The City of Geneva and the Martin Ennals Foundation announce the 2013 edition of Martin Ennals Award, which will take place on Tuesday 8 October 2013 at 18h00 at the Uni-Dufour, Geneva. The Laureate will be announced Read the rest of this entry »
Posts Tagged ‘International Service for Human Rights’
SAVE THE DATE: MEA 2013 CEREMONY ON 8 OCTOBER IN GENEVA
June 29, 2013New Guide for human rights defenders on domestic implementation of UN human rights recommendations
June 18, 2013The 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.
Leading international human rights advocates appointed to ISHR Board
June 5, 2013This blog tries not to keep track of all the personal appointments in the human rights movement – that would be impossible – but the additions to the Board of the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) in Geneva announced on 30 May 2013 are too impressive to leave unmentioned: Read the rest of this entry »
Outcome of ISHR side-event on business and human rights defenders
June 3, 2013Last week I informed you that the Geneva-based NGO, International Service for Human Rights Finally, organised a side-event on business and human rights defenders (co-sponsored by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and promised to keep you informed of the outcome. Thanks to the quick reply from Phil Lynch, Read the rest of this entry »
Human rights defenders and corporate accountability before the UN Human Rights Council
May 31, 2013Today an interesting meeting took place in Geneva as a side event to the UN Human Rights Council on the topic: “Human rights defenders working on corporate accountability: How can the Human Rights Council contribute to their protection?”
In its report to the Human Rights Council, Read the rest of this entry »
International Service for Human Rights holds again its Geneva Training Course: from 26 May to 7 June
April 23, 2013You can now apply for ISHR‘s Geneva Training Course 2013. This advanced level training course will be held in Geneva from 26 May to 7 June, in parallel to the 23rd session of the UN Human Rights Council. The course offers an opportunity for participants with existing advocacy experience at domestic or regional level to expand their knowledge and skills, and over the 2-week period in Geneva directly engage in lobbying and advocacy activities at the UN level. This new programme blends ISHR extensive training experience, with its unique access to the UN mechanisms in Geneva and its close collaboration with leading human rights organisations. It will combine a common intensive training course with supported lobbying and advocacy activities adapted to the areas of interest of participants, as well as peer education among different groups of defenders. The programme will consist of the following elements:
a) A short online learning component, which takes place prior to Human Rights Council sessions, and supports participants in consolidating existing knowledge and developing advocacy objectives;
b) An intensive course in Geneva during the beginning of the June 2013 session of the Human Rights Council, focusing on ways to use international human rights mechanisms and to influence outcomes at the Human Rights Council;
c) Specific advocacy at the Human Rights Council session, with regular feedback and peer education to learn from the experiences;
b) Where appropriate, common follow-up at national level.
It is directed at experienced human rights defenders at the national level who have already some prior knowledge of the international human rights system.
The 23rd session of the Human Rights Council, which runs in parallel, will among other things focus on the following key areas:
- A resolution to follow-up to the Council’s work combating discrimination and violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity (the SOGI resolution).
- Thematic reports by the Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women; Special Rap on Cultural Rights; Working Group on Discrimination Against Women
- Thematic Reports by Special Rapporteur on freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, and Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression.
- Annual Full Day Discussion on Women’s Rights
- Report of the Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises, the Forum on Business and Human Rights and a panel discussion on human rights and business
The draft programme of work of the Human Rights Council is expected to be published shortly, and will be available at http://bit.ly/pow-hrc23.
A description of the course, what is expected of participants and instructions on how to apply are available at http://bit.ly/gtc2013-tor.
Tomorrow, 24 April, comes announcement of the Final Nominees of the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders
April 23, 2013Tomorrow, 24 April, at 11hoo Geneva time, the three Final Nominees of the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders 2013 will be announced. You can find the result here on this blog, of course, or on the site of the Martin Ennals Award: http://www.martinennalsaward.org. The following 10 NGOs on the Jury will also carry the news:
Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders
– Amnesty International,
– Human Rights Watch,
– Human Rights First,
– Int’l Federation for Human Rights,
– World Organisation Against Torture,
– Front Line Defenders
– International Commission of Jurists,
– German Diakonie,
– International Service for Human Rights
– HURIDOCS.
