Jun 13, 2012 | Advocacy, Non-legal submissions
The ICJ recalls the three main issues proposed by a number of civil society organizations as priorities for the Working Group. These priority issues are: (1) to explore the further development of international standards; (2) to improve access to remedies, and in particular access to justice for victims of human rights abuses; and (3) to address the impact of business on indigenous people and other vulnerable groups.
The ICJ urges the Human Rights Council and the Working Group to:
- pay special attention to the need for State regulation of corporations and other business enterprises;
- pay special attention to the need to ensure access to justice and effective remedies and reparations to victims;
- ensure its activities do not foreclose the elaboration of further international standards and;
- take fully into account the Maastricht Principles in their work.
Human Rights Council-20th session-non-legal submission-2012 (full text, PDF)
Jun 11, 2012 | Advocacy, Non-legal submissions
The ICJ, together with other NGOs, submitted four documents and oral statements to the 19th Annual Meeting of the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council.
From 11 to 15 June 2012, the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council will undertake its 19th Annual Meeting. On behalf of 22 non-governmental organisations, the ICJ addressed an open letter dated 1 June 2012 to the Coordination Committee of the Special Procedures. Building on a Joint Statement produced following the 18th Annual Meeting in 2011, the letter welcomes some positive developments and initiatives, and provides comments or suggestions for improvement on the following topics:
- the communications reports of the Special Procedures;
- the handling of urgent appeals and individual communications;
- non-cooperation by States;
- reprisals against persons who cooperate with the UN;
- the OHCHR compilation of UN information for the Universal Periodic Review;
- NGO briefings conducted in the margins of Human Rights Council sessions; and
- the Special Procedures “facts and figures”.
In an oral statement during the Annual Meeting, the ICJ also drew attention to the recently elaborated Maastricht Principles on Extraterritorial Obligations of States in the area of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
Jun 1, 2012 | Advocacy, Non-legal submissions
The statement was delivered today at the 19th Special Session of the UN Human Rights Council.
The International Commission of Jurists called on the Human Rights Council, as a matter of the utmost urgency, to request that the Security Council immediately refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and to take concerted and united action with the General Assembly to end the ongoing massacres in Syria.
Syria-ICJ-Human Rights Council SS19-non legal submission-2012 (Full text in PDF)
May 7, 2012 | Advocacy, Non-legal submissions
The ICJ joined another 165 NGOs in an appeal to EU institutions to respect the right to liberty of asylum seekers in the negotations of the new Common European Asylum System.
The ICJ joined other 165 international, European and national NGOs in an appeal to EU institutions to to maintain the presumption against detention in EU asylum legislation and uphold as a minimum a list of essential safeguards on the detention of asylum seekers in EU asylum legislation, on occasion of the negotiations for the revision of the Common European Asylum System.
EU-jointstatement-asylum-2012 (download the joint statement)
Photo credit: © Yanni Koutsomitis (the author of the picture has no involvement in nor does support this submission)
Apr 19, 2012 | Advocacy, Non-legal submissions
Under the second cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism, the UN Human Rights Council Working Group on the UPR will be undertaking a review of Pakistan during its 14th session.
In a submission to the Working Group, the ICJ has focused on the discrete issues of:
- independence of the judiciary;
- business and human rights, concerning safety and security for miners;
- protection of the rights of the child; and
- Pakistan’s party status to international human rights instruments and its cooperation with the UN treaty bodies and the Council’s Special Procedures.
Pakistan-UPR14-StakeholderSubmission-legal submission (2012) (download in PDF)
Pakistan-Comparison-FirstAndSecondCycle-advocacy-2012 (full text in English, PDF)
Apr 16, 2012 | Advocacy, Non-legal submissions
Under the second cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism, the UN Human Rights Council Working Group on the UPR will be undertaking a review of Sri Lanka during its 14th session.
In a submission to the Working Group, the ICJ has focused on the discrete issues of:
- the failure of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission and previous national commissions of inquiry to hold accountable those responsible for serious human rights violations;
- the systemic barriers affecting the efficacy of the habeas corpus writ as legal remedy for arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance;
- the ongoing detention of Sri Lankans in “rehabilitation camps” and the lack of any independent monitoring mechanism;
- Sri Lanka’s failure to implement witness protection measures;
- Sri Lanka’s failure to properly incorporate the Convention Against Torture into domestic law; and
- Sri Lanka’s party status to international human rights instruments and its cooperation with the UN treaty bodies and the Council’s Special Procedures.
Sri Lanka-ICJ submission UPR-non-judicial submission-2012 (full text in English, PDF)
Sri Lanka-Comparison second cycle-advocacy-2012 (full text in English, PDF)
