Posts Tagged ‘Advocacy Organizations’

Dutch Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, calls for submissions for best master thesis on human rights

August 30, 2013

For the fifth time the Dutch Lawyers Committee for Human Rights (NJCM) will issue the Thoolen NJCM-Scriptieprijs for the best master thesis. Any student who has followed university level education – at least partly – in the Netherlands is allowed to participate as long as the paper was written between 2011 and 2013. The winning paper will be published by the Foundation NJCM-Boekerij. The deadline is 1 november 2013. Four copies of the paper – in English or Dutch – have to be sent to:  NJCM, Steenschuur 25, 2311 ES Leiden. Former winners of the award are:

– Laura Henderson, Tortured reality. How media framing of waterboarding affects judicial independence

– Erik van de Sandt, A child’s story for global peace and justice. Best practices for a child-friendly environment during the statement- and testimony-period in respect of the Rome Statute and the International Criminal Code

– Shekufeh Jalali Manesh, het recht van het kind op behoorlijke huisvesting en het BLOEM-model

– Janine de Vries, Sexual violence against women in Congo. Obstacles and remedies for judicial assistance .

via NJCM – Nederlands Juristen Comité voor de Mensenrechten.

 

Armenian HRD says: Hospitals charge extra sums from parents

August 1, 2013

Here an example of what an ‘official’ human rights defender (the Armenian Ombudsman with the somewhat confusing title HRD)  can do in the area of social rights:

Armenia’s Human Rights Defender (HRD) issued a statement saying that the HRD has already examined omissions in the State Child Health Certificate Program in his previous annual report. Under the program children under the age of 7 shall receive free medical care. Yet parents, while having the necessary documents for free health care, often have to pay extra money to some doctors. “A year has passed since the problem was raised, but there has been no progress. Moreover, the Defender continues receiving complaints about such violations, especially complaints about Austrian Mother and Child Hospital of Gyumri CJSC. The Defender officially informed the Health Minister about it, but he has not received any definite answer about whether those guilty were held accountable or not. The Human Rights Defender, Karen Andreasian, calls upon citizens to apply to the HRD Staff in case of encountering such a problem.

via HRD: Hospitals charge extra sums from parents – aysor.am – Hot news from Armenia.

 

Trial Observation report re Turkish human right defender Osman İşçi, by EMHRN

July 5, 2013

Observation of the trial of Osman İşçi, human rights defender and trade-unionist

On 25 June the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN) published the trial observation report concerning its Executive Committee member, human rights defender and trade unionist M. Osman İşçi. He was arrested in Ankara, Turkey, one year ago on 25 June 2012, and detained at the high-level security prison of Sincan, Ankara, along with another 27 trade unionists arrested on the same date facing proceedings for allegedly supporting a terrorist organization.

The first hearing of Osman İşçi’s trial took place on 10 April in the Ankara Special Court, after ten months of pre-trial detention. Following this hearing, M. Osman İşçi and 21 other trade unionists and human rights defenders were released, however the charges against them remain and a new hearing is scheduled for the 8 July 2013. The trial observers noted that it had been conducted with courtesy by all participants, and defendants and their lawyers had been permitted to take an active part in the hearing. Nevertheless they noted with concern that a number of central features of international fair trial standards appeared to be absent from the hearing, and from the proceedings generally. To read the trial observation report please control/click here

via Observation of the trial of Osman İşçi, human rights defender and trade-unionist | Euromedrights.

Groundbreaking LGBTI Human Rights Guidelines Adopted by EU

June 25, 2013

The Council of the European Union [the EU’s 27 foreign affairs ministers], which previously adopted a non-binding toolkit to promote LGBT human rights, has upgraded its guidelines in order “to promote and protect the enjoyment of all human rights by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) persons.” The new document is binding and represents a step forward in international human rights law. The LGBTI Guidelines instruct EU diplomats around the globe to defend the human rights of LGBTI people. EU.

full document at: http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/137584.pdf

New Guide for human rights defenders on domestic implementation of UN human rights recommendations

June 18, 2013

The Australia-based Human Rights Law Centre and the International Service for Human Rights have jointly published a Guide for Human Rights Defenders on Domestic Implementation of UN Human Rights Recommendations. The Guide considers strategies and tactics that NGOs can use to contribute to the implementation of UN recommendations at the national level. Effective follow-up by civil society is vital to ensuring that UN recommendations lead to an improvement of the human rights situation on the ground. The Guide is intended for a diverse audience, working in different countries and sectors, and with different areas of focus and expertise. The 20-page booklet outlines a range of strategies with a view to NGOs identifying those which are most appropriate to their domestic political, legal, economic, and social contexts and their organisation’s goals, resources, and working methods.

