Feb 23, 2017 | Advocacy, Open letters
The ICJ joins South Sudanese, regional and other international non-governmental organizations in a joint letter urging the Human Rights Council to renew and strengthen the mandate and capacity of the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan.
Action is needed to address the continued lack of accountability for severe, widespread and on-going crimes under international law and human rights violations and abuses, many of which amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, during the upcoming 34th session of the UN Human Rights Council (UN HRC).
South Sudan-letter HRC34-Advocacy-Open letters-2017-ENG (full text in PDF)
Oct 4, 2016 | Advocacy, News, Open letters
The ICJ, along with Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada and Human Rights Watch, sent a letter to the Government’s Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir expressing concern at the arbitrary detention of Kashmiri human rights defender Khurram Parvez.
The letter can be downloaded here: india-joint-ngo-letter-khurram-parvez-advocacy-open-letters-2016-eng (in PDF)
May 25, 2016 | Advocacy, Open letters
More than 230 non-governmental organizations (NGO) world wide have called on members of the UN’s Economic and Social Council to reform the practice of the UN Committee on NGOs, and to ensure apolitical, fair and transparent consideration of NGO applications for access to UN processes.
The response has been sparked by the long-term practice of some States to delay or effectively block certain NGOs from participation at the UN, through perpetual questioning and multiple deferrals of applications for accreditation.
In doing so, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Committee on NGOs has turned what should be largely an administrative role into the obstruction of NGOs working on issues on which States disagree. Human rights organisations are amongst those facing the most obstacles.
The joint open letter may be downloaded in PDF format here: UN-NGOCommittee-OpenLetter-2016
Feb 26, 2016 | Advocacy, Open letters
The open letter, which includes additional recommendations for a resolution on South Sudan to be adopted at the 31st ordinary session of the Human Rights Council (29 Feb – 24 Mar) is available here: Open Letter South Sudan
Jul 1, 2015 | Advocacy, Open letters
The statement has been endorsed by more than 100 civil society groups, including the ICJ, with representation in more than 25 African states, following Omar al-Bashir’s travel to South Africa from June 13-15.
The declaration raises grave concern over South Africa’s flouting its domestic and international legal obligations in failing to arrest al-Bashir (photo), and applauds the efforts of Southern Africa Litigation Centre, which filed an application before South Africa’s courts to compel al-Bashir’s arrest.
The declaration is a strong testament to support for victims of grave crimes to have access to justice, for the ICC’s efforts to advance justice for crimes committed in Darfur, and for activism to ensure al-Bashir’s surrender to the ICC.
SouthAfrica-Civil Society Declaration on Bashir-Advocacy-Open letters-2015-ENG (full text in PDF)
Mar 25, 2015 | Advocacy, Open letters
The ICJ today joined other NGOs in an open letter urging States at the UN Human Rights Council not to support a draft resolution on the ‘Effects of Terrorism on the Enjoyment of Human Rights’ in its present form and without substantial amendment.
The letter explains why the draft resolution, presented jointly by Egypt, Jordan, Algeria, Morocco and Saudi Arabia, is significantly unbalanced and suffers from four key and inter-related deficiencies:
First, the draft resolution calls for strengthening of counter-terrorism measures without sufficiently recognising that such laws and measures must be in conformity with international human rights, refugee and humanitarian law and refugee law.
Second, the resolution fails to call on States to ensure that laws and measures on counter-terrorism and national security do not hinder the work and safety of human rights defenders and other civil society actors; and to ensure that such laws and measures clearly identify which offences qualify as terrorist acts by defining transparent and foreseeable criteria.
Third, the text fails to recognise that support for a vibrant and pluralistic civil society and respect for the fundamental rights of freedom of expression, association and assembly are essential to combat extremism, counter terrorism and provide protection, support and justice to victims.
Fourth, while the draft resolution has been presented by the core group as taking a ‘victim-centered’ approach, the text fails to respond to what victims of terrorism have themselves expressed to the Council is needed to respect and fulfill their human rights. To the contrary, the resolution appears to continue the regrettable practice of invoking the suffering victims of terrorism to justify measures that too often are abused to violate human rights, without delivering real justice, remedy, and support to the victims themselves.
In conclusion, the letter urges delegations not to support the draft text without very substantial amendments, and suggests that a preferable approach may be to consider the concerns sought to be addressed in the present text when the Council comes to negotiate its traditional bi-annual resolution on human rights and countering terrorism at its 31st session in March 2016.
The Open Letter is signed jointly by: African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights, Amnesty International, ARTICLE 19, Asian Legal Resource Centre, Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales (CELS), East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project, Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, FORUM-ASIA, Human Rights House Foundation, Human Rights Watch, International Commission of Jurists, International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and International Service for Human Rights.
The full letter may be downloaded in PDF format here: Universal-HRC28-TerrorismHumanRights-Advocacy-OpenLetter-2015-ENG
The draft resolution may be downloaded here: HRC28 Draft Terrorism Human Rights Resolution
Update 26 March 2015: The resolution was adopted, with an oral amendment, by vote of the Council (25 in favour, 16 abstentions, 6 against): Terrorism 2015 vote
