Nov 21, 2013 | Articles, Nouvelles, Publications
Ce nouveau rapport de la CIJ sur accès à la justice pour les droits économiques, sociaux et culturels au Maroc a été présenté à l’issue d’une mission de quatre jours dans le pays. Il a largement bénéficié des informations et discussions collectées et menées au cours d’un processus entamé en 2012.
Le rapport souligne que les provisions de la Constitution de 2011 devraient contribuer à garantir les droits économiques, sociaux et culturels.
Mais il identifie aussi un certain nombre de lacunes qui privent de nombreux(ses) Marocain(e)s d’accès à la justice en cas de violation de ces droits.
Un atelier organisé en collaboration avec l’Organisation marocaine des droits humains en septembre 2012 et une mission de recherche organisée conjointement par les programmes DESC et MENA de la CIJ en avril 2013 ont été l’occasion de consulter des acteurs pertinents, qu’ils soient utilisateurs ou au service de la justice.
Morocco-Access to Justice ESCR-publications-report-2013-Fr (full text in French, pdf)
Nov 21, 2013
The new ICJ study on access to justice for economic, social and cultural rights in Morocco was presented during a 4-day mission in this country.
The study welcomes the provisions of the 2011 Constitution that should contribute to better guarantee and protect economic, social and cultural rights (ESCR).
It also welcomes a number of recent social policies initiated to improve access to important social services and goods, especially to the benefit of disadvantaged and marginalized sectors of the Moroccan society.
But the report also identifies and describes significant gaps and issues in the normative, institutional and remedial frameworks that deprive many Moroccans from accessing justice in cases of violations of ESCR, and from enjoying their right to an effective remedy when facing such violations.
The ICJ is especially concerned at the prevalence of legal provisions that discriminate against women in areas that are fundamental to ESCR, such as inheritance, or family law.
The inaccessibility of judicial remedies for victims of violations of ESCR for procedural reasons, and the weakness of sanctions in certain cases of abuses of ESCR (for ex. in labour matters) is another area of concern.
In the coming months, the ICJ will continue to promote and discuss the findings of the study, which is the result of over a year of research and consultations on the advances and obstacles in the access to justice for alleged victims of ESCR in Morocco – a country that has initiated deep legal reforms.
Beside civil society actors, the new publication was handed over to several public authorities, including the Minister of Justice, the President of the Cour de Cassation, the Ombudsman, the President of the Human Rights Commission of the Parliament and the Secretary General of the Government.
Morocco-Access to Justice ESCR-publications-report-2013-ara (full text in Arabic, pdf)
Nov 5, 2013
The ICJ has provided a submission to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) for its consideration during the adoption of a list of issues for the examination of the initial report of Indonesia under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
During its meeting on 2-6 December 2013, the CESCR’s Pre-Sessional Working Group will adopt a list of issues on Indonesia. These issues will be put to the Government of Indonesia for formal response ahead of the CESCR’s full examination of the initial report of Indonesia in April/May 2014.
The ICJ’s submission raises matters and suggests concrete questions to be put to the Government of Indonesia concerning the right to freely choose work, and to just and favourable working conditions; the right to freedom of association and trade unions; the right to water; and the right to cultural life.
Indonesia-CESCR-PSWG52-ListOfIssues-LegalSubmission-2013 (download full submission in PDF)
Oct 27, 2013 | News
The international NGO coalition for the OP to the ICESCR supports national initiatives to promote ratification in Africa.
The International Coalition for the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights ended today a one-week support mission to promote the ratification of the Protocol in West Africa.
Although the group of African States played a fundamental role in the elaboration of the Protocol, none of them have yet ratified this instrument that will give the possibility to victims of violations of ESCR to have their case examined by the UN Committee in charge.
On 21 and 22 October in Cotonou, Benin, two members of the International Coalition, Amnesty International and the International Commission of Jurists, supported national actors, including the Coalition béninoise pour les DESC, Amnesty International-Benin, the Chaire UNESCO-Benin, in the organization of a high-level roundtable discussion to welcome the signature by the State of Benin of the Optional Protocol to the ICESCR on 24 September 2013 and to encourage the State to move quickly towards the ratification of the instrument.
