During the forthcoming 29th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, CIVICUS and its partners will host a series of thematic and country-specific panel discussions highlighting pressing concerns for civil society and human rights defenders at the national, regional and international levels. The events will provide an important opportunity for a cross-section of the global human rights community to identify practical recommendations to create an enabling environment for civil society and effective strategies to foster greater transnational solidarity to address unwarranted restrictions on civic space.
For more information about these events please contact:
The misuse of anti-terrorism laws in Africa: Undermining civil society, eroding human rights, and jailing dissent
Date: Tuesday, 16 June 2015, 11:00-12:30
Venue: Room IX (9) Palais des Nations
Organisers: Amnesty International, Article 19, CIVICUS, Civil Rights Defenders, East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project (EHAHRDP), Human Rights Watch, International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)
So-called ‘anti‐terrorism’ legislation has had a chilling effect on civil society and the human rights community across Africa, and the broader rights to freedoms of expression, association, and peaceful assembly. This parallel event will discuss and analyze these trends across the African continent, including Ethiopia and Kenya. It will also assess the broad reach of ‘counter-terrorism’ legislation and its impact on other rights and freedoms, while exploring possible strategies to successfully challenge these laws without hindering the fight against terrorism. It will explore the role of the United Nations Human Rights Council, including its Special Procedures, in addressing these concerns.
Panelists:
- David Kaye, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Leslie Lefkow, Deputy Director, Africa Division, Human Rights Watch
- Gabriel Dolan, Board Member, Muslims for Human Rights, Kenya
- Mesfin Negash, Civil Rights Defenders, and former Editor of Addis Neger, Ethiopia
- Soleyana Gebremichael, Zone 9/ Ethiopian Human Rights Project, Ethiopia (via Skype), Ethiopia
- Moderator: Rachel Nicholson, Campaigner: Horn of Africa, Amnesty International
Human rights in Azerbaijan
Date: Tuesday, 16 June 2015, 11:00-13:00
Venue: Room XVII (17), Palais des Nations
Organisers: CIVICUS, Human Rights House Foundation, Human Rights Watch, International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)
Panelists:
- Dinara Yunus, Daughter of detained human rights defenders Leyla and Arif Yunus
- Idrak Abbasov, Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety (IRFS)
- Gulnara Akhundova, International Media Support
- Florian Irminger, Human Rights House Foundation
- Michel Forst,UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
Overcoming restrictions on Women Human Rights Defenders in the MENA region
Date: Thursday, 18 June 2015, 10:00-12:00
Venue: Room XXII (22), Palais des Nations
Organisers: CIVICUS and the Gulf Center for Human Rights
The event will provide a unique opportunity to reflect on the key role that Woman Human Rights Defenders play in the implementation of human rights in the Middle East and North Africa and effective strategies to create intra-state and international solidarity to address targeted restrictions on WHRDs. The panel will also provide a venue to discuss concrete measures that states need to take at the national level to ensure effective protection for WHRDs and ensure their right to freedom of association, and assembly.
Panelists:
- Enma Aouij, Chair of the Working Group on Discrimination against Women in Law and Practice
- Maryam Al-Khawaja, Gulf Center for Human Rights
- Sara Brandt, International Advocacy Advisor, Center for Egyptian Women’s Legal Assistance (CEWLA)
Civil society space in Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan
Date: Friday, 19 June 2015
Venue: Palais des Nations
Organisers: Article 19, CIVICUS, European Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ECNL), International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL), World Movement for Democracy
The side event will provide an important opportunity to examine the disparate transnational experiences of civil society actors in creating a more enabling environment for civil society in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan and identify specific action the international community can take to support the promotion and protection of human rights in these countries. The event will further provide an opportunity to discuss effective implementation of recommendations put forward by the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association following his official visit to Kazakhstan in January 2015.
Panelists:
- Maina Kiai, UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association
- Scholar, Uzbekistan
- Ivar Dale, Norwegian Helsinki Committee, Turkmenistan
- Anara Ibrayeva, Dignity Astana, Kazakhstan
Voices of LGBTI defenders
When: Tuesday, 23 June 2015, 12:00-13:30
Where: Room VIII (8), Palais des Nations
Organisers: CIVICUS, International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA), International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)
The event will provide examine effective strategies to create and sustain an enabling environment for LGBTI civil society groups and human rights defenders. The panel will also provide a vital ingress to identity approaches to building cross-border solidarity and effective civil society movements to address restrictions on the LGBTI community, including the implementation of recommendations identified by OHCHR in its forthcoming report on good practices to overcome violence and discrimination of individuals and groups based on their sexual orientation and gender identity.