Mar 10, 2014 | Agendas, Events
This side event to the 25th Human Rights Council session will take place on Wednesday, 12 March 2014, 16.00 – 18.00 pm, in Geneva, Palais des Nations, Room XXII.
The members of this panel are in a unique position to highlight on-going challenges to the rule of law in Myanmar and their impact on the enjoyment of human rights.
They will provide personal insight into the important international presence for human rights monitoring, practical challenges facing lawyers concerning the rule of law, and link these issues to sustainable economic development on the ground in Myanmar today.
This panel argues that it is crucial to maintain a robust engagement with the UN human rights mechanisms in order to support and facilitate the reform process in Myanmar and improve the country’s human rights situation.
Speakers:
Tomás Ojea Quintana, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar
Kyaw Min San, Myanmar lawyer, Pyoe Pin and Justice For All
Daniel Aguirre, International Commission of Jurists, Myanmar
Chair/moderator:
Carlos Lopez, International Commission of Jurists
The presentations by panellists will be followed by an open interaction with the audience. Copies of the recent ICJ report Right to Counsel: The Independence of Lawyers in Myanmar will be available.
Myanmar – HRC25 Side event – March 2014
Mar 4, 2014 | Agendas, Events
This side event to the 25th Human Rights Council session will take place on Friday, 7 March 2014, 12.00 – 14.00 pm, in Geneva, Palais des Nations, Room XXI.
The panel, which includes family members of victims of enforced disappearance, will discuss unresolved cases of enforced disappearances in Southeast Asia, including human rights defenders Somchai Neelapaijit (Thailand) and Sombath Somphone (Laos).
The panel will also discuss the response of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), the regional human rights body composed of representatives from all ASEAN Member States, to these two cases and more generally to enforced disappearances of human rights defenders in the region.
Speakers:
Aileen Diez-Bacalso
Secretary General, Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD)
Angkhana Neelapaijit
Chairperson, Justice for Peace Foundation
Emerlynne Gil
International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), Southeast Asia
Chair/moderator:
Wilder Tayler
Secretary General, the International Commission of Jurists
The presentations by panelists will be followed by an open interaction with the audience. Copies of ICJ’s legal memorandum on the case of Sombath Somphone and the report Ten Years without Truth: Somchai Neelapaijit and enforced disappearances in Thailand will be available. Light refreshments will also be available immediately before the event.
Dec 3, 2013 | Agendas, Events
The ICJ was at the Club de la Presse in Geneva for a roundtable ahead of the Fourth ICJ Geneva Forum of Judges and Lawyers. The event was live streamed.
Moderated by Leah Hoctor, Senior Legal Adviser at ICJ, the event was a unique opportunity to share the real life experiences of two African women, who have overcome the challenges of poverty and discrimination to become two of Africa’s most senior and admired judges.
Justice Yvonne Mokgoro (photo) was the first black woman judge in South Africa and a former justice of its post-apartheid Constitutional Court.
Justice Lilian Tibatemwa-Ekirikabinza is an academic leader in Uganda. She was the first Ugandan woman to qualify for an award of a Ph.D. in Law.
The Press Club event came ahead of the Fourth ICJ Geneva Forum of Judges and Lawyers on 5-6 December.
The Forum is convened annually by the ICJ’s Centre for Independence of Judges and Lawyers, bringing together legal practitioners from around the world to help safeguard the independence and impartiality of the judiciary and the legal profession.
This year’s forum promotes the role of women in the judiciary, focusing particularly on women judges and lawyers from Africa and the Middle East.
It forms part of a broader ICJ initiative on women judges, lawyers and human rights defenders as agents of change.
Watch the event here:
Nov 25, 2013 | Agendas, Events
This is the title of a book to be launched on Monday 2 December at the UN in Geneva, in partnership with the Permanent Mission of Ecuador, and the ICJ.
Do the ‘Respect, Protect, and Remedy Framework and the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights adequately address the challenges concerning the human rights obligations of business?
