1 / 17

Human Rights and Gender Equality Aspects

Human Rights and Gender Equality Aspects. Screening Iceland Chapter 31, Foreign, Security and Defence Policy – Bilateral Brussels, 20 May 2011. Human Rights (1).

dawn-austin
Download Presentation

Human Rights and Gender Equality Aspects

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Human Rights and Gender Equality Aspects Screening Iceland Chapter 31, Foreign, Security and Defence Policy – Bilateral Brussels, 20 May 2011

  2. Human Rights (1) • The promotion of fundamental human rights and freedoms, democracy, the rule of law, social justice and respect for international law is a key priority of the Icelandic government • Iceland and EU share values and cooperate through EEA Political Dialogue and other international fora

  3. Human Rights (2) • All human rights are universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated • It is the responsibility of governments and the international community to ensure their citizens fundamental human rights and protection • Importance of responding to human rights violations • The importance of full implementation of all human rights commitments

  4. Legal Instruments on Human Rights (1) • Regional • European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ratified in 1953) • European Court of Human Rights

  5. Legal Instruments on Human Rights (2) • Iceland is a party to the following international human rights instruments • Universal Declaration of Human Rights • International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (1967) • International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1979) • International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1979) and the 1966 (1979) and 1989 (1991) Optional Protocols • Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (1985) and its 1999 Optional Protocol (2001). (cont.)

  6. Legal Instruments on Human Rights (3) • Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading treatment or Punishment (1996) and the optional protocol from 2002 (signed) • Convention on the Rights of the Child (1992) and the two optional protocols from 2000 (2001) • International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (Signed) • Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the 2008 optional protocol (Signed) • International Humanitarian Law • Convention relating to the Status of Refugees (1955) and the 1967 Protocol (1968)

  7. Tools • Through participation in multilateral organisations • UN, OSCE, Council of Europe • Bilateral • Meetings, letters, demarches. • Political dialogue • EEA, Nordic Countries, Nordic+Baltic, USA, Japan, Germany, Russia and more • Declarations • Development cooperation

  8. Priorities

  9. Elimination of Discrimination • Iceland condemns all forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance • Iceland stands firm against all forms of discrimination and is committed to fight discrimination in all its respects

  10. Combating discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity • Iceland puts a special emphasis on its responsibility to fight discrimination based on sexual orientation and to protect the human rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender people

  11. Gender Equality • Promoting gender equality a key priority • CEDAW • UN, Third committee, CSW, HRC, OSCE, NATO, Council of Europe, World Bank + bilaterally • UN Women • Cross-cutting theme in development cooperation • Women’s empowerment, participation in decision-making. • UNSCR 1325 – 2nd NAP expected soon • Climate Change

  12. Combating Trafficking in Human Beings • National Action plan against Human Trafficking adopted by the Icelandic Parliament on 17 March 2009 • Among actions: Ratification of international agreements and participation in international cooperation • UN, OSCE, Council of Europe, CBSS key partners

  13. The Middle East Peace Process • Iceland firmly supports a peaceful resolution of the ME conflict and the two-state solution • A sustainable and just peace will not be achieved in the Middle East without the realisation of the two-states solution, with Israel and Palestine living in security side by side • The Palestinian people should be enabled to exercise their sovereignty over their territory occupied since 1967 • Iceland condemns all acts of violence and terrorism • Iceland frequently aligns itself with EU Middle East statements and positions

  14. Other Human Rights Priorities (1) • Rights of the child • Minority groups • Rights of persons with disabilities • Refugees • Strengthening the rule of law • Human rights, peace and security

  15. Other Human Rights Priorities (2) • Protection of HR in the fight against terrorism • Abolition of the death penalty, fight against illegal execution, forced disappearance and torture • Human rights and development cooperation • Economic, social and cultural rights • Human rights, trade and the responsibility of enterprises

  16. Universal Periodical Review • Iceland will go through the UPR process in October • Iceland’s report will be handed in on 4 July

  17. Ministry for Foreign Affairshttp://www.mfa.is EU ApplicationWebsitehttp://europe.mfa.is/

More Related