The ICJ today called on states to provide the political and financial support necessary for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, to turn into reality her creative human rights vision for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
In May 2005, the ICJ and other rights groups issued a joint statement on the increasing use of diplomatic assurances by States as the basis for the transfer of alleged terrorist suspects in countries where they seriously risk torture or ill-treatment.
The statement was issued by the following NGOs: ICJ, Amnesty International, Association for the Prevention of Torture, Human Rights Watch, International Federation of Action by Christians for the Abolition of Torture, International Federation for Human Rights, International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights, and World Organisation Against Torture.
risk torture ill treatment-non-judicial submission-2005 (full text in English, PDF)
At the end of an erratic Commission on Human Rights, the ICJ said that structural reform of the UN human rights system must be built on the foundation of political will to tackle the worst human rights situations around the world.
As the international community is poised to establish a special rapporteur of the United Nations on protecting human rights in counter-terrorism efforts, a small number of states – led by China, Russia and United States – are colluding to block the establishment of an effective mandate.
U.N. member states should move quickly to establish a stronger human rights body as recommended by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, 15 leading human rights organizations said today.
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