Mar 30, 2012 | Advocacy
During the 19th session of the Human Rights Council, the ICJ made an oral statement during the General Debate concerning situations that require the Council’s attention.
Welcoming the initiative of the United States of America to introduce a draft resolution on promoting reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka, the ICJ emphasised that this initiative should receive wide support by Council members as an important first step to ensure that action towards reconciliation is taken, not just words.
Sri Lanka-oral intervention-advocacy-2012 (full text, PDF)
Mar 29, 2012 | Advocacy, Non-legal submissions
The ICJ, AI and HRW express their concern that the human rights situation in Nepal remains precarious and that accountability for wartime abuses is being put further and further out of reach.
During the Human Rights Council’s 19th session in Geneva, on 27 February to 23 March 2012, the ICJ – in a joint statement with Amnesty International (AI) and Human Rights Watch (HRW) – made an oral statement in the General Debate under item 2 of the Council agenda (concerning reports of the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights – OHCHR). On the even of the departure of the OHCHR from Nepal, the ICJ, AI and HRW expressed their concern that the human rights situation in Nepal remains precarious and that accountability for wartime abuses is being put further and further out of reach.
Nepal-joint statement Human Rights Council-non-legal submission-2012 (full text in English, PDF)
Mar 29, 2012 | Advocacy, Non-legal submissions
The ICJ made a written statement on Nepal to the Human Rights Council during its 19th session in Geneva.
More than five years since the end of the armed conflict in Nepal, international monitoring mechanisms established to scrutinise progress in the peace process in the country have effectively ceased to function, despite the failure to conclude the peace process and establish the agreed-upon transitional justice mechanisms.
The ICJ statement focuses on amnesty provisions in transitional justice legislation; proposed pardons, and the appointment of alleged rights violator to Government; and lack of investigations and withdrawal of cases.
Nepal-Written statement ICJ-non-judicial submission-2012 (full text in English, PDF)
Mar 29, 2012 | Advocacy, Non-legal submissions
The ICJ made a written statement on national commissions of inquiry in South Asia at the Human Rights Council’s 19th session.Although national commissions of inquiry can contribute towards States’ fulfilment of their international human rights obligations when established in line with international standards and best practices, they are all too often found wanting and frequently designed to continue a culture of impunity for serious human rights violations and to weaken the rule of law.
In a written statement to the Human Rights Council during its 19th session in Geneva, the ICJ raised the issue of the relationship between national commissions of inquiry in South Asia with the criminal justice system, and the question of political will and adherence to international standards.
Written statement ICJ-non-judicial submission-2012 (full text in English, PDF)
Sep 16, 2011 | News
The ICJ ended its six-day High-Level Mission to Pakistan today after studying the role of the judiciary and the separation of powers.
The High-Level Mission, consisting of Judge Stefan Trechsel (Chair) and Graham Leung, visited Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad between September 7-8 and September 12-15, 2011. The Mission was a follow up to an earlier ICJ Mission which took place in 2007during the height of the constitutional crisis that was occurring at the time.
Pakistan-independence of the judiciary since the lawyers`movement-web story-2011 (full text, PDF)
