Mar 17, 2011 | Advocacy, Non-legal submissions
Since 1963, under the framework of a State of Emergency, serious and widespread human rights violations have been committed in Syria, including torture and other ill-treatment, enforced disappearances, and arbitrary arrests and detentions.
Suspected political opponents, human rights lawyers and other defenders have been regularly and arbitrarily detained, ill-treated and, in many cases, held without charge or trial for several years. Others have been convicted and sentenced, under the emergency law and other restrictive dispositions of the Syrian Penal Code (in particular Articles 267,273, 285, 286, 287, 288, and 307),to lengthy prison terms after grossly unfair trials before military courts, the Supreme State Security Court (SSSC), or civilian courts.
In spite of the persistent and consistent reports of these human rights violations, Syrian authorities have failed to investigate them promptly and independently, and to bring to justice State officials and laws enforcement officers allegedly responsible for these violations. They have enjoyed effective impunity.
Syria-UPR submission ICJ-non-legal submission-2011 (full text, PDF)
Feb 25, 2011 | News
The ICJ welcomes the adoption today by the UN Human Rights Council of one of the strongest resolutions in the short history of the five-year old Council.
During a special session on the situation of human rights in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, the ICJ had called on the Human Rights Council to take the strongest possible action in response to the gross and systematic human rights violations being committed in Libya.
Libya-HRC-humanrightsviolations-news-2011 (full text, PDF)
Feb 7, 2011 | Advocacy, Non-legal submissions
With the strong risk that escalating repression, violence and instability in Egypt could lead to an unprecedented deterioration in the human rights situation, it is critical that the international community take up this issue.
On 3 February 2011, the ICJ joined a call by NGOs urging the UN Human Rights Council to urgently convene a Special Session on the “human rights situation in the Arab Republic of Egypt.” The Human Rights Council should use the Special Session to foster concrete measures to prevent further violations of international human rights and protect those already suffering from such violations.
Egypt-humanrightsviolations-HRC-advocacy-2011 (full text, PDF)
Jan 17, 2011 | Advocacy, Non-legal submissions
In June 2011, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on transnational corporations and other business enterprises (SRSG), Prof. John Ruggie, will present his final report to the UN Human Rights Council.
This report will include Guiding Principles for the operationalization of the “Protect, Respect and Remedy” Framework as well as options for UN mechanisms on business and human rights to follow the SRSG.
humanrights-business-advocacy-2011 (full text, PDF)
Jun 18, 2010 | Agendas
Treaty-bodies have a special role in monitoring State compliance with human rights treaty obligations and providing guidance to States Parties on how to fulfil those obligations. The workshop afforded an occasion for in-depth examination and interaction between the committees on the impact that activities of transnational corporations have in the implementation of treaty obligations, providing a comparative and informed perspective on approaching these issues and encouraging coordinated action.
Switzerland-workshop transnational corporations-agenda-2010 (full text in English, PDF)
