Sep 29, 2012 | News
During three days, from September 26 to 28, 2012 in Rabat, the ICJ ESCR Programme and the MENA Regional Programme organized two events in collaboration with the OMDH (Organisation Marocaine des Droits Humains).
ICJ Commissioner Mr. Roberto Garreton supported the three-day programme. The first two days were dedicated to a workshop gathering 30 representatives of human rights NGOs, service providers, consumer protection groups, lawyers and academic experts.
The participants were trained and had discussions on the opportunities, the challenges and the remedies that the Moroccan legal and institutional framework offers to individuals and groups seeking justice for violations.
Discussions also concerned the legal reforms undertaken in the country and how they will impact the ability for victims of human rights violations to access justice.
The participants particularly welcomed the workshop setting and focus that brought together a variety of groups working in relevant areas.
On the third day, 28 September 2012, a symposium attended by civil society actors, lawyers and academia as well as by members of the judiciary and of the Conseil National des Droits de l’Homme was the opportunity to discuss the role of judges in the realization of economic, social and cultural rights.
The two events are part of a project that will involve further research and consultation on access to justice for ESCR in close collaboration with national civil society.
Background of the Workshop
With national projects such as the one in El Salvador, the ICJ programme on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights aims at contributing to improve accountability for human rights violations and access to justice for all, including for victims of threats against and violations of economic, social and cultural rights.
The ICJ has embarked on research processes at national level to identify obstacles and opportunities for access to justice, as well as on consultation and collaboration processes with national allies to define strategies to address gaps.
Depending on the needs identified, the ICJ will support the implementation of recommendations and steps that includes trainings and legal interventions.
Sep 28, 2012
An opinion piece by Sam Zarifi, ICJ Asia-Pacific Regional Director.
Sep 18, 2012 | Events
In the margins of the UN Human Rights Council’s 21st regular session, the Centre Europe-Tiers Monde (CETIM) and the ICJ today held a parallel event on impunity and exploitation of natural resources in Guatemala.
The event discussed the overall question of justice for indigenous communities in Guatemala. It was followed by the showin of excerpts from Grégory Lassalle’s documentary Des déreives de l’art aux dérivés du pétrole.
Panellists included Ramón Cadena, Director of the ICJ Central America Programme; Hilda Ventura and Mario Mucú, representatives of the Maya communities of San Andrés and Petén; and Melik Özden, UN Representative and Co-Director of CETIM.
HRC21-ParallelEvent-Guatemala-2012 (download flyer, in PDF)
Sep 18, 2012 | Advocacy, Non-legal submissions
The ICJ called on the UN Human Rights Council to strengthen measures to fight impunity in the department of Petén in Guatemala, and to encourage the Government of Guatemala to adopt measures to protect human rights defenders.
The ICJ delivered its oral statement on 18 September 2012 in the course of a panel discussion on indigenous peoples’ access to justice, during the course of the 21st regular session of the Human Rights Council.
HRC21-Item3-Panel-IPsA2J-OralStatement-non-legal submissions-2012-SPA (download statement, in PDF)
Guatemala-Mision Peten-communicado de prensa-2012-SPA (full text, in PDF)
Guatemala-Informe Acceso a la Justicia-2012-SPA (full text, in PDF)
Guatemala-Criminalizacion de la protesta-2012-SPA (full text, in PDF)
Sep 18, 2012 | Advocacy
The ICJ joined the International Movement ATD Fourth World and others in supporting the final version of the draft guiding principles on extreme poverty and human rights.
During the 21st regular session of the UN Human Rights Council, the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Ms Maria Magdalena Sepulveda Carmona, presented the final version of her draft guiding principles on extreme poverty and human rights.
In an interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur, on 12 September 2012, the ICJ joined a statement by almost 20 non-governmental organisations from throughout the world. The statement describes the draft guidelines as extremely important and calls on the Human Rights Council to adopt them.
ICJ-HRC21-IDSREP-JointOralStatement-2012 (download statement, in PDF)
