As part of the 20th session of the UN Human Rights Council (18 June to 6 July 2012), the ICJ today delivered an oral statement calling on the Council to systematically consider the question of access to justice in all of its work.
In a general debate under item 8 of the Council’s agenda (follow-up and implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action), the ICJ noted the need for every State, individually and collectively, to provide victims of human rights violations with access to justice, including through the provision of effective remedies and reparations.
In calling on the Council to systematically consider this issue, the ICJ called for further consideration of how to strengthen existing, and develop new, international mechanisms, such as a World Court of Human Rights.
ICJ-HRC20-Item8-GD-OralStatement-non-legal submission (2012) (download PDF)