Mar 19, 2019 | Events, Multimedia items, News, Video clips
Watch on video this side event held on 18 March 2019 at the Human Rights Council.
The Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM) is the latest accountability mechanism created with a mandate that extends beyond traditional human rights monitoring, documentation and reporting.
It is similar to the International, Impartial, Independent Mechanism (IIIM) established for Syria which is also mandated to collect, consolidate, preserve and analyze evidence of violations of international humanitarian law and human rights violations and abuses for the purpose of preparing files that can be used in criminal trials.
The panel discussed a range of issues including how can we ensure these mechanisms contribute to and complement the existing international criminal justice framework at the national, regional and international levels; what is required to ensure these mechanisms are properly supported and resourced; to what extent can these mechanisms effectively coordinate, including with the ICC; and, taking a long term view, what more could be done to narrow the accountability gap in the future.
This panel was the second in a series of panels on accountability hosted by the Permanent Mission of the Netherlands.
Opening Remarks:
- Ambassador Monique van Daalen, Permanent Representative to the UN of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Moderator:
- Saman Zia-Zarifi, Secretary General, International Commission of Jurists
Panelists:
- Andrew Clapham, Member of the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan
- Sanji Monageng, former Judge/Vice-President of the ICC, and Commissioner of the ICJ
- Stephen Rapp, Chair, Commission for International Justice & Accountability (CIJA), Distinguished Fellow, US Holocaust Memorial Museum, and former United States Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice
- Amady Ba, Head, International Cooperation Section, JCCD, OTP, International Criminal Court (ICC)
- Kingsley Abbott, ICJ Senior Legal Adviser for Global Redress and Accountability
Side event ICJ NL Accountability No2 (side event flyer, in PDF)
Watch on video:
https://www.facebook.com/ridhglobal/videos/347634279184620/UzpfSTQ3MTQ2NzA4NjIyMTM3MzoyNDc4ODQxODc4ODE3MjA3/
Mar 12, 2019 | Events, News
The ICJ convened a two-day workshop from 9th to 10th March 2019 in Dhaka, Bangladesh to discuss applicable international legal mechanisms designed to achieve accountability for serious human rights violations in Asia.
Bangladesh-based non-government organizations the Centre for Peace and Justice and Naripokkho co-hosted the event with the ICJ, with a representative of AJAR (Asia Justice and Rights) also joining. Twenty Bangladeshi lawyers, activists and academics attended the event.
Legal advisers from the ICJ provided an overview of the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM), currently being established following a UN Human Rights Council resolution in September 2018.
They also discussed the structure and procedures of the International Criminal Court (ICC), whose prosecutors are currently conducting a preliminary examination into the deportation of Rohingyas from Myanmar into Bangladesh. Unlike Myanmar, Bangladesh is a State Party to the Rome Statute of the ICC, and its pre-trial chamber has indicated the Court has jurisdiction over crimes listed in the Rome Stature were one element, or part of a crime, was committed inside the territory of Bangladesh.
AJAR’s co-founder provided an overview of transitional justice processes, drawing upon international and regional experiences of truth-seeking, prosecutions, reparations and reforms to guarantee non-repetition of human rights violations.
Two of the ICJ’s legal advisers also travelled to Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, where they met relevant stakeholders to discuss the situation of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, and to share information about accountability mechanisms, including about expected timelines, outcomes and limitations.
The activity is part of the ICJ’s global work on promoting accountability and redress for gross human rights violations to facilitate justice and deter repetition.
Contact: Kingsley Abbott, ICJ Senior Legal Advisor for Global Redress and Accountability e: kingsley.abbott@icj.org
Mar 7, 2019 | Events, News
The ICJ is proud to join in presenting the documentary film The Long Haul, to be screened during the UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva.
Inspired by the life of the late Nigel Rodley—one of the principal architects of the modern human rights framework— the documentary The Long Haul addresses the current backlash on human rights and how best to respond.
Sir Nigel’s remarkable life story is an inspiration to stand up against wrongdoing and to continue fighting for equality and justice. At the same time, his family history is a reminder of the WWII tragedies that gave birth to the modern human rights regime and what could happen if we fail to honour these basic rights.
Nigel Rodley dedicated his career to the protection of those most at risk, including as Amnesty International’s first legal adviser and later as UN Special Rapporteur on Torture as then as a member and eventually Chair of the Human Rights Committee. He had a longstanding association with the ICJ as Commissioner and in other roles, and was President of the ICJ at the time he passed away.