PDF at: Guide for Human Rights Defenders on Domestic Implementation of UN Human Rights Recommendations.ISHR-logo-colour-high

via Guide for human rights defenders on domestic implementation of UN human rights recommendations | Human Rights Law Centre.

 

Nigerian official asks Human Rights Defenders to educate Military

June 14, 2013

On 13 june 2013 Nigeria‘s Daily Post contained a nugget of gold for Human Rights Defenders: Apparently the National Orientation Agency, NOA, has invited the NGO, Human Rights Defenders Advocacy Group, to educate the military on the need to respect human rights. The Agency’s Assistant Director of Operations, Mr. Vincent Dung threw the challenge when the group paid a courtesy call to the Agency. According to him, “The soldiers especially those maintaining peace on the Plateau need to be sensitized on the need to respect the rights of civilians. I challenge you therefore, as defenders of those whose rights are violated to educate the military.“ [The military working on the Plateau have allegedly violated the rights of many people, especially at the checkpoints.] Dung advised the military working in crisis prone areas like Plateau to imbibe the culture of civil-military relations in order to avert further crisis. Dung also tasked the group not to restrict the campaign to the military alone, but that the campaign should be extended to other paramilitary establishments in the State. The NGO assured him of their readiness to protect the rights of individuals in the State and said they were willing to take the campaign against human rights violations to the doorsteps of all organizations, whether military or non-military.

via Human rights violation: NOA tasks human right group to educate Military – DailyPost Nigeria – DailyPost Nigeria.

Bangladesh: detention of ill-treated human rights defender Mahmudur Rahman extended and charges confirmed

June 14, 2013

On 12 June 2013, the pre-trial detention of human rights defender Mahmudur Rahman in Bangladesh was extended for three days by Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Harunur Rashid, who confirmed the charges of inciting violence. The human rights defender was arrested on 11 April 2013, and was subjected to severe torture whilst in custody. Frontline NEWlogo-2 full version - cropped

Read the rest of this entry »

National Coalition for Human Rights Defenders in Uganda launched

June 14, 2013

The East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project announced the launch of the new Ugandan National Coalition for Human Rights Defenders on Tuesday 11 June 2013. Six leading human rights organisations (East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project, Human Rights Network Uganda, Human Rights Centre Uganda, Avocats Sans Frontiers, NGO Forum and Foundation for Human Rights Initiative)  took the initiative to bring human rights defenders HRDs in Uganda together under one national coalition to enhance their protection and co-ordination. A 2012 report by Human Rights Centre Uganda, “The Quest for an enabling working environment for human rights defenders in Uganda” prepared the ground. 

via Kampala: Launch of a National Coalition for Human Rights Defenders – East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project.

 

ODIHR launches new project for protection of human rights defenders in OSCE region

June 13, 2013

Antoine Madelin of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) addresses participants of a meeting on the effective protection of human rights defenders, Warsaw, 11 June 2013.  (OSCE/Shiv Sharma)

Antoine Madelin of the International Federation for Human Rights  (OSCE/Shiv Sharma)

A new project to promote the effective protection of human rights defenders through the development of recommendations for governments was launched by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) at a two-day expert meeting in Warsaw on 10 and 11 June 2013.  Read the rest of this entry »

Kazakhstan: 5 year prison sentence of human rights defender Roza Tuletaeva upheld

June 10, 2013

Roza TuletaevaRoza Tuletaeva

On 28 May 2013, the Supreme Court of Kazakhstan upheld the five-year prison sentence of human rights defender Roza Tuletaeva, Read the rest of this entry »