The ICJ, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch urge Pakistan’s government to stop the deplorable practice of state agencies abducting hundreds of people throughout the country without providing information about their fate or whereabouts.
The ICJ today welcomed the decision of Oktyabrskiy Court of Bishkek to reopen the investigation in the case against Azimzhan Askarov.
In the margins of the UN Human Rights Council 21st regular session, the ICJ held today a high-level discussion on the role of judges and lawyers in transition.
The ICJ side event discussed the role of, and challenges faced by, judges and lawyers in transition, especially as this relates to the promotion and enjoyment of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence.
Panellists included Pablo de Greiff, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence, Judge Stefan Techsel, Judge Ad Litem at the ICTY, and Govinda Sharma, senior advocate from Nepal.
HRC21-J&LinTransition-flyer-Event-2012 (full text in PDF)
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)
As part of the 20th session of the UN Human Rights Council (18 June to 6 July 2012), the ICJ today delivered an oral statement calling on the Council to systematically consider the question of access to justice in all of its work.
In a general debate under item 8 of the Council’s agenda (follow-up and implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action), the ICJ noted the need for every State, individually and collectively, to provide victims of human rights violations with access to justice, including through the provision of effective remedies and reparations.
In calling on the Council to systematically consider this issue, the ICJ called for further consideration of how to strengthen existing, and develop new, international mechanisms, such as a World Court of Human Rights.
ICJ-HRC20-Item8-GD-OralStatement-non-legal submission (2012) (download PDF)