Jul 5, 2018 | Advocacy, Non-legal submissions
The ICJ today joined other NGOs in urging open discussion and debate about countries at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, including in discussions of cooperation, despite attempts by some States to interrupt and suppress debate.
The statement was delivered in a General Debate on items 2 and 10 of the Council, by Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) on behalf of the group of NGOs. It read as follows:
“Thank you, Mr. President. While we appreciate the importance of technical cooperation, we wish to stress that a debate on technical cooperation will be incomplete if it does not address non-cooperation and country situations that have worsened despite technical cooperation. We are alarmed by efforts to restrict discussion on such situations by some states under Agenda Item 10, including for instance by (the Bolivarian Republic of) Venezuela earlier today.
While we recognise that all delegations including NGOs are required to speak on the topic under discussion, we are deeply concerned when NGOs making relevant statements are interrupted and not given a chance to explain the relevance of their statement, and in some cases are even prevented from finishing the statement. This has happened even when an NGO is speaking specifically on concerns addressed by UN reports listed for discussion in the relevant debate. Statements on Cambodia during the March session of the Council are recent examples.
The concept of international cooperation should never be invoked to shut down any criticism of human rights situations in individual countries. Cooperation cannot succeed without accountability. To be effective, debates on technical assistance and capacity building must be open to frank discussion of the true gravity, character and extent of on-going violations in the country in question, as well as the impact or lack of impact of any assistance already undertaken.
Thank You”
Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)
Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies
Conectas Direitos Humanos
Freedom House
Human Rights House Foundation
Human Rights Watch
International Commission of Jurists
International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU)
International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)
Jul 5, 2018 | Advocacy, Non-legal submissions
The ICJ today joined 91 other NGOs in calling on the UN Human Rights Council to act in response to the downward spiral for human rights in Venezuela.
The joint statement was delivered on behalf of the group by Human Rights Watch during a general debate (check against delivery).
“Spiralling downwards with no end in sight”: That’s how a group of UN Special Procedures, including the Special Rapporteurs on health, adequate housing, extreme poverty and food categorized Venezuela in January of this year. This is also the title of a report released by the OHCHR on June 22, which paints a devastating picture of arbitrary detentions and extrajudicial killings coupled with a severe shortage of food and basic medicines.
One Venezuelan mother interviewed by OHCHR said: “I have a little baby that cries and cries because I can´t feed her. The baby’s milk formula costs 3 million Bolivars and my husband only makes 1.2 million a month. (…) My neighbours told me that if I don’t vote for the Government they will take the food, the cash bonus and my house from me. They control the electoral authority, so they know for which party you vote.”
The UN Human Rights Council can no longer look away. Venezuela has spiralled into a human rights and humanitarian crisis that demands urgent action. The crackdown on dissent continues. The population has lost an average of 11 kilos in 2017. Most Venezuelans go to bed hungry, and according to the UNHCR, more than 1.5 million Venezuelans have fled the country, for reasons including political persecution, violence, and the ongoing humanitarian crisis. As a result, a 2,000 percent increase in asylum applications has been recorded across Latin America since 2014, and hundreds of thousands remain in an irregular situation, which increases their vulnerability.
Today’s joint statement delivered by Peru on behalf of 53 States adds to the chorus of international concern. The Human Rights Council also needs to step up and address the human rights violations suffered by the Venezuelan people at the hands of a member of this Council. We encourage continued reporting by the High Commissioner, and hope that today’s joint statement paves the way for the international investigation that the High Commissioner has called for and which is so desperately needed.
Acceso a la Justicia
Acción Solidaria
ACCSI Acción Ciudadana Contra el SIDA
Action for Solidarity
African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies
ALAPLAF
Ana Belloso
ASOADNA
Asociación Civil Fuerza, Unión, Justicia, Solidaridad y Paz (FUNPAZ)
Aula Abierta
Canada Venezuela Democracy Forum
Cátedra de Derechos Humanos de la Universidad Centrooccidental Lisandro Alvarado
Center for Justice and International Law
Centro de Acción y Defensa por los Derechos Humanos – Cadef
centro de Derechos Humanos de la Universidad Metropolitana (CDH-UNIMET)
Centro de Derechos Humanos, Universidad Católica Andrés Bello
Centro de Documentación en Derechos Humanos “Segundo Montes Mozo S.J.” (CSMM)
Centro de Formación para la Democracia (CFD Venezuela)
Centro de Justicia y Paz – CEPAZ
Centro de Promoción y Defensa de los Derechos Sexuales y Reproductivos – PROMSEX
Centro para la Paz y los DDHH de la Universidad Central de Venezuela
Centro para la Paz y los DDHH Universidad Central de Venezuela
Centro Regional de derechos Humanos y Justicia de Genero: Corporación Humanas
Cisfem
CIVICUS
Civilis Derechos Humanos
Clínica Jurídica de Migrantes y Refugiados de la Universidad Diego Portales
Codevida
Comisión de Derechos Humanos de la Facultad de Ciencias Jurídicas y Políticas de la Universidad del Zulia
Comisión de Derechos Humanos de la Federación de Colegios de Abogados de Venezuela del Estado Tachira
Comisión para los Derechos Humanos del estado Zulia, Codhez
Comisión para los Derechos Humanos y la Ciudadanía (CODEHCIU)
COMITE POR UNA RADIOTELEVISIÓN DE SERVICIO PÚBLICO
Conectas Direitos Humanos
Convite AC
Coordinadora Nacional de Derechos Humanos
