The ICJ welcomes the report of the Special Rapporteur on the rights to water and sanitation, on the linkages between violations of human rights and the challenge of stigma, in relation to water, sanitation and hygiene.
With the support of ICJ Commissioner Justice Philippe Texier, the ESCR Programme and the Central America Regional Office organized a two-day workshop in San Salvador on August 16 and 17, 2012.
A group of 25 representatives of human rights and development NGOs as well as trade unions, lawyers and academic experts participated in a first consultation on access to justice for victims of violations of economic, social and cultural rights.
The discussions tackled obstacles and advances in the field of access to justice with regard to the legal and institutional frameworks, as well as in the administration of justice and material issues.
Coming from very different backgrounds, the participants valued the opportunity to work together and share their experience related to economic, social and cultural rights (ESCR) of a variety of rights-holders and their attempts to seek justice.
This first consultation and workshop will be followed by other activities in the course of the national project.
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.
In July 2012, the ICJ issued a legal memorandum in collaboration with the FIDH concerning economic, social and cultural rights in Tunisia.
This memorandum has been brought to the attention of the Tunisian Constituent Assembly and the Ministry for Human Rights and Transitional Justice for their consideration within the framework of the legal reform process that the country is currently undertaking.
The ICJ and the FIDH are convinced that this reform process, especially the elaboration of a new Constitution, offers Tunisia a unique opportunity to ensure the effective protection of all human rights in compliance with international law standards.
Tunisie CIJ-FIDH_NoteJuridiqueDESC-legal submission 2012 (Download in French)
During the Human Rights Council’s 20th regular session in Geneva, the ICJ delivered an oral statement concerning the engagement of countries with visits by the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council.
The ICJ today submitted a report to the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, ahead of her report to the UN General Assembly in October 2012.
Responding to a questionnaire prepared by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, the ICJ’s report focusses on the following thematic and country issues:
ICJ-SRHRDs-QuestionnaireResponse-legal submission (2012) (download PDF)
HRDs-GAReport (download the Special Rapporteur’s report)
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Laos: After 13 years, renewed international action needed to ensure justice in Sombath Somphone’s enforced disappearance