Mar 19, 2013 | Advocacy, Non-legal submissions
The ICJ today welcomed the recent deposit of the tenth instrument of ratification to the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).
Noting that the entry into force of the Optional Protocol (OP) on 5 May 2013 will mark an historic boost to the international protection of economic, social and cultural rights, the ICJ called on the Human Rights Council and its members to become party to the OP and other individual communications procedures of the treaty bodies.
The ICJ’s statement was made during the General Debate under Item 8 of the Human Rights Council’s agenda (follow-up and implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action) during the 22nd regular session of the Council (25 February to 22 March 2013).
HRC22-Item8GD-OPICESCR-NonLegalSubmission-2013 (download full statement in ODF)
Mar 18, 2013 | Advocacy, Events
The ICJ’s Director of the International Law & Protection Programmes today addressed an international conference on strengthening cooperation in preventing terrorism, held in Baku, Azerbaijan.
In a session focussed on measures to address the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism, Alex Conte emphasised that it is only by avoiding the creation or maintenance of conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism – including human rights violations and lack of the rule of law – that a sustainable international effort can be achieved to combat terrorism.
Identifying numerous negative trends in the national implementation of counter-terrorism obligations, Dr Conte made concrete proposals towards international cooperation aimed at ensuring that national law and practice complies with human rights and the rule of law.
ICJ-BakuConference-Statement-2013 (download full statement in PDF)
Mar 8, 2013 | Events
As a member of the International NGO Coalition for the OP to the ICESCR, the ICJ is co-convening a high-level event on the protection of economic, social and cultural rights March 13 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
This event is organized together with the Group of Friends of the Optional Protocol to the ICESCR, including Argentina, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Ecuador, El Salvador, Finland, France, Senegal, Spain, Slovakia, Portugal and Uruguay; and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
It will highlight the importance of OP-ICESCR to the full realization of human rights and the need to achieve widespread ratification of the OP-ICESCR to ensure access to justice for all.
Speakers will include the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Water and Sanitation, as well as the Permanent Representatives of Argentina, France, Portugal, Slovakia and Uruguay.
Parallel Event – OP-ICESCR-event-2013 (download the flyer, pdf)
