During the exchange by the UN Special Procedures with civil society, NGOs and national human rights institutions, the ICJ identified good practices in coordination by Special Procedures with treaty bodies and the UPR.
The ICJ also called for enhanced cooperation with civil society as part of the working methods of the Special Procedures.
The ICJ and other human rights groups considers that “the draft resolution before the Council falls far short of what is needed”.
“If the Council adopts the resolution as it stands, it will have failed in its fundamental mission to advance the protection of human rights,” they fear.
Since 1963, under the framework of a State of Emergency, serious and widespread human rights violations have been committed in Syria, including torture and other ill-treatment, enforced disappearances, and arbitrary arrests and detentions.
Suspected political opponents, human rights lawyers and other defenders have been regularly and arbitrarily detained, ill-treated and, in many cases, held without charge or trial for several years. Others have been convicted and sentenced, under the emergency law and other restrictive dispositions of the Syrian Penal Code (in particular Articles 267,273, 285, 286, 287, 288, and 307),to lengthy prison terms after grossly unfair trials before military courts, the Supreme State Security Court (SSSC), or civilian courts.
In spite of the persistent and consistent reports of these human rights violations, Syrian authorities have failed to investigate them promptly and independently, and to bring to justice State officials and laws enforcement officers allegedly responsible for these violations. They have enjoyed effective impunity.
Syria-UPR submission ICJ-non-legal submission-2011 (full text, PDF)
With the strong risk that escalating repression, violence and instability in Egypt could lead to an unprecedented deterioration in the human rights situation, it is critical that the international community take up this issue.
On 3 February 2011, the ICJ joined a call by NGOs urging the UN Human Rights Council to urgently convene a Special Session on the “human rights situation in the Arab Republic of Egypt.” The Human Rights Council should use the Special Session to foster concrete measures to prevent further violations of international human rights and protect those already suffering from such violations.
Egypt-humanrightsviolations-HRC-advocacy-2011 (full text, PDF)
In June 2011, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on transnational corporations and other business enterprises (SRSG), Prof. John Ruggie, will present his final report to the UN Human Rights Council.
This report will include Guiding Principles for the operationalization of the “Protect, Respect and Remedy” Framework as well as options for UN mechanisms on business and human rights to follow the SRSG.
humanrights-business-advocacy-2011 (full text, PDF)
The ICJ and other NGOs submitted written comments to the informal group on accession of the European Union to the European Convention on Human Rights on the occasion of its meeting of 6-8 December 2010.
The NGO paper addressed the proposed co-respondent mechanism of the European Court of Human Rights and consultation with civil society on EU accession to the European Convention on Human Rights.
EU-accessionECHR-advocacy-2010 (full text, PDF)
USA/Israel/Palestine: Immediately rescind sanctions against UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese
Strong push back against US sanctions on the International Criminal Court at UN Human Rights Council
ECtHR Grand Chamber Ruling in Semenya v. Switzerland: Joint Statement of Third-Party Interveners
UN Human Rights Council struggles to fulfil its mandate in the midst of global attacks on human rights, the rule of law and multilateralism