civicus at the un

• CIVICUS statement to the HRC on situations that require the councils attention

  22nd session of the
  Human Rights Council
  Item4    

  Human rights situations that require the Council’s attention
  Delivered by Renate Bloem

  Thank you Mr. President,

  CIVICUS is concerned about Iran that serious violations of the fundamental rights of women human rights defenders are continuing unabated. We strongly condemn the on-going crackdown on media and civil society.  Between 26 January and 22 February 2013, eighteen journalists have been arrested.  There are serious indications that more arrests are likely to follow The recent wave of arrests is part of a growing trend in Iran whereby security agencies have blocked websites, shut down reformist newspapers, jammed satellite stations, slowed down internet speed and threatened family members of journalists associated with foreign media agencies. Bloggers and online activists remain at heightened risk of being charged with spreading propaganda against the regime and threatening national security. Hadi Ghaemi, Director of the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran said: “The regime is gearing up to restrict the flow of information ahead of the upcoming presidential election in June 2013”

• CIVICUS statement to the HRC on the Fact Finding Mission in Palestine and other Arab Occupied Territories

  22nd Session of the
  Human Rights Council
  Item7

  General Debate
  Report of the Independent Fact Finding Mission on Human Rights situation in the Palestinian other Arab occupied territories

  Thank you Mr. President,

  We are greatly concerned by Israel’s unprecedented decision to suspend cooperation with the UPR mechanism. We urge the government of Israel to resume cooperation and schedule their second cycle of Universal Periodic Review as soon as possible bearing in mind the harmful precedent their non-cooperation sets for the universality of this crucial human rights protection mechanism.

• CIVICUS statement to the HRC on the report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

  22nd session of the
  Human Rights Council

  Item 2
  Annual Report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
  ID 28 February 2013
  Delivered by Renate Bloem

  Thank you Mr. President,

  Madame High Commissioner, CIVICUS welcomes your annual report and commends you on the extraordinary number of country visits and your continued audacity to speak up whenever gross abuses of Human Rights occur. We also laud your offices’ thematic priorities and share your concerns about the scarcity of funds in complete disconnect with the importance of tasks you have been asked to fulfill. We hear your Human Rights Appeal for 2013 and call on all members of the council and governments beyond to request the Secretary General and the General Assembly to take immediate steps a) for more balanced distribution within the overall regular UN budget to reflect the equal status of peace, development and human rights and b) to take urgent steps to seek increased extra budgetary resources.

• CIVICUS statement to the UNHRC on Iraq

  CIVICUS welcomes the establishment of this Special Session and applauds the Council’s proactivity in promptly addressing the grave human rights violation committed by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and associated groups.

  However,  while we the agree that actions taken by these groups warrant further examination by the Council and a concerted response by the international community, we also urge the Council to utilize this occasion to ensure that the underlying tensions and root causes of the conflict are also duly addressed.

• CIVICUS statement to UN Human Rights Council 20th session

  20th session of the UN Human Rights Council

  The rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association

  Interactive Dialogue 20 June 2012

  Statement delivered by Renate Bloem, CIVICUS UN Geneva Representative

  Thank you Mme President,

  CVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation strongly welcomes both reports but will speak to the inaugural report of the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly of association. Mr Kiai, we concur with you that these freedoms are the cornerstones of democracy. We are pleased with the powerful legal framework you provide that underscores the positive and negative obligations States have to guarantee these rights and we welcome the examples of good practices that exist in some countries to promote the realisation of these rights. Unfortunately they are outnumbered by the vast incidents of denial and repression of these fundamental rights."

  As documented in CIVICUS' recently released report on the State of Civil Society 2011, at least 88 countries saw different forms of mass citizens' action last year. While protest movements - led by informal and institutionalised civil society groups - met with varying degrees of success, including in seeking redress of the denial of democratic freedoms and highlighting the nexus between big business and unaccountable government, the corresponding pushback against and restrictions of civil society was also severe.

• CIVICUS submission on Large Scale Development Projects and Human Rights Defenders

  In the submission, CIVICUS argues that meaningful development cannot be achieved without the realisation of human rights as both are intertwined. We also highlight that economic, land rights and indigenous people’s rights defenders are seen as a political and economic threat by vested interests as communities that traditionally relied on rivers, forests and communal land are increasingly being displaced through collusion between private corporations, government officials and politicians. Additionally, legal and policy restrictions on the work of human rights defenders and their persecution in many parts of the world are a major cause for concern. We also call for specific indicators and targets on enabling environment to measure progress of lack thereof on measures to protect human rights defenders.

