Posts Tagged ‘Geneva’
April 24, 2012
Today the nominees of the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders 2012 are announced in Geneva. The ann0uncement was made by the new Chair of the Martin Ennals Foundation, Mrs Micheline Calmy Rey, until last year the President of and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland. Each nominee deserves its own post!
One of the 3 nominees is the venerable Luon Sovath from Cambodia. In Cambodia forced evictions remove families from their homes and lands with little or no notice, without genuine consultation, and often without compensation. Despite threats of violence, arrest and disrobing, the venerable Luon Sovath, a non-violent, innovative human rights defender, firmly supports and documents at-risk rural and urban communities, mainly by advocating to stop forced evictions, documenting their struggles with videos (the venerable Sovath is also known as the ‘Multimedia Monk’ as he is never without his camera, his mobile phone and his laptop), poems and songs, defending their right to housing, as well as for adequate compensation and alternative housing, organizing public forums to educate communities on how Buddhism, human rights and democracy are in the same line. His peaceful, non-violent approach (the venerable Sovath also composes songs to unite and inspire – regularly distributing the songs on CDs to the communities) is crucial in the nascent grassroots mobilization of affected communities nationwide; his increasingly prominent role has drawn the reaction of the authorities, and his advocacy against forced evictions touches powerful economic interests. The threats against the venerable Sovath are very real, from powerful businessmen, from the authorities and even from some of the conservative clergy.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders, MEA | 2 Comments »
Tags: award, Buddhism, Cambodia, Eviction, Geneva, Human rights defender, Luon Sovath, Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders, Micheline Calmy Rey, monk, multimedia, nominee 2012
April 24, 2012
It took almost 20 years but I finally have been able to step down as Chair of the Martin Ennals Foundation. Yesterday the Board accepted my resignation and selected Micheline Calmy Rey as my successor (now that is upgrading!). In an hour from now she will be announced as such at the press conference in Geneva which is being streamed on http://www.martinennalsaward.org.
My departure has been carefully crafted since November last year but we have been most fortunate that in the meantime Micheline Calmy Rey left her government position and accepted the challenge to lead the MEA to its destiny as the most influential human rights award in the world. I realize that this is not a modest thing to say but I think that facts speak for themselves:
The MEA has a Jury composed of the world’s leading international human rights organisations, a unique cooperation among sometimes competing NGOs. The Laureates over the last twenty years have been outstanding examples and have all claimed that the recognition of the award has helped them in continuing their work.
The growth of the impact of the award has a lot to do, not only with its longevity, but also with the joining of forces by other entities, in the first place the City of Geneva which is now the main organiser of the ceremony at Victoria Hall.
I am sure that the foundation will be able to pursue the increased use of multimedia techniques for protecting the HRDs. As this is often a question of resources, I will continue to advise the MEA in particular with regard to fundraising and publicity.
So, I am not really retiring; there are simply too many Human Rights Defenders out there who need support. This year’s nominees, who will be introduced to you in a few hours, illustrate the need for international recognition and protection.
Geneva, 24 April 2012
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders, MEA | 2 Comments »
Tags: City of Geneva, Geneva, hand over, Hans Thoolen, human rights, Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders, Martin Ennals Foundation, MEA, Micheline Calmy Rey, Non-governmental organization, press conference, streaming
April 21, 2012
The announcement of the three nominees of the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders 2012 will take place on Tuesday 24 April 2012, from 11h00 to 11h30 in Geneva (that is 09h00 – 09h30 GMT). For the first time this short event is being ‘broadcast’ live on the internet (www.martinennalsaward.org). There will be brief film images shown of the 3 nominees. The event also includes the announcement of the new Chairperson of the Martin Ennals Foundation.
Posted in human rights | 1 Comment »
Tags: Advocacy Organizations, Geneva, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, internet, Martin Ennals Award, Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders, nominees 2012, streaming
March 23, 2012
The man pictured here is Rupert Colville, spokesperson for the
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, who has tremendous helped the OHCHR during the last years to have a more penetrating presence in the media. On this occasion on 23 March 2012, it was to warn that there must be no reprisals against Sri Lankan human rights defenders in the wake of a resolution calling on its Government to probe alleged abuses during the country’s civil war. The warning from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights,
Navi Pillay, follows the adoption of a resolution yesterday by the
UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, calling on Sri Lanka to take “credible” steps to ensure accountability for alleged serious violations committed in 2009 during the final stages of the conflict between the Government and the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and to ensure accountability.
