NGOs recommendations on the strengthening of the UN treaty bodies

NGOs recommendations on the strengthening of the UN treaty bodies

Since 2009, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has called for the strengthening and increased funding for the UN treaty bodies. 

The UN treaty bodies are the monitoring mechanisms established under the universal treaties on international human rights.

To date, however, this strengthening process has inadequately addressed the need to strengthen, streamline and coordinate the Individual Communications procedures of the treaty bodies.

A coalition of NGOs has therefore issued a joint statement on the strengthening of these procedures, which represent a key aspect of the right of access by all to international justice in the context of human rights. The joint statement includes recommendations to States, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the treaty bodies themselves.

statement strengthening treaty body-analysis brief-2011 (full text in English, PDF)

A decade since un security council resolution 1373: ten lessons learnt on counter-terrorism and human rights

A decade since un security council resolution 1373: ten lessons learnt on counter-terrorism and human rights

28 September 2011 marks the ten year anniversary of the adoption by the UN Security Council of its resolution 1373 concerning measures to combat terrorism, which resulted in a proliferation of counter-terrorism legislation.

In a statement delivered that day to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe during its annual Human Dimension Implementation Meeting, the ICJ’s Dr Alex Conte identified ten key lessons learnt over the last decade of focused attention on the countering of terrorism and the relationship this has had with national, regional and international human rights law.

A decade on counter-terrorismweb story-2011

Parallel event at the HRC on “the role of judges and lawyers in times of crisis”

Parallel event at the HRC on “the role of judges and lawyers in times of crisis”

On 31 May, the ICJ organized a parallel event at the Human Rights Council on “The Role of Judges and Lawyers in Times of Crisis”.

The panel comprised the Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers Gabriela Knaul, Carlos Ayala (former Chairman of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights) and Gerritjan van Oven (President, Judges for Judges); ICJ Legal & Policy Director Ian Seiderman moderated the discussion. The speakers addressed the special role to be played by judges and lawyers in times of crisis, as last line of defense against the exercise of arbitrary power by political, military and other actors. The meeting also marked the publication of the Legal Commentary to the ICJ Geneva Declaration on Upholding the Rule of Law and the Role of Judges and Lawyers in Times of Crisis.

Role of judges and lawyers-event-2011 (full text, PDF)

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