The ICJ provides its views to the Human Rights Committee for the consideration of the 6th Periodic Report of Sweden.
In this submission, the ICJ highlights several issues which it considers should be of particular concern to the Committee in its consideration of the Swedish report.
Sweden-ICJ submission Human Rights Committee-non-légal submission-2009 (full text, PDF)
The ICJ condemned Israel’s military attacks in Gaza that have been indiscriminate or disproportionate.
The ICJ called for an immediate end to the Israeli military operations that came in response to indiscriminate Hamas’s rocket attacks on civilian targets in southern Israel. It also called on Hamas to unconditionally stop these attacks that violate the principle of distinction.
While supporting an immediate, durable and fully respected cease-fire, the ICJ urged the Human Rights Council to establish a Commission of Inquiry to conduct a fact-finding investigation on violations of international human rights and international humanitarian law by all parties.
Israel-ICJ Intervention on Serious Violations of Human Rights & Humanitarian Law-non-legal submission-2009 (full text, PDF)
The declaration has become a beacon for the development of international law, the institution of universal human rights mechanisms and procedures and a primary instrument for those who struggle for dignity.
Nevertheless, the promise of the Universal Declaration has yet to be fully realised.
“Despite the burgeoning of a culture of human rights in parts of the world, major objectives of the Universal Declaration remain unfulfilled, as the efforts to implement human rights have left many men and women behind”, said Lukas Machon, ICJ Representative to the UN.
UN-Universal declaration of human rights at its 60th anniversary-news-2008 (full text, PDF)
The ICJ urges all parties to the armed conflict in the East of the DRC to protect civilians from human rights and international humanitarian law violations, including from rape.
The Government is responsible for upholding the principle of command responsibility and accountability for abuses, which requires the operation of independent and ordinary courts and tribunals and bolstering the cooperation with the International Criminal Court.
Democratic Republic of Congo-ICJ Intervention on the Situation of Human Rights-non-legal submission-2008 (full text, PDF)
At the Conference on Systematic Work for Human Rights Implementation, the ICJ underscored the civil society’s dual role in terms of assessment of implementation of human rights norms as well as assistance to States in this regard.
According to the ICJ, the development of international norms has not been accomplished once and forever.
As an example, it pointed to a need to develop norms to extend the obligations to respect and ensure human rights also to businesses. On the other hand, the UN Universal Periodic Review and the system of treaty monitoring bodies should play a more meaningful role to help States ensure full compliance with human rights standards.
ICJ Intervention on Systematic Work for Human Rights Implementation-Events-2008 (full text, PDF)
Tunisia: Quash sham conviction and sentence of judges’ association President, Anas Hmedi
The UN Human Rights Council makes significant but limited progress in addressing human rights around the world, as atrocities multiply in the Middle East and elsewhere
ICJ hosts an African Regional Convening in Kenya on Transformative Equality Jurisprudence
Russian Federation: Arbitrarily detained human rights lawyer Maria Bontsler must be released