  Read more

• CIVICUS Submission on the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights being considered by the UN Human Rights Council

  30 May 2011. CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation is a global movement of civil society with members and partners in over 100 countries. CIVICUS works to strengthen civil society and citizen action throughout the world.

  CIVICUS welcomes the opportunity to comment on the final report of the UN Special Representative of the Secretary General on The Issue of Human Rights and Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises, Professor John Ruggie. We believe that the report is timely and provides a key occasion to the international community to devise ways in which business practices can be compatible with the International Bill of Rights.

  We remain deeply anxious about the activities of trans-national corporations and other business enterprises resulting in human rights abuses, including the right to a clean and healthy environment; access to land and natural resources; and adequate and decent standards of work. We are also concerned about the role played by certain corporations in propping up or supporting undemocratic governments as well as non-state actors who fail to respect the international human rights framework.

• CIVICUS submissions on threats to freedoms of expression, association and assembly in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Eritrea, Vietnam and Yemen

  In advance of the 18th Universal Periodic Review session of the UN Human Rights Council, CIVICUS made two independent submissions and three joint submissions on threats to freedoms of expression, association and assembly in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Eritrea, Vietnam and Yemen. The submissions also highlight the need for an enabling operating environment for civil societies around the world and the need to protect human rights defenders.
   
  In Afghanistan, CIVICUS’ joint submission with the Afghan NGOs Coordination Bureau focuses on the kidnappings of journalists and murders of human rights defenders. In Cambodia, CIVICUS raises concern about politically motivated attacks on land rights protestors. In Eritrea the joint submission with Citizens for Democratic Rights in Eritrea highlights extreme restrictions on any civil society activities. In Vietnam, CIVICUS warns about the government’s use of vague legislation to curtail press and other civic freedoms. In Yemen, the joint submission with the Arab NGO Network for Development scrutinises the brutal crackdowns on pro-democracy protestors.

   

   

• CIVICUS UN HRC statement on Ethiopia's non-compliance with Special Procedures

  Thank you, Mr. President, 

  CIVICUS welcomes Special Procedures’ comprehensive report on Communications with States that brings to light human rights situations on which the Council has remained largely silent. 

  We refer to Communications to Ethiopia in December 2015 on the violent repression of peaceful protests organized by students throughout the Oromia region of Ethiopia. In response to the protests, the Ethiopian authorities have arbitrarily arrested thousands of people and several hundred people have been summarily killed by the security services while participating in the protests. 

• CIVICUS UN HRC statement on restrictions on civic space in Bahrain and Egypt

  CIVICUS remains deeply alarmed by both the increase and severity of restrictive laws, policies and practices being used to undermine and enfeeble civil society across the globe. In a report launched this week, CIVICUS has documented serious threats to civil society space in 109 countries in 2015, representing a roughly 15 percent increase over the past year.

• CIVICUS UN HRC STATEMENT ON SIERRA LEONE: ADOPTION OF UNIVERSAL PERIODIC REVIEW

  This statement is delivered by CIVICUS together with our national partner organization, the Sierra Leone Campaign for Good Governance. We commend Sierra Leone for its global leadership on promoting and protecting civil society and in particular its sponsorship of Human Rights Council Resolution 27/31 on the protection of civil society space.

  We further recognise the challenges Sierra Leone faces in rebuilding its democracy and infrastructure since the end of the brutal civil war and most recently the ebola outbreak. We note however that restrictions on fundamental freedoms continue to impede efforts to advance democratic consolidation.

• CIVICUS UN HRC STATEMENT ON SOMALIA: ADOPTION OF UNIVERSAL PERIODIC REVIEW

  CIVICUS applauds Somalia’s cooperation and engagement with the UPR process. We also take this opportunity to remember the passing of Ambassador Bari Bari and the important contributions he made to the advancement of human rights both within the Council and at home.

  While acknowledging the very real and substantial challenges the Government of Somalia faces in consolidating democratic space and creating accountable State institutions inflicted by 20 years of civil war, we also urge the Government and the international community to take concerted measures to realize the important progressive civic space recommendations accepted by Somalia’s during its UPR.