“During this Human Rights Council session, there has been an unprecedented and totally unacceptable level of threats, harassment and intimidation directed at Sri Lankan activists who had travelled to Geneva to engage in the debate, including by members of the 71-member official Sri Lankan government delegation,” said Rupert Colville, at a press briefing in Geneva. Mr. Colville said that intimidation and harassment of Sri Lankan civil society activists have also been reported in other locations around Geneva. Also, the Sri Lankan ambassador in Geneva received an anonymous threatening letter which is being followed up by the police and UN security.
At the same time, newspapers, news websites and TV and radio stations in Sri Lanka have been running, since January, a “continuous campaign of vilification,” including naming and in many cases showing images of activists, describing them as an ‘NGO gang’ and repeatedly accusing them of treason, mercenary activities and association with terrorism. “Some of these reports have contained barely veiled incitement and threats of retaliation,” Mr. Colville said. “At least two comments posted by readers of articles of this type have called for burning down of the houses of the civil society activists named in the articles, and at least one such comment called openly for them to be killed.”
The spokesperson said the High Commissioner had noted that some of the attacks on human rights defenders were carried in Sri Lankan state media and Government websites or were filed by journalists who had been officially accredited to the Council session by the Sri Lankan permanent mission. “She is calling on the Government to ensure the protection of human rights defenders, to publicly disassociate itself from such statements, and to clearly uphold the right of Sri Lankan citizens to freely engage in international debate of this kind,” Mr. Colville said.
from: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=41617&Cr=Sri%20Lanka&Cr1=
Posted in human rights, UN | 2 Comments »
Tags: Geneva, harassment, High Commissioner, Human rights defender, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Rupert Colville, Sri Lanka, United Nations Human Rights Council
March 20, 2012
| A group of three international experts on the situation of human rights defenders has urged world governments to halt reprisals against HRDs seeking to cooperate with the United Nations and regional human rights systems. They also called on States to ease, rather than hinder, civil society’s access to the UN and regional human rights institutions.
‘Reprisals have to cease immediately and credible investigations into pending cases of reprisals have to be carried out,’ said the Rapporteurs on Human Rights Defenders from the United Nations (UN), Ms Margaret Sekaggya; the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), Ms Reine Alapini-Gansou; and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), Mr José de Jesús Orozco.
‘These reprisals against individuals and/or groups engaging directly with the UN, the ACHPR and the IACHR, or otherwise providing information on particular countries’ human rights situations, take the form of smear campaigns, harassment, intimidation, direct threats, physical attacks and killings,’ they said. In an effort to safeguard the vital collaboration between civil society and the UN and regional human rights mechanisms, the three Rapporteurs appealed for enhanced monitoring of the normative agreements and rules of procedure explicitly prohibiting acts of reprisals by States and non-State actors.
‘Such steps towards full accountability for reprisals are an important preventive measure that should be combined with those that facilitate, rather than deter, civil society’s safe and unimpeded access to the UN and the regional human rights institutions,’ stressed Ms Sekaggya, Ms Alapini-Gansou and Mr Orozco.
The three international Rapporteurs also supported the recent initiative by the President of the UN Human Rights Council, Ms Laura Dupuy Lasserre, calling on Governments to immediately put an end to harassment and intimidation of individuals and groups attending the on-going session of the Human Rights Council, taking place in Geneva, Switzerland. Ms Dupuy Lasserre expressed her concern about reports of State and other representatives using aggressive and/or insulting language against civil society representatives, and photographing and filming them without their consent on UN premisses, including in the main Council’s chamber, with a view to intimidate and harass them. She announced that those accusations will be investigated.
The International Service for Human Rights in Geneva (ISHR) facilitated the process and ISHR made its own statement to the Human Rights Council today on reprisals against those that cooperate with the UN, its representatives, and mechanisms in the field of human rights.