New Human Rights Defenders Resolution in UN further explained by Norwegian official
March 26, 2013Last Saturday I referred to the new Resolution on Human Rights Defenders in the UN Human Rights Council. Now there is an interesting interview with Counsellor, Geir Sjøberg of the Norwegian Mission to the UN, done by the International Service for Human Rights and reported by Reliefweb. The interview contains such so much meat that I have reproduced it here in full:
- The Human Rights Council has adopted a resolution which some have called a landmark in furthering the protection of human rights defenders. Are you satisfied with the results?
Let me first of all thank the ISHR and other human rights organizations for the invaluable advise and support throughout the process we have had here in Geneva. In 2011, the General Assembly expressed grave concerns about the serious nature of risks faced by human rights defenders due to threats, attacks and acts of intimidation against them. Regrettably, the situation has hardly improved since then. On the contrary, current trends are largely negative, as reported by the Special Rapporteur and others. Against this background, the Council had to respond with a clear message. The resolution ‘Protecting Human Rights Defenders’ should be seen as such, as the collective voice of the international community in 2013. On balance, we see the resolution as an appropriate response by the Human Rights Council at a very difficult time for human rights defenders in all regions of the world. The unanimous adoption of this resolution sends an important signal of support to all the courageous people who are fighting against human rights violations all over the world. We must now work to ensure that this resolution is translated into concrete results on the ground and leads to an improvement in the situation of human rights defenders. Read the rest of this entry »
Norway’s Landmark Resolution on Human Rights Defenders passes in Human Rights Council
March 23, 2013On Thursday 21 March 2013 a resolution, led by Norway was adopted by consensus by the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. It calls on all States to support the work of human rights defenders and to protect them from harassment, threats and attacks.
The use and abuse of national laws to impair, restrict and even criminalise the work of human rights defenders is a contravention of international law and must end, according to a landmark resolution adopted by the UN Human Rights Council today.
Introducing the resolution, Norway’s Ambassador to the UN, Steffen Kongstad, said he was ‘gravely concerned by the serious nature of risks faced by human rights defenders’ and called on all states to ‘facilitate their work’ and ensure it is not ‘criminalised or stigmatised’.
‘The resolution is a clear affirmation that national law must conform with international human rights law. The resolution demands the amendment of national laws which target human rights defenders, including laws which restrict NGOs from receiving foreign funding, which criminalise “homosexual propaganda”, or which limit freedom of expression or assembly on discriminatory grounds.’ Michael Ineichen of the ISHR, expressing an opinion similar to that of many other human rights NGOs.
Related articles
- Upcoming Human Rights Council to deal with laws affecting human rights defenders (thoolen.wordpress.com)
- New UN Resolution on Human Rights Defenders (HRHF speaks at the Human Rights Council) (thoolen.wordpress.com)
High Commissioner Pillay attacked and defended by States in Human Rights Council
March 4, 2013The ongoing session 22nd of the UN Human Rights Council has many interesting issues that relate directly or indirectly to human rights defenders. One of the organizations that provides regular comments is the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) in Geneva. Below is an example and anyone interested to follow developments should subscribe: http://www.ishr.ch/council
On Thursday 28 February 2013, the High Commissioner Mrs Pillay presented her annual report, outlining a number of thematic priorities, including tackling discrimination on all grounds, ensuring accountability for human rights violations, and strengthening human rights mechanisms. Following the presentation of the report a number of States took the floor to respond. The High Commissioner faced criticism from States unhappy with her highlighting of particular country and thematic situations of concern during her annual update to the Human Rights Council. Her call on States to ensure that no individual faces discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity, was met once again with categorical denial by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation OIC that any such responsibility exists in international human rights law. The OIC reproached the High Commissioner for promoting a notion that is ‘outside the framework of international human rights law’. The OIC has expressed this position many times previously, but it is increasingly anachronistic given the mounting acceptance at the Council that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity as shown by its adoption of a resolution on this subject in June 2011 and subsequent holding of a panel discussion. Read the rest of this entry »
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 