally binding instruments on business and human rights – European perspectives

Mar 17, 2015 | Events, News

This side event will take place on Thursday 19 March 2015, 12.00-14.00, at the Palais des Nations, Geneva, Room XXVII.

It aims at creating a space to discuss the EU agenda on Business & Human Rights, identifying current challenges and development, and exploring opportunities arising from the Treaty process.

Panelists:
Mons. Silvano Tomasi, Holy See, Permanent Observer
Mr. Jerome Bellion-Jourdan, Delegation of the European Union to the UN
Mrs. Elena Valenciano, European Parliament Sub-Committee on Human Rights, Chair
Mr. Richard Meeran, Leigh Day, Partner
Ms. Anne van Schaik, Friends of the Earth Europe, Economics and Justice Team
Moderation: Dr. Carlos Lopez, International Commission of Jurists, Senior Legal Adviser

Erope-Flyer side-event EU BHR perspectives-News-event-2015-ENG (ful text in PDF)

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