• CIVICUS UN Universal Period Review Submissions on Hungary, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania & Thailand

  In advance of the 25th Session of the UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR), CIVICUS and its partners have made five submissions on the rights to freedom of assembly, association, expression and the environment for human rights defenders in Hungary, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, and Thailand. The submissions further provide a number of recommendations to the State under Review (SuR) to create and maintain a safe and enabling environment for civil society.

• CIVICUS Universal Periodic Review Submissions on Civil Society Space

  In advance of the start of the 3rd cycle of the UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in April 2017, CIVICUS has made joint and stand-alone submissions examining the environment for civil society in 11 countries. The submissions specifically highlight a broad range of unwarranted legal and extra-legal restrictions on the rights to freedom of assembly, association, expression and the work of human rights defenders. To compliment these narrative reports, CIVICUS and its partners provide an analysis of the State under Review’s level of domestic implementation of recommendations received during the 2nd UPR cycle in May 2012 and provide a number of targeted follow-up recommendations.  

  Countries examined: Algeria, Bahrain, Brazil, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Morocco, the Philippines, Poland, South Africa, and Tunisia (see from list below)

  Algeria: CIVICUS and the Ibn Khaldoun Center for Research and Maghrebi Studies (IKCRMS) highlight the use of restrictive legislation to unwarrantedly limit the work of independent civil society organisations and impede peaceful protests. CIVICUS and IKCRMS further discuss continued attempts to silence independent media through the undue closure of independent outlets and the persecution of individuals and groups for exercising their right to freedom of expression. 
   
  Bahrain: CIVICUS, the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR) and the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) underscore the severe and continued restrictions on freedom of expression including the routine judicial persecution and harassment of individuals and groups for taking part in legitimate forms of dissent both online and offline. CIVICUS, BCHR and GCHR further examine the targeting of human rights defenders, journalists, religious leaders, peaceful protesters and civil society representatives through reprisals, travel bans, prison sentences, torture and other unjustified limitations. 

  Brazil: CIVICUS and Conectas highlight the endemic levels of violence against journalists and human rights defenders, and particularly against land rights, indigenous and environmental activists. The submission further examines the use of legal and extra-legal restrictions on the right to free assembly in Brazil, leading to increasingly violent policing and repression of protests. It provides recommendations to the Government of Brazil to ensure an enabling environment for civil society, in accordance with the rights enshrined in Brazil’s Constitution as well as international best practice.

  Ecuador: CIVICUS, FCD (Citizen and Development Foundation), Fundamedios (Andean Foundation for the Observation and Study of the Media) and AEDEP (Ecuadorean Association of Newspapers’ Editors) address concerns regarding the expansion of state controls over Ecuadorean civil society. The submission also discusses the situation of human rights defenders, particularly those working on the rights of indigenous peoples and sexual and reproductive rights. It concludes with recommendations to the Government of Ecuador on how to improve the conditions for civil society to operate free from unwarranted state interference, communicate and cooperate, seek and secure funding, and publically present their demands without fear of retaliation.

  India: CIVICUS and Human Rights Defenders Alert, supported by 19 Indian civil society organisations, examine India’s fulfilment of the rights to freedom of association, assembly, and expression and unwarranted restrictions on human rights defenders since its previous UPR examination.  We look at unwarranted restrictions on civil society groups, the use of restrictive legislation to de-register organisations and the suspension of the bank accounts of others to prevent them from carrying out their activities.  We further examine attacks, intimidation and judicial persecution of human rights defenders, the brutal assassination of journalists and often violent dispersal of peaceful demonstrations

  Indonesia: CIVICUS, LBH PERS, ICJR, ELSAM, YAPPIKA focus on the failure of the government of Indonesia to fully implement all the recommendations it accepted and noted during its previous UPR review. We assess attacks and persecution of human rights defenders, the assassination of an environmental rights activist, harassment and physical attacks on journalists and the use of restrictive legislation, circulars and policies to target freedom of expression and online freedoms. The submission looks at the use of excessive force to disperse peaceful demonstrations and the use of pre-emptive measures to ban protests especially those held on issues affecting West Papuans.  

  Morocco: CIVICUS highlights the criminalisation, intimidation and harassment of civil society groups through the imposition of travel bans, banning of meetings and conferences of CSOs and unjustifiable denial of formal registration of vocal groups. CIVICUS underscores the lack of implementation of recommendations in relation to freedom of expression, including a number of legitimate forms of free speech that continue to be criminalised.

