1 / 14

(1) Declaration on Human Rights Defenders

ghita
Download Presentation

(1) Declaration on Human Rights Defenders

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 Defenders -the Declaration, and the Mandate and work of the Special Representative2. UN Special Procedures in general –including how NGOs can work with Special Procedures3. Consultative status for NGOs4. A few remarks on NGO interaction with the treaty body system5. Challenges(Numbers in brackets on the slides indicate which issue of these five that the slide deals with)

  2. (1) Declaration on Human Rights Defenders • “Declaration on the Rights and Responsibilities of Individuals, Groups, and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms” Adopted by consensus at the UNGA in 1998 • General Assembly Resolution A/RES/53/144

  3. (1) Some rights Included in the Text : • To promote and protect human rights • To Association and peaceful assembly • To hold, seek, receive and publish information on HR • To develop and discuss new HR ideas • To have effective remedy, to complain of official acts, to observe trials and access international bodies • To participate in peaceful activities publicizing HR issues • To receive and obtain funding for HR activities

  4. (1) Main Activities of the SRSG • Toseek, receive, examine and respond to information on the situation of human rights defenders • To establish cooperation and conduct dialogue with governments and other interested actors on the promotion and effective implementation of the declaration • To recommend effective strategies to better protect human rights defenders and follow up on these recommendations • Commission Resolution 2000/61 • Commission Resolution 2003/64

  5. (1)Through which means are these tasks carried out? • Complaints Procedure • Country Visits • Participation in regional and international conferences and events • Dialogue with States, NGOs and defenders

  6. (2)Mandates of thematic and country-specific special procedure mechanisms These mechanisms are established upon the request of the Human Rights Council to « examine, monitor, advice and publicly report on human rights situations in specific countries or on major human rights themes and phenomena worldwide »

  7. (2) How can NGOs work with the Special Procedures? • By submitting individual cases • By providing information and analysis • By providing support in relation to country visits • By advocating and working to implement recommendations • By participating in annual meetinw of SPs • By inviting SP mandate-holders to particpate in events organised by them

  8. (3) Consultative status • Consultative status for NGOs with ECOSOC and its subsidiary bodies (including the Human Rights Council, although a subsidiary body of the GA) • decided by the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations in New York.

  9. (3) Member-states of the Commitee Cameroon, Chile, China, Colombia, Cote D’Ivoire, Cuba, France, Germany, India, Iran, Pakistan, Peru, Romania, Russian Federation, Senegal, Sudan, Turkey, U.S.A., Zimbabwe.

  10. (3) 3 types of consultative status: • General consultative status (e.g. Amnesty International, CARE International, MSF, Muslim World League) • Special consultative status (e.g. International Federation of Journalists, Landmine Survivors Network, Norwegian Refugee Council, Norwegian Peoples’ Aid) • NGOs on the roster (e.g. WHO, ILO, International Water Association)

  11. (3) How can NGOs work with the Human Rights Council? • Written statements • Oral statements • Organise parallel events • Lobby participants • Propose items for the drafting of provisional agendas (rarely done)

  12. (4) Treaty Bodies NGOs usually do not require consultative status and can work with treaty bodies by: • Promoting the ratification of a treaty • Monitoring compliance by States parties with the reporting obligations • Submitting written information and material, including in an NGO report • (for some treaty bodies) participating in the session of the treaty bodies as observers of through NGO oral submissions • Follow up on the concluding observations of treaty bodies • (for some treaty bodies) submitting individual complaints • (for some treaty bodies) providing information to help confidential inquiries • (for CERD) providing information for early warning and urgent procedures • making submissions to the annual meeting of chairpersons

  13. (5) Challenges • The membership and decision-making process of the NGO Committee • GONGOs • Large number of NGOs gives short speaking-time • Expensive for NGOs to travel to Geneva • Excluding social movements without organizational structure • Unclear situation now with the new Human Rights Council

  14. Questions? • Or if you have any later on; e-mail me at ingeborg.moa@nchr.uio.no

More Related