International Commission of Jurists
ICJ submission on the Universal Periodic Review of Lesotho

ICJ submission on the Universal Periodic Review of Lesotho

Jun 15, 2014

The ICJ has made a stakeholder submission for the second cycle Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Lesotho’s compliance with international human rights.

In January/February 2015, the Human Rights Council’s Working Group on the UPR will consider the situation of human rights in Lesotho. Ahead of the Working Group’s review, the ICJ has made a submission in which it has identified suggested recommendations concerning:

  • The competence, independence and impartiality of the judiciary;
  • The right to freedom from torture and other ill-treatment; and
  • Lesotho’s party status to and engagement with international human rights instruments and mechanisms.

The recommendations of the UPR Working Group will be considered, alongside Lesotho’s acceptance or otherwise of those recommendations, during the Human Rights Council’s 29th regular session in June 2015.

Lesotho-UPR21-ICJStakeholderSubmission-LegalSubmission-2014 (download the ICJ’s stakeholder submission, in PDF)

Upholding the freedom of assembly and association of LGBTI persons

Upholding the freedom of assembly and association of LGBTI persons

Jun 11, 2014 | Advocacy, Non-legal submissions

The ICJ, together with the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) and on behalf of ARC International, today delivered an oral statement to the Human Rights Council during an interactive dialogue with the UN Special Rapporteur on peaceful assembly and association.

The report of the Special Rapporteur addressed challenges faced by groups at risk, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons.

The statement welcomed the report by the Special Rapporteur.

It referred to the Nigerian Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act (which in fact criminalizes a much broader range of human rights-protected activities than its title would necessarily suggest), Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act, and Ukraine’s draft law on “propaganda of homosexual relations”. All of these laws impede freedom of peaceful assembly of LGBTI persons. The Nigerian law also interferes with freedom of association, as it bans registration, funding and activities of “gay” organizations.

It also referred to Russia’s ban on “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations”.

It emphasised the detrimental impact of such laws on the work of LGBTI human rights defenders and the activities of health care providers. It stressed that laws directly targeting the freedom of peaceful assembly or association of LGBTI individuals solely because of their sexual orientation or gender identity are inconsistent with international human rights law.

UN-HRC26-AssociationLGBTI-OralStatement-advocay-non legal submission-2014 (full text in pdf)

The report of the Special Rapporteur is available here.

ICJ and Swaziland partners convene civil society workshop on women’s human rights

ICJ and Swaziland partners convene civil society workshop on women’s human rights

Apr 24, 2014 | News

On 22 and 23 April 2014 Swazi women’s rights organizations and human rights defenders participated in a workshop on women’s human rights organised by the ICJ and Swazi partners in Mbabane.

Participants discussed a range of issues including gender-based violence, sexual and reproductive health, customary law and constitutional protection for gender equality.

The workshop was designed to assist and facilitate civil society engagement in the forthcoming review by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (the Committee) of Swaziland’s implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

Swaziland ratified CEDAW in 2004.

In July 2014 the country’s combined first and second report under the Convention will be reviewed by the Committee which will issue recommendations as to how Swaziland can improve its implementation of the Convention.

 

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