The film will be screened at a side event to the UN Human Rights Council session, at 13h00 on Thursday 7 March, in Room XIV (UN Cinema) of the Palais des Nations in Geneva. Access is available only to those who already hold grounds passes for the UN in Geneva, or accreditation for the Council session.
The event is organised by the Permanent Mission of the United Kingdom in Geneva, with participation of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), Amnesty International, the World Organisation against Torture (OMCT), Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT), and International Service for Human Rights (ISHR).
For more information contact un(a)icj.org
A flyer for the event can be downloaded in PDF format here: Events-NigelRodleyFilm-2019-En
Mar 4, 2019 | Events, News
This side event will take place on 6 March, from 13.30-15.00, in Room XXIV of the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
The Human Rights Committee’s adoption of a new General Comment on Article 6 of the ICCPR – the right to life – expands the understanding of this ‘supreme’ right, and acknowledges its strong interdependence and indivisibility with economic and social rights.
The event will explore the economic and social dimensions of the right to life and how the concept of a ‘life with dignity’ has influenced legal developments at the regional, national, and international levels. Panelists will critically examine whether recent developments have the potential to advance economic and social rights, including by providing a stepping stone towards full access to justice for persons living in poverty.
Speakers:
Yuval Shany, Professor and Hersch Lauterpacht Chair in International Law at the Law Faculty of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Chair of the Human Rights Committee and Rapporteur for General Comment 36.
Rodrigo Uprimny, Professor Emeritus at the Professor Emeritus at the National University of Colombia, Member of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, ICJ Commissioner.
Bruce Porter, Executive Director, Social Rights Advocacy Centre, Chief Advisor to the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing.
Joanna Bourke-Martignoni, Senior Research Fellow, Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights.
Moderator:
Sandra Epal Ratjen, International Advocacy Director and Deputy Executive Director, Franciscans International.
Universal-R2Life and ES rights-News-events-2019-ENG (Concept note in PDF)
Mar 1, 2019 | Events, Multimedia items, News, Video clips
This event took place today at the Palais des Nations, United Nations, in Geneva. Watch it on video.
The situation of the rule of law in Turkey and of human rights defenders who promote it continues to be of serious concern.
Following the attempted coup of 15 July 2016, the two-year state of emergency and security legislation enacted thereafter, human rights defenders face harassment and are subject to pressure by authorities, including by unfounded criminal charges of terrorist offenses. Lack of accountability for gross violations of the rights of human rights defenders is also a particular problem.
The panel discussion at this side event will also focus on the situation of human rights defenders for the rule of law in Turkey and the lack of accountability for human rights violations against them, including for the killing of the head of the Bar Association of Diyarbakir three years ago.
The event is organized by the ICJ jointly with the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute.
Speakers:
– Michel Forst, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders
– Feray Salman, Coordinator of the Human Rights Joint Platform (IHOP)
– Kerem Altiparmak, ICJ Legal Consultant
– Jurate Guzeviciute, International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute
Chair:
Saman Zia-Zarifi, ICJ Secretary General
Event Flyer:
Turkey- HRD side event HRC40-News-Events-2019-ENG
https://www.facebook.com/ridhglobal/videos/795507517477571/
Feb 28, 2019 | Events, News
This event will address progress in implementing Human Rights Council resolution 30/1 and required steps, in the format of presentations from human rights defenders from Sri Lanka and testimonies.
Date: Thursday, 28 February 2019
Time: 13.30 – 14.30
Venue: Room XXVII, Palais des Nations
Chair: Mr. Budi Tjahjono, Franciscans International
Speakers:
- Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA)
- Ms. Shyamala Gomez, Centre for Equality and Justice (CEJ)
- Mr. Senaka Perera, Committee for Protecting Rights of Prisoners
- Representative of the North East Coordinating Committee (NECC)
Testimonies:
- Ms. Sandya Eknaligoda, Wife of the disappeared journalist
- Dr. Kasipillai Manoharan, Father of the victim of ‘Trinco 5’ killings
Sponsors:
- Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)
- Amnesty International
- CIVICUS
- Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI)
- Franciscans International
- Human Rights Watch (HRW)
- International Commission of Jurists (ICJ)
- International Movement Against all forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR)
- International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)