Check the official joint statement, available in English (original), French and Spanish. |
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Posted in Human Rights Defenders, UN | Leave a Comment »
Tags: African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, Geneva, Human Rights Defenders, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, International Service for Human Rights, Laura Dupuy Lasserre, Margaret Sekaggya, Rapporteur, reprisals, United Nations, United Nations Human Rights Council
March 2, 2012
On Wednesday 7 March, I have honor to preside over the Jury meeting of the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders (MEA). The Jury is composed of ten leading international human rights NGOs and comes together in Geneva in the Palais Eynard (put at our disposal by our main partner the City of Geneva) to select from a shortlist of 10 candidates the 3 nominees. The names of the nominees will be made public on 24 April 2012 at a press conference in Geneva. All three nominees will be invited to the MEA ceremony on 2 October in Geneva, where they will be honored and a film on their work shown. The Jury meets again on 2 october to select the final Laureate of 2012 whose name will be announced at the ceremony.
Posted in human rights | 3 Comments »
Tags: City of Geneva, Geneva, Human Rights and Liberties, Human Rights Defenders, Jury, Martin Ennals Award, Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders, MEA, nominees
February 29, 2012
“Human Rights Defenders Combating Impunity in the Philippines” will be the discussion topic of a parallel event on 6 March 2012 from 13h00 to 15h00 during the 19th Session of UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Since the Philippines’ Universal Periodic Review in 2008, numerous human rights defenders have been killed, abducted, tortured and continue to be threatened in the Philippines. Often, human rights lawyers, journalists, members of small opposition political parties, trade unionists and anti-mining
and church-based activists are targeted. In many cases the suspected perpetrators are alleged to be members of the state security forces, state-sponsored paramilitaries and private armed groups.
President Benigno Aquino, elected in May 2010, has vowed to end political motivated killings and enforced disappearances, but almost two years after, perpetrators of these human rights violations persist with impunity as very few cases are efficiently investigated and prosecuted in court. In 2011,
the Philippine Commission on Human Rights reported a total of 64 victims of “summary killings”, indicating an upward trend under the new administration.
The event will include short films (personal accounts of a survivor of torture and enforced disappearance and a journalist survivor of a politically-motivated massacre that killed 58 people including 33 journalists). There will also be a panel of human rights defenders from the Philippines presenting their reports about the current human rights situation in the Philippines and the hindrances they have experienced in combating impunity in the country.
What are the deficits within the judicial and security sectors and what concrete measures need to be implemented immediately? The following debate with participants shall offer concrete questions and recommendations which may be useful for stakeholders before and during the interactive dialogue at the May 2012 UPR.
The event is co-sponsored by Aktionsbündnis Menschenrechte Philippinen/Action Network Human Rights Philippines, Franciscans International and Amnesty International.
Franciscans International: Human Rights Defenders combating impunity in the Philippines.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | 1 Comment »
Tags: Action Network Human Rights Philippines, Amnesty International, Franciscans International, Geneva, Human Rights Council, Human Rights Defenders, Philippines
February 19, 2012
On 6 March 2012, the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) will organise a side-event to United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, where UN and Latin American experts will come together to study and publicize the conditions of human rights defenders working in the Americas.
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights’ (IACHR) has it own Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders, Mr José de Jesús Orozco. His report will highlights an increase in assassinations, extrajudicial executions and enforced disappearances of human rights defenders in the region since 2006, particularly in those countries where democratic rule is interrupted, where there is internal armed conflict, or where clashes occur between defenders and organised crime groups or powerful economic actors. In response, the IACHR has ordered many American States to take specific action to protect defenders. These protection measures have been issued primarily to Colombia (27 percent), Guatemala (24 percent), and Honduras (9 percent).
At the same event, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders, Ms Margaret Sekaggya will present ISHR’s report on the situation of defenders in Colombia. The findings are the result of research into whether recommendations made by the Special Rapporteur have been effectively implemented in Colombia, following her visit to the country in 2009. The report portrays a Colombian Government showing a more constructive attitude in its dealings with human rights defenders. However, it also identifies a failure to mainstream this attitude among local authorities, a worrying increase in attacks on human rights defenders in the past year, and the limited success of State authorities in investigating and addressing such attacks. Executive Director of the Colombian Commission of Jurists, Mr Gustavo Gallón will go on to provide a civil society view on the ISHR report and the situation of defenders in Colombia.