The initiative benefitted from the participation of two Ministers, the Minister of Justice and Human Rights and the Minister in charge of the relations with the institutions, as well as from the support of additional partners including the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
From 24 to 26 October, and with the support of the International Coalition, a group of national civil society organized in Sokodé (about 400 km from Togo’s capital Lome) a national gathering to discuss the international standards on ESCR, the promotion and protection mechanisms for these rights, including the procedures under the Protocol.
Fifty-two participants from more than 30 civil society organizations from all parts of the country took part in this event.
Following the discussions, the organizers – the Plateforme DESC-Togo, GRADSE, RAPDA-Togo, FETAPH, WILDAF-Togo, FLORAISON et AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL-Togo, in collaboration with the International Commission of Jurists, the OHCHR, Amnesty International and Terre des Hommes France – established an action plan for the promotion and protection of ESCR in the country, including the monitoring of key recommendations of the CESCR and the ratification of the Optional Protocol.
Oct 24, 2013 | Artículos, Noticias
Los días 22, 23 y 24 de octubre se reunieron en el Departamento de Petén diferentes comunidades, dirigentes comunitarios, defensores de derechos humanos y organizaciones sociales.
El objetivo de la reunion fue evaluar la situación de las comunidades que viven en los municipios de San Andrés y La Libertad, de dicho departamento.
Entre otras organizaciones y dirigentes del departamento de Petén, estuvieron presentes las organizaciones Unión Verapacense de Organizaciones Campesinas (UVOC) y el Comité de Desarrollo Campesino (CODECA), ambas integrantes de la Coordinadora Nacional de Organizaciones Campesinas (CNOC); dirigentes del Frente de Resistencia en Defensa de los Recursos Naturales y Derechos de los Pueblos (FRENA) del Departamento de San Marcos y dirigentes de la Sociedad Civil de Santa Cruz Barillas del Departamento de Huehuetenango; representantes del Bufete de Derechos Humanos (BDH), representantes de El Observador y de la Oficina de la Comisión Internacional de Juristas (CIJ) para Centroamérica.
Después de realizar varios talleres, reuniones, análisis y reflexión sobre la situación de derechos humanos en dichos municipios, las organizaciones mencionadas pudieron constatar que continúa la política de persecución, represión y hostigamiento en contra de las comunidades y de sus dirigentes y pobladores, por el hecho de que sus comunidades quedaron en áreas declaradas “protegidas” en la década de los años noventa.
Muchos dirigentes están sufriendo amenazas por parte de las autoridades estatales, mientras el Ejército de Guatemala mantiene diferentes “retenes” que sirven para amedrentar a las poblaciones y a sus dirigentes y para evitar que trasladen alimentos y medicinas a sus comunidades.
El Concejo Nacional de Áreas Protegidas (CONAP) pretende obligar a las comunidades que viven en zonas protegidas a firmar “Acuerdos de Cooperación”, que resultan lesivos a sus intereses y que no otorgan seguridad jurídica sobre la propiedad y posesión de sus tierras. Al resistirse a firmar dichos acuerdos, representantes de CONAP amenazan a las comunidades y a sus dirigentes con implementar desalojos forzosos en su contra y en contra de sus comunidades.
Esta actitud contrasta con la política gubernamental hacia la compañía petrolera PERENCO, a la cual durante la gestión del ex Presidente Álvaro Colom, se le prorrogó el contrato petrolero por 15 años más a partir del año 2010, aún en contra de preceptos constitucionales e internacionales. Además, recientemente el Gobierno concesionó seis licencias más de exploración petrolera, algunas en áreas protegidas, a favor de diferentes empresas privadas en los Departamentos de Petén, Quiché, Huehuetenango e Izabal.
El Departamento de Petén es uno de los más afectados por las políticas de desalojos forzosos del Estado de Guatemala.
Guatemala-NOTA INFORMATIVA PETEN-web story-2013-spa (full text in Spanish, pdf)