Defensa y Justicia Carabobo
Defiende venezuela
Dejusticia
Epikeia, Observatorio Universitario de Derechos Humanos
Espacio Público
EXCUBITUS derechos humanos en educacion
FADNNA
Federación interamericana de Abogados capitulo Venezuela seccional Anzoategui
Foro Penal
Franciscans International
Fundacion Aguaclara
Fundación Espacio Abierto
FUNDACION ETNICA INTEGRAL
Fundación Niños, Niñas y Adolescentes
Fundación para el Debido Proceso (DPLF)
Fundamujer
Humano Derecho Radio Estacion
Human Rights Watch
Iniciativa Por Venezuela
Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights
International Commission of Jurists
International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR)
International Service for Human Rights
Ipys Venezuela
Juventud Unida en Acción
Laboratorio de Paz
Madres de Soacha (Colombia)
María Estrella de la Mañana
Maria Eugenia
Misión Scalabriniana Ecuador
Monitor Social A.C. (Venezuela-Edo. Nva Esparta)
Movimiento Vinotinto
Mulier
Observatorio de Derechos Humanos de la Universidad de Los Andes
Observatorio Venezolano de Conflictividad Social (OVCS)
Observatorio Venezolano de la Salud
Organización StopVIH
PADF Honduras
Padres organizados de Venezuela
Paz y Esperanza
Pedro Luis Echeverria
PEDRO NIKKEN
Prepara Familia
Promoción Educación y Defensa en DDHH (PROMEDEHUM)
Revista SIC del Centro Gumilla
Robert F Kennedy Human Rights
Seguridad en Democracia (SEDEM)
Sin Fronteras IAP
Sinergia, Red Venezolana de Organizaciones de la Sociedad Civil
Thais Parra
Transparencia Venezuela
UCV
Una Ventana a la Libertad
Unión Afirmativa de Venezuela
Union Vecinal para la Participación Ciudadana A.C
West African Human Rights Defenders Network
World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)
Mar 22, 2018 | Advocacy, Non-legal submissions
The ICJ today highlighted at the UN the need for further action to address impunity in Sri Lanka and in Colombia.
The statement, delivered in a general debate at the UN Human Rights Council, responded to UN reports on Sri Lanka and Colombia, and read as follows:
Sri Lanka has not made sufficient progress on its commitments and obligations as reflected in Council resolution 30/1. Among the mechanisms contemplated, only the Office on Missing Persons (OMP) is operational. The process for establishing the other mechanisms, and the extent to which their composition will be based on the broad national public consultations carried out in 2016, remains unclear. The ICJ reiterates that, in line with operative paragraph 6 of resolution 30/1, the accountability mechanism cannot be seen as credible without involvement of international judges, prosecutors and investigators.
Furthermore, despite promises to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), arrests still take place. As the High Commissioner recommended, the PTA should be promptly repealed without waiting for replacement legislation. Any proposed counterterrorism law must comply with international human rights standards.
In Colombia, the ICJ shares OHCHR’s deep concern about the exclusion of non-military State agents and private individuals from the scope of mandatory application of the Integrated System of Justice, Truth, Reparations and Guarantees of Non-repetition (per paragraph 90 of the Report). Furthermore, four months of unjustified delay by the Government in accrediting the new representative of the OHCHR Office, which ended only yesterday, undermined the ability of the Office to provide adequate technical assistance to guarantee victims’ rights in the Integrated System, as provided for by the Peace Agreement.”
[Paragraph 6 of Human Rights Council resolution 30/1 provides that the Council, “Welcomes the recognition by the Government of Sri Lanka that accountability is essential to uphold the rule of law and to build confidence in the people of all communities of Sri Lanka in the justice system, notes with appreciation the proposal of the Government of Sri Lanka to establish a judicial mechanism with a special counsel to investigate allegations of violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law, as applicable; affirms that a credible justice process should include independent judicial and prosecutorial institutions led by individuals known for their integrity and impartiality; and also affirms in this regard the importance of participation in a Sri Lankan judicial mechanism, including the special counsel’s office, of Commonwealth and other foreign judges, defence lawyers and authorized prosecutors and investigators;”]
Mar 15, 2018 | Advocacy, Non-legal submissions
The ICJ today spoke at the United Nations on impunity and the situation for human rights in Peru.
The oral statement was made during the discussion at the Human Rights Council of the Universal Periodic Review outcome for Peru. It read as follows (translation from the original Spanish):
“Mr President,
The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) recognizes the progress made by the Peruvian State in the field of human rights and its openness in relation to the recommendations made in the current cycle of the Universal Periodic Review.
The ICJ regrets, however, that the investigation and punishment of those responsible for the serious human rights violations that occurred during the internal armed conflict have not received the attention they deserve. On the contrary, the fight against impunity has receded with the granting of pardon and presidential grace to former president Alberto Fujimori who was serving a prison sentence for a series of crimes against humanity committed during his term. The presidential grace grants immunity from investigations and prosecutions in course or to be opened in the future.
One of the recommendations (111.97) that Peru accepts with qualifications refers to investigations and reparations to the thousands of women who suffered forced sterilization during the Fujimori administration. The measures of pardon and grace granted would exonerate Fujimori from investigation and punishment for this and other serious crimes. The ICJ urges the Peruvian State to implement the recommendations of the international community with full respect for international standards that prohibit impunity for serious violations of human rights.
Thank you Mr President.”
The ICJ oral statement complements a related written statement by the ICJ at the session.
