Aug 27, 2020
The ICJ has joined a call by more than 60 organizations urging the UN Human Rights Council to create an independent international investigative mechanism on the human rights situation in the Philippines, at its upcoming session in September.
The call comes in an open letter to all member and observer States at the Council.
The ICJ and other organizations express grave concern over ongoing extrajudicial executions and other serious human rights violations in the context of the “war on drugs” in the Philippines. They note that these abuses continue to be fueled by incitement to violence and discrimination by the highest levels of government, with near-total impunity.
The letter urges delegations to ensure that the United Nations Human Rights Council responds robustly to the recent report on the situation in the Philippines by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights when it convenes for its upcoming 45th session in September.
Specifically, the organizations call for adoption of a resolution establishing an independent international investigative mechanism on extrajudicial executions and other human rights violations committed in the Philippines since 2016, with a view to contributing to accountability.
Establishing such a mechanism would, the letter notes, be in line with clear calls by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, a group of Special Procedures, the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines, and national and international civil society.
The letter can be downloaded in PDF format here: UN-HRC45-OpenLetter-Philippines-2020
Aug 5, 2020
The ICJ has joined families of victims of police violence in the United States of America, the ACLU, and more than 360 civil society organizations, in a letter to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights highlighting key elements for her upcoming report to the UN Human Rights Council.
143 families of victims of police violence and over 360 civil society organizations endorsed this letter to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights regarding the implementation of the recent Human Rights Council Resolution 43/1 adopted on 19 June 19 2020. This resolution followed an Urgent Debate “on current racially inspired human rights violations, systemic racism, police brutality and violence against peaceful protests.”
The letter can be downloaded in PDF format here: UN-Advocacy-JointOpenLetterPoliceRacism-2020
Jul 22, 2020
Today, the ICJ and 31 other civil society organizations released a joint letter urging the Governments of Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, India, Japan, New Zealand, Sweden, the Netherlands, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States of America to echo the European Union (EU) in its call for the respect of human rights in Cambodia.
As the Cambodian government continues to crack down on civil society, independent media, the political opposition and human rights defenders, the organizations urged the Governments, acting collectively and bilaterally, to call on the Cambodian government to take concrete action without delay to address the deteriorating human rights situation; comply with its obligations under international human rights law; and support the EU in its efforts to bring respect for human rights, rule of law, and democracy to the Cambodian people.
On 12 August 2020, the EU will partially suspend Cambodia’s “Everything But Arms” tariff preferences in response to the Cambodian government’s “serious and systematic violations” of four human and labor rights conventions: the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966), the International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention concerning Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize No. 87 (1948), the ILO Convention concerning the Application of the Principles of the Right to Organize and to Bargain Collectively, No. 98 (1949), and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966).
The joint letter is available here.
Contact
Frederick Rawski, ICJ Asia and Pacific Regional Director, frederick.rawski(a)icj.org
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Jun 18, 2020
The ICJ has urged United Nations Special Procedures to act in response to recent steps taken by the United States against staff of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and their families.
On 11 June 2020, the US President signed an Executive Order declaring a national emergency and authorizing the targeting and sanction of individual staff of the ICC engaged in efforts to investigate US and allied personnel, including as part of the Prosecutor’s investigation of the situation in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.
“These actions constitute a direct and reprehensible attack on the independence and impartiality of the International Criminal Court in an effort to subvert its important mandate, which includes providing justice to victims of the most serious crimes in international law,” said Kingsley Abbott, Coordinator of the ICJ’s Global Accountability Initiative.
“By referring the situation to the UN Experts, we hope they will issue a formal communication of concern and seek to persuade US authorities to end their ongoing attacks against the ICC and its staff.”
The ICJ addressed its letter to Ms Mary Lawlor, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Mr Diego García-Sayán, Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Mr Fabian Salvioli, and Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence, urging them to:
- issue a public statement condemning these actions and reaffirming the importance of the ICC and its staff being able to fulfil the Court’s mandate free from interference; and
- send a communication to the United States urging it to reverse or revoke all orders, laws, policies or practices that interfere in or undermine the work of the ICC and its staff and refrain from taking steps or making comments in the future which may amount to interference in the independence and impartiality of the Court.
Background
On the same day the Executive Order was signed, US Secretary of State, Michael Pompeo, spoke to the media at a joint press conference.
Calling the ICC a “kangaroo court”, he announced that “the Trump Administration is taking the following actions”:
- authorizing the imposition of economic sanctions against ICC officials directly engaged in the ICC efforts to investigate U.S. personnel or allied personnel against that allied state’s consent, and against others who materially support such officials’ activities; and
- expanding visa restrictions for officials directly engaged in those same investigations including to their family members.
The UN Special Procedures of the UN Human Rights Council are independent human rights experts who hold specific country-focussed or thematic mandates.
They carry out a number of functions including reporting to and engaging in dialogue with States and civil society at the Human Rights Council, conducting country visits, engaging in advocacy, and acting on individual cases and concerns of a broader nature by sending communications to States and others in which they bring alleged violations to their attention.
On 21 September 2018, together with ten other organisations, the ICJ sent a joint letter to UN Special Procedures regarding threats made by the then US National Security Adviser, John Bolton, against the ICC and its staff in September 2018.
On 22 March 2019, UN experts Mr Michel Forst, then Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, and Mr Diego García-Sayán, Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, issued a press release expressing concern at Bolton’s remarks, reaffirming the important mandate of the ICC and saying they were in contact with the US authorities on the issue.
Contact
Kingsley Abbott, Coordinator of the ICJ’s Global Accountability Initiative, t: +66 94 470 1345; e: kingsley.abbott(a)icj.org
Universal-Letter to SP re ICC & US-Advocacy-Open letters-2020-ENG
May 27, 2020
Today the ICJ joined 83 other signatories in calling on States, donors and other stakeholders to protect and promote the rights of stateless persons in their Covid-19 responses.
The call stresses that stateless people who are denied and nationality and deprived of human rights and welfare are facing greater, life-threatening marginalization.
