Aug 12, 2010 | Agendas, Events
The ICJ has invited to a 4-day Camp around 35 experts from the SADC regions to exchange experience, identify risks, difficulties and opportunities for a better protection and enjoyment of ESC rights.
Although economic, social and cultural rights continue suffering from prejudices against their legal nature and their ability to be enforced by courts, developments in international and national law in the last two decades have reinforced their status as “real” human rights as well as their equal value and importance.
At the regional level, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights particularly emphasizes the interdependence of human rights. Moreover, the Charter does not differentiate between provisions for the realization of economic, social and cultural rights and those for the realization of civil and political rights.
Such equal treatment provides the possibility to challenge states’ reluctance or failure to protect, promote and fulfill socio- economic rights in the South Africa Development Community (SADC).
However, most challenges to human rights violations in the SADC region have tended to focus on violations of civil and political rights even though economic and social rights are daily concerns of the people. This gap is particularly due to a lack of capacity of the lawyers and human rights activists as well as social justice practitioners who are interested in socio-economic rights advocacy and litigation.
In order to contribute to reduce this gap, the Africa regional office of the International Commission of Jurists has invited to a 4-day ESCR Camp around 35 experts from the SADC regions. Together with international experts on economic, social and cultural rights, the participants will, exchange experience, identify risks, difficulties and opportunities for a better protection and enjoyment of these human rights.
South Africa-ESCR advocacy litigation-agenda-2010 (full text in English, PDF)
South Africa-ESCR advocacy litigation-event-2010 (ful text in English, PDF)
Jul 19, 2010 | Events
The ICJ and the Judiciary of Lesotho will on 28th – 30th July 2010 hold a Judges’ Symposium in Maseru, Lesotho on the theme ‘Judicial Independence, Impartiality, Accountability and Reform in Lesotho’.
Jun 17, 2010 | News
The ICJ has asked David Cote, Head of the strategic litigation unit at Lawyers for Human Rights, to observe the bail application in the matter of The State versus Farai Maguwu (photo) in the High Court of Zimbabwe.
Mr. Farai Maguwu, a respected human rights defender was arrested soon after a confidential meeting held on 25 May 2010 with the Kimberley Process Monitor for Zimbabwe, Mr. Abbey Chikane, to discuss human rights abuses and the rampant smuggling of Marange diamonds.
Zimbabwe-trial case Maguwu-web story-2010 (full text in English, PDF)
Jun 4, 2010 | News
Les ONG soussignées expriment leur indignation suite à la mort de Floribert Chebeya Bahizire dont le corps a été retrouvé le 2 juin 2010 sur une route à la sortie de Kinshasa, et à la disparition de Fidèle Bazana Edadi.
May 30, 2010 | Agendas, Events
This symposium brought together African judges, lawyers, media actors, academics and human rights groups to enhance their participation in the Review Conference of the States Parties to the Rome Statute.
Co-hosted by the ICJ, the Human Rights Network of Uganda (HURINET-U) and the Uganda Coalition on the International Criminal Court (UCICC) in the last days leading up to the ICC Review Conference, the symposium focused on discussions around the four stocktaking issues – complementarity, cooperation, the impact of the Rome Statute system on victims and affected communities, and peace and justice – for which the participants identified urgent problems, articulated key priorities and recommended to the Assembly of State Parties actionable policies in a communiqué, which was handed over to Ambassador Christian Wenaweser, President of the Assembly of State Parties to the Rome Statute.
Uganda-symposium stocktaking processes-event-2010 (full text in English, PDF)
Uganda-symposium stocktaking processes-agenda-2010 (full text in English, PDF)
Uganda-communique state delegates-event-2010 (full text in English, PDF)
May 20, 2010 | News
The ICJ expresses its serious concern at the unlawful detention, prosecution and conviction of Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, a Malawian gay couple.
The ICJ calls for the sentence against them to be unconditionally reviewed and their conviction immediately overturned.
Malawi-criminalisation-same sex relationships constitutes-press release-2010 (full text, PDF)
