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)
Sep 11, 2012 | Advocacy, Non-legal submissions
The ICJ welcomes the first report of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence (A/HRC/21/46).
The content of the report elaborates on the four pillars of the Special Rapporteur’s mandate and the ways in which this analysis will inform the execution of his mandate. The ICJ reiterates its support for the establishment of this important mandate, one that is crucial to combating impunity for human rights violations and guaranteeing victims’ access to justice.
In a written statement to the UN Human Rights Council, and an oral statement delivered jointly with Amnesty International on 12 September 2012, the ICJ referred to issues seen as critical to the execution of the Special Rapporteur’s mandate, and the way in which the Human Rights Council should engage with it.
ICJ-HRC21-Item3ID-SRTruthJustice-OralStatementnon-legal submission-2012 (download written statement, in PDF)
ICJ-Amnesty-HRC21-TruthJustice-OralStatement-2012 (download joint oral statement, in PDF)
Sep 11, 2012 | Advocacy, Legal submissions
During the 21st session of the UN Human Rights Council (10-28 September 2012), the ICJ made an oral statement relating to the report of the UN Secretary-General on reprisals against persons cooperating with the UN and its mechanisms.
In a general debate concerning reports of the UN Secretary-General, including his report on reprisals against human rights defenders (HRDs), the ICJ delivered an oral statement on 11 September 2012 concerning impunity for attacks against HRDs in Sudan.
The ICJ’s statement called on the Human Rights Council to urge Sudan to:
- Protect the rights of HRDs, including those cooperating with the UN;
- Initiate a prompt, thorough, and independent investigation into incidents brought to the attention of the Council;
- Hold criminally accountable those responsible and ensure access to a remedy and reparations for the victims of such attacks;
- Guarantee the safe return and reintegration in Sudan of the human rights defenders concerned; and
- Repeal all laws that describe human rights activities as spying and espionage.
Sudan-HRC21-Item2-OralStatementReprials-2012 (download statement)
Aug 22, 2012 | Advocacy
In written statements to the UN, the ICJ says that the General Assembly’s intergovernmental process on the strengthening of the UN treaty bodies has no competence to establish or impose a code of conduct for treaty body members.