This book engages critically with these important developments. The chapters in the book revolve around four key issues: the process and methodology adopted; the source and justification of corporate human rights obligations; the nature and extent of such obligations; and the implementation and enforcement thereof.
In addition to highlighting several shortcomings of the Framework and the Guiding Principles, the contributing authors also outline a vision for the twenty first century in which companies have obligations to society that go beyond the responsibility to respect human rights.
Ian Seiderman, ICJ’s Legal and Policy Director, will be one of the discussants.
Invitation UNOG Business-event-2013 (full text in pdf)
Jun 12, 2013 | Agendas, Events
On Tuesday 11 June 2013, the ICJ convened a parallel event, organised with the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, during the Human Rights Council’s 23rd regular session held in Geneva.
The event, held in Room XXV of the Palais des Nations, discussed how human rights will be promoted by the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), including ways to ensure compliance with the ATT and the relevance of the treaty for activities of the Human Rights Council and international human rights experts. The event was chaired by Alex Conte, Director of the ICJ’s International Law and Protection Programmes. Panelists were Simon Bagshaw, Senior Policy Adviser for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs; Professor Andrew Clapham, Director of the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights; and Dr Stuart Casey-Maslen, Head of Research at the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights.
Simon Bagshaw provided a background to the treaty from a humanitarian perspective, recognising that the ATT provides an opportunity to address some of the humanitarian impacts and costs of the arms trade. He also stressed the importance of specific elements within the treaty, such as the obligation to refrain from authorising the transfer of weapons where a substantial risk exists that this may result in serious violations of international human rights law or international humanitarian law.
Andrew Clapham and Stuart Casey-Maslen focussed on the human rights perspective. Professor Clapham promoted the use of mechanisms such as the Human Rights Council and its Universal Periodic Review to assist in implementation of the treaty. Dr Casey-Maslen discussed areas that may help ratification, implementation and monitoring of the ATT, including the role of civil society in that regard.
Several questions were raised during discussions concerning how the treaty would work in practice and its broader implications for non-State actors. Panellists confirmed that the ATT includes the facilitation of crimes as enumerated in the treaty and may also cover domestic crimes of terrorism. Since the ATT does not provide for the establishment of fact-finding missions, it was emphasised that civil society will need to act to monitor compliance with the ATT. Panellists also pointed out the important role of the treaty regarding the conduct of non-State actors. Although the treaty sets out obligations for States only, States parties will be responsible for providing licensing to arms manufacturers and private companies working within the weapons industry.
UN HRC-Arms Treaty side event flyer-event-2013 (event flyer in pdf)
Jun 10, 2013 | Agendas, Events
On Friday 7 June 2013, the ICJ convened a parallel event during the Human Rights Council’s 23rd regular session held in Geneva.
The event, held in Room IX of the Palais des Nations, addressed key issues concerning past and present challenges to the rule of law in Zimbabwe in the context of the upcoming elections and the need for the international community to remain vigilant about the necessity for free, fair and peaceful elections in the country. The event was chaired by Martin Okumu-Masiga, Deputy Director of the ICJ’s Africa Regional Programme. Panelists were MacDonald Lewanika, Director of Crisis Coalition; Okay Machisa, Director of the Zimbabwe Human Rights Association; and Irene Petras, Executive Director of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights.
Zimbabwe is scheduled to hold general elections before the end of 2013. Past elections in the country have been marred by violence and attacks on human rights defenders and the rule of law more generally. In the period leading to the 2013 elections, there have been several incidents of crackdown on political dissents and independent voices. The impunity enjoyed by past and current perpetrators electoral violence has continued to exacerbate fears for the integrity, peaceful conduct and fairness of the upcoming elections.
Zimbabwe-HR Council side event on elections in Zimbabwe-event-2013 (event flyer in pdf)
ICJ draws attention to risks of violence in the forthcoming general elections in Zimbabwe
