Mar 16, 2016 | Advocacy, Non-legal submissions
The ICJ today delivered an oral statement to the UN Human Rights Council, on the Universal Periodic Review of Nepal.
“The ICJ is concerned that the Government of Nepal has yet to implement many of the recommendations it accepted during the first UPR cycle, including several that reflect its international legal obligations regarding the new Constitution, investigation and prosecution of serious crimes, and establishment of credible transitional justice mechanisms.
The police continue to refuse to investigate conflict-era cases even when explicitly ordered by courts to do so. The transitional justice commissions do not enjoy the support of the victims and human right organizations, a year into their two-year mandate. Victims’ rights to truth, justice and reparation are not being respected, protected and fulfilled.
More than 59 persons, including 10 police personnel, were killed during recent protests, but as yet we are not aware of any impartial and effective investigation of the killings.
Many serious crimes under international law, including torture and enforced disappearance, still are not recognised as crimes under the Nepali penal code.
The ICJ therefore calls upon the Government to reconsider its position, and to accept and implement the UPR recommendations arising from this cycle, relevant to:
- Strengthening the constitutional protection of human rights;
- Amending the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Act, 2014, in line with international standards and Supreme Court orders;
- Establishing a credible transitional justice process;
- Preventing, investigating, and responding effectively to any use of excessive force by security forces;
- Ensuring prompt, independent and impartial investigations and, prosecution in cases of unlawful killings, whether the perpetrators are security forces or protesters;
- Amending the Penal Code to explicitly incorporate serious crimes under international law; and
- Ratifying relevant treaties, and accepting requests for visits of the Working Group on Enforced Disappearances, and Special Rapporteur on the right to truth.”
A more detailed written statement may be downloaded in PDF format here: HRC31-Advocacy-WrittenStatement-Nepal-2016
Mar 1, 2016 | Events
The ICJ is co-sponsoring a panel discussion on the situation for human rights in Burundi, as a side-event to the UN Human Rights Council, 4 March 2016.Details are available in the flyer available to download here: HRC31-sideeventflyer-burundi-2016
Feb 20, 2016
Hoy, la CIJ hace público su estudio sobre los vacíos e incompatibilidades del sistema jurídico e institucional colombiano respecto de las disposiciones de la Convención internacional para la protección de todas las personas contra las desapariciones forzadas.
Asimismo, el estudio identifica las medidas y los correctivos necesarios para adecuar el ordenamiento interno a las disposiciones y obligaciones establecidas en la Convención. Así, la CIJ pretende contribuir a una correcta implementación en el orden nacional colombiano de la Convención.
En julio de 2012, el Estado colombiano ratificó la Convención y, en diciembre 2014, presentó su informe sobre la implementación de este tratado para su examen por el Comité contra las Desapariciones Forzadas. Según la programación del Comité, el informe será examinado en septiembre de 2016.
Colombia-CIJ EstudioVacíosDesapForz-Publications-Thematic report-2016-SPA (full report, in PDF)
Feb 11, 2016
The ICJ today joined other NGOs in calling for the UN Human Rights Council to extend the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on Myanmar.
The letter sets out observations and recommendations for the extension, and concludes:
“Our organizations believe that as long as ongoing and systemic human rights issues have not been addressed by the Government of Myanmar, the Human Rights Council should maintain its ability to monitor the human rights situation in the country, work with the country’s authorities on a concrete reform agenda, and work towards the establishment of an OHCHR country office with a full mandate. Acting under its agenda item 4, the Council should therefore, at a minimum, extend the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, request her to report on benchmarks needed for systemic change, and continue to review the situation of human rights in the country. Any failure on the part of the Council in this regard may seriously compromise and derail what has been achieved so far since the beginning of the reform process in 2010.”
The full text of the joint open letter can be accessed here (pdf): Myanmar-UN-Advocacy-OpenLetter-2015-ENG
Dec 16, 2015 | Advocacy, Events
The ICJ joins other non-governmental organisations in co-sponsoring “Escalation of Violence in Burundi: Human rights defenders voices from the ground”, a side event to the Human Rights Council’s special session on Burundi, 17 December 2015.
The event will take place Thursday 17 December – 9.00-10.00 am in Room XII, Palais des Nations, Geneva
Panelists:
Mr Pierre Claver Mbonimpa, Association for the Protection of Human Rights and Incarcerated Persons (APRODH)
Ms Margaret Barankitse, Maison Shalom
Mr Anschaire Nikoyagize, Ligue ITEKA
Ms Carina Tertsakian, Human Rights Watch
The event will be moderated by Nicolas Agostini of FIDH.
The event will be webcast live by the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR).
Follow on twitter using the hash-tag #BurundiHRDs
A flyer for the event is available here: Burundi-UNHRC-Advocacy-SideEvent-2015
