Human Rights Council: UN human rights experts are scheduled to present their joint study on global practices of secret detention in the context of countering terrorism.
The most visible example of oppression on the grounds of sexual orientation is the continued criminalization of sexual activity between consenting adult partners of the same sex in many states around the world.
Regardless of whether they are enforced, these so-called sodomy laws have the effect of stigmatizing an entire group of people as criminal. International law on the issue is clear. Such laws violate human rights. In this ICJ Briefing Paper, we analyze the application of international human rights law to the criminalization of same-sex sexual conduct.
International human rights law and the criminalizaion of same-sex sexual conduct-anyalsis brief-2010 (full text, PDF)
The ICJ and Amnesty International welcome the initiative of the Committee of Ministers to prepare guidelines on the obligations of Council of Europe Member States to prevent and counter impunity.
In this brief, ICJ Commissioner Justice Ian Binnie (photo) describes the progress that has been made – and remains to be made – in developing an acceptable legal liability framework for corporate human rights violations.
In particular, Justice Binnie cites the ICJ’s Expert Panel Report on Corporate Complicity and the SRSG John Ruggie’s framework of “Protect, Respect, and Remedy,” as important advances in defining this framework.
He urges the greater development and use of both criminal and civil theories of liability for holding corporations accountable for violations.
He also calls for victims who have exhausted all local remedies to have access to an international body such as the International Criminal Court.
legalremedies-businessHR-analysis brief-2009 (full text, PDF)
The ICJ wants that alternative to detention become the cornerstone of every migration policy.
In a statement at the UN Human Rights Council Panel on Human Rights of Migrants in detention centres, the ICJ drew attention to the fact that States increasingly treat migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, as a potential threat to state security, and automatically subject them to measures such as administrative detention.
The ICJ supported expansion of strategies embraced by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to help prevent human rights violations and enhance protection of civilians in emergencies.
In the interaction with the UN High Commissioner during the 10th session of the Human Rights Council, the ICJ also demanded elaboration of a comprehensive action plan to help integrate rule of law principles and human rights standards into the national response to terrorism, and urged action on the DRC, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Zimbabwe and Colombia.
UN-violence against civilians in conflict situation-non legal submission-2009 (download in English)
Olympics: Sex Testing Harms All Women and Girls
Erosion Of Fair Trial Rights And Threats To Lawyers in Myanmar
Systematic Attacks And Judicial Harassment Against Lawyers In Belarus
El Salvador: Crimes against humanity within the framework of public security policy