Sep 14, 2015 | Events
Judges, lawyers, prosecutors and human rights: 30 years of UN action
Side event, Tuesday 15 September 2015, 1600 – 1800
Room XXII, Palais des Nations, Geneva
Followed by a drinks reception hosted by the IBA’s Human Rights Institute
in Bar Serpent, Palais des Nations
The International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) and the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) are organising a side event at the Palais des Nations to mark the 30th Anniversary of the Basic Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary and the 25th Anniversary of the Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers and Guidelines on the Role of Prosecutors. This side-event, taking place during the 30th session of the Human Rights Council, will look back on the progress that has been made in the protection of judges, lawyers and prosecutors over the past 30 years and the continuing challenges for implementation of the UN standards.
Side Event, 1600-1800
Opening remarks:
- Her Excellency Zsuzsanna Horváth Ambassador of Hungary
Speakers:
- Monica Pinto Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers
- Anne Ramberg Secretary General, Swedish Bar Association
- Irene Petras Executive Director, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights
- Nazir Afzal Former Chief Crown Prosecutor, North West England
Drinks Reception, 1800
The IBA’s Human Rights Institute will host a drinks reception in Bar Serpent, Palais des Nations, with a number of high-level speakers to follow the side event to the 30th session of the Human Rights Council.
Speakers:
- Her Excellency Patricia O’Brien Ambassador of Ireland
- His Excellency Mothusi Bruce Rabasha Palai Ambassador of Botswana
- Monica Pinto Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers
Side event co-sponsors include, in addition to the IBAHRI and ICJ:
Australian Permanent Mission to the UN, Permanent Mission of Hungary to the UN, Permanent Mission of Ireland to the UN, Permanent Mission of Mexico to the UN, Permanent Mission of Thailand to the UN, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Botswana to the UN, Council of Europe
Association pour la Prévention de la Torture, Avocats Sans Frontières, Colombian Commission of Jurists, Commonwealth Lawyers’ Association, Commonwealth Magistrates’ and Judges’ Association, International Legal Assistance Consortium, Judges for Judges, Lawyers for Lawyers
Attendance at this side event is open to individuals who have access to the UN grounds at Palais des Nations in Geneva.
Sep 14, 2015 | Events, News
This side event will be held on Wednesday 16 September 2015, 12h00 – 14h00, at the Palais des Nations, Conference Room XXI, in Geneva.
It will assess the most effective strategies and recommend concrete measures for States, businesses and other stakeholders to prevent and eradicate contemporary forms of slavery from supply chains and to provide assistance and redress to victims.
It will also identify key challenges and opportunities in addressing slavery and slavery-like practices in supply chains, including in terms of the legal standards, policy measures, institutional framework, and implementation.
The speakers will also discuss opportunities for contemporary forms of slavery eradication within the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development framework.
Universal-HRCEnding contemporary forms of slavery in supply chains-Event-Agenda-2015-ENG (full agenda, in PDF)
Jul 2, 2015 | News
The Human Rights Council today adopted a resolution on the independence of judges & lawyers, with several new provisions on gender balance in the judiciary, judicial accountability, children and court proceedings, and development of professional guidance on marginalized and other groups.The resolution builds on past resolutions of the Human Rights Council.
The full text of the resolution is here: HRC29-ResolutionJudgesLawyers-2015 Its official resolution number has not yet been assigned.
The main sponsors of the resolution were Australia, Botswana, Hungary, Maldives, Mexico, Thailand. The resolution was adopted by consensus (without a vote).
A resolution on this topic will next be presented in 2017.
Jul 1, 2015 | Advocacy
Joint statement by the ICJ and Amnesty International after a group of States, led by Egypt, proposed a resolution on “protection of the family” at the ongoing 29th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council.
Bangladesh, Belarus, China, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, El Salvador, Mauritania, Morocco, Qatar, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia have submitted a seemingly innocuous draft resolution (A/HRC/29/L.25) that, in fact, underhandedly seeks to divert the Council from its institutional mandate focused on the effective promotion and protection of the human rights of the individuals towards protecting the purported rights of a social institution, namely, “the family”.
The full statement can be downloaded here: Universal-ICJ+AI statement on protection of the family-Advocacy-2015-ENG (in PDF)
Jun 29, 2015 | News
The ICJ calls on the UN Human Rights Council and the Security Council to respond to the findings of the Independent Commission of Inquiry on the 2014 Gaza Conflict, and fully implement all its recommendations.
This should be done with a view to ensuring accountability, including effective remedy and reparation, for all violations of international humanitarian law and human rights abuses committed by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) and by Palestinian armed groups, the ICJ says.
The ICJ further calls on the Human Rights Council to establish an independent mechanism to monitor the implementation of the Commission’s recommendations by both parties.
“Israeli and Palestinian authorities must break the chronic cycle of impunity in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. All credible evidence of war crimes, such as the Commission of Inquiry has highlighted, must be properly investigated,” said Said Benarbia, Director of the ICJ MENA Programme.
“No one who is responsible, whether military or civilian and regardless how high their office, can be allowed to escape justice,” he added.
The Report published last week, and discussed today at the Human Rights Council, documents serious violations of international law and human rights abuses committed during the conflict, such as indiscriminate attacks, including disproportionate attacks, and direct attacks against civilians and against civilian objects that are not justified under the International Humanitarian Law.
The Commission found that artillery and other explosive weapons had been used in densely populated areas, that entire neighborhoods in Gaza had been destroyed, and that unguided rockets had been used.
As indicated by the Commission, some of those acts may constitute war crimes.
To date, both Israeli and Palestinian authorities have failed to meet their obligations under international law to effectively investigate the violations and to prosecute anyone criminally responsible.
Investigations and criminal proceedings initiated by the IDF’s Military Advocate General (MAG), which is also involved in the planning and execution of the IDF’s military operations, fall short of international standards including in relation to independence and impartiality.
No criminal investigations into violations and abuses committed by Palestinian armed groups appear to have been initiated by the Gaza authorities.
The ICJ calls on both authorities to provide for effective, independent and impartial investigation mechanisms in line with international standards.
Absent such reforms, international justice mechanisms can and should fill accountability and remediation gaps where domestic authorities are unwilling or unable to effectively administer justice.
“Israeli and Palestinian authorities must reform the framework for their current investigations and prosecutions. They must also fully cooperate with international accountability mechanisms, including the preliminary examination initiated by the International Criminal Court,” Benarbia said. “The aim throughout must be to make known the truth about the violations, to identify and hold those responsible to account, to ensure victims’ rights, and to prevent any recurrence.”
Contact:
Theo Boutruche, Legal Adviser of the ICJ Middle East and North Africa Programme, tel: +33 670735747, e-mail: theo.boutruche(a)icj.org
POT-UN Report Gaza -News-Press release-2015-ARA