Further information about the event can be downloaded here.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders, UN | 1 Comment »
Tags: Colombia, Geneva, Guatemala, Honduras, Human Rights Defenders, ISHR, José de Jesús Orozco, Latin America, Margaret Sekaggya, United Nations Special Rapporteur
January 20, 2012
On 17 January 2012, the Geneva-based Alkarama group, which campaigns for human rights in Arab countries, said its executive director Mourad Dhina was arrested and detained in France at Paris-Orly airport. Alkarama spokesman Michael Romig said Dhina appeared before a French magistrate on Tuesday to hear Algeria’s extradition request on decades-old terrorism charges and was then returned to custody. This a complex case with heavy political overtones.Dhina was a former top official in the Islamic Salvation Front (le ‘FIS’), the organisation which was poised to win the Algerian elections in 1992, which then led to an army crackdown and a decade-long bloody civil war, with severe violations from both sides.
Dhina has lived in Switzerland for 20 years, but – contrary to some press statements – he was not a recognized refugee. He is a Massachusetts Institute of Technology-trained physicist who worked at CERN. He became an opponent of the Algerian government following the coup d’état of January 1992 that banned the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS), starting the Algerian Civil War. After being spokesman for the Coordination Committee of the FIS, he became head of the Executive Office of the FIS from October 2002 to October 2004, and in 2006 he discretely left the party, but more because he regarded it as ineffective than because he disapproved of its violent methods. In 2007, he co-founded Rachad , an organisation dedicated to overthrowing the Algerian government through mass nonviolent resistance. He rejects any reconciliation with the present regime. According to Le Matin de Dimanche of 15 October 2006 his position is: “There was a putsch in Algeria in 1992, so I find armed resistance legitimate. I said and I’ll say it again.”
According to a Wikipedia entry he was accused by the former French minister Charles Pasqua of having links with arms dealers, and therefore he left Saint-Genis-Pouilly, Geneva in 1993. When he was sentenced in absentia to twenty years imprisonment in his country he replied “I am honored to have been condemned by tyrants. History, one day, will prove me right”
Because the Algerian Embassy in Bern regularly asked for his extradition, Mourad stated in the same 2006 interview in le Dimanche de Dimanche: «Nous n’avons pas de documents pour voyager. Nous ne pouvons pas quitter la Suisse». In spite of this he appears to have travelled several times through French territory without having been arrested. So, why was he now arrested? And what is the likelihood of him being extradited? Clearly his vehement opposition and use of television aimed at Algeria must anger the Government but that would not be the right ground for extradition. But the timing seems to indicate that there might be such a link. If it is the old charges of terrorism, then it will depend op the strength of the evidence. In this context it is pity that Dhina’s taking distance from the FIS was not accompanied by a clear condemnation of human rights violations also by the FIS itself. Even if one qualifies the Algerian conflict as a civil war, it does not condone violation of humanitarian law by any party. Let’s see what happens!
Posted in human rights | 2 Comments »
Tags: Algeria, Algerian Civil War, Alkarama, arrest, extradition, FIS, France, Geneva, Islamic Salvation Front, Mourad Dhina, terrorism
November 6, 2011
Back in 1983 the Yugoslav-born filmmaker Stacha Stanojevic made a human rights film under the title ‘Illustres Inconnus’ (Notorious Nobodies as the English language version would be called much later). One of the personalities in this multi-story film is a human rights activist, the inspiration for whom came from Martin Ennals who had then just left his post as Secretary General of Amnesty International and met Stacha several times. Now the filmmaker has drawn from his full-length film a short version focusing on the international human rights defender for whom, unknowingly, Martin Ennals stood as model. The scenes are mostly shot in Geneva and have the feel of this diplomatic city in the early 80s. The end is a bit of a surprise but highlights the essential human element in the unending quest for human rights. Unfortunately only in French for now, but english-speakers can still get the gist of it. See http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xlt5bv_indignation-revolte-1983_shortfilms?start=0#from=embed
Posted in Amnesty international, films, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | 1 Comment »
Tags: Geneva, Illustres Inconnus, Martin Ennals, Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders, Stanojevic