  The Philippines: CIVICUS and KARAPATAN examine the continued extrajudicial killing, intimidation and harassment of human right defenders, journalists and media workers as well as legal restrictions on the right to freedom of expression, in particular the criminalisation of libel and overbroad provisions of the 2012 Cybercrime Prevention Act. CIVICUS and KARAPATAN asses The Philippines level of implementation of a range of UPR recommendations pertaining to civic space.

  Poland: CIVICUS and the Committee for the Defence of Democracy (KOD) highlight grave concerns on the sharp decline in respect for civic space that has occurred since late 2015 when the newly-elected government began to implement policies and introduce laws clearly aimed at curbing media freedom, free expression and dissent. As Poland appears for the third time before the UPR, CIVICUS and KOD make a series of recommendations on how Poland can reverse course and strengthen respect for the fundamental freedoms in line with its international commitments.
   
  South Africa: CIVICUS and HURISA discuss the harassment of peaceful protestors and demonstrators by state security agents which impedes the right to freedom of peaceful assembly, the extra-judicial killing of human rights defenders, and the failure to sufficiently amend or repeal restrictive legislation limiting freedom of information. CIVICUS and HURISA further provide an analysis of South Africa’s operationalisation of UPR recommendations on freedom of assembly, association, expression and HRDs.

  Tunisia: CIVICUS and The Movement for Amazigh of Tunisa discuss the legal and extra-legal restrictions undermining freedom of expression in the country, including legal provisions that criminalise defamation, overbroad definitions in the anti-terrorism legislation and a number of recent attacks against journalists and media workers. CIVICUS and Amazigh of Tunisia further examine restrictive pre-revolution legislation that impedes the freedom of assembly. 

• CIVICUS UPR submissions on restrictions on civil society space in Mozambique, Niger, Sierra Leone, Singapore and Somalia

  In advance of the 24th Session of the UN Universal Period Review (UPR), CIVICUS and its partners have made five submissions on restrictions on the rights to freedom of assembly, association and expression and persecution of human rights defenders (HRDs) in Mozambique, Niger, Sierra Leone, Singapore and Somalia. The submissions provide a number of substantive recommendations to support the creation and maintenance of a safe and enabling environment for civil society.

• CIVICUS urges Sri Lanka and Korea to reconsider human rights recommendations

  CIVICUS made two oral interventions with regard to the Universal Periodic Reviews of Sri Lanka and the Republic of Korea. CIVICUS urges the Sri Lankan government to reconsider the recommendations to put in place a national action plan on human rights and to ensure impartial investigations in all cases of attacks on and intimidation of human rights defenders.

  CIVICUS urges the Korean government to repeal or amend the National Security Act to remove restrictions on the freedom of assembly and to ensure that there is full scrutiny of all arrests carried out by law enforcement officials during public demonstrations.

• CIVICUS welcomes the new Special Rapporteur on FoAA

  On 23 March 2011, Sihasak Phuangketkeow, President of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC), gabled the appointment of Maina Kiai to become the new Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association (SR on FoAA). Almost at the end of the 16th   session of the HRC, this appointment crowned CIVICUS’ and our partners’ efforts, begun more than a year ago. They had intensified during the last 6 months and were finalized at a moment in history when we saw a new dawn promising freedom and dignity, but also so many attempts to brutally suppress these hopes.

  ‘Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association’. This Article 20 of the UDHR had so far no official mechanism to monitor this right. Earlier attempts to create a Special Procedure were always doomed because a large number of States utterly opposed it. When the United States under the Obama Administration embraced the Council and was elected in 2009, one of her priorities was to establish such a mechanism. They provided leadership in a new broad based cross-regional approach to create a mandate for a SR on FoAA.

• CIVICUS' statement to the 24th HRC on Syria

  CIVICUS urges the Syrian government to give finally access to the Commission to hold perpetrators of crimes against humanity to account.

  CIVICUS, in reading the abhorrent 10th update of the commission of inquiry on Syria, wishes in response to quote Mazen Darwish, head of Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression. He speaks from the prison of Damascus, where he has been detained since February 2012 by Syrian Security Forces. His words came when receiving the Bruno Kreisky award in June 2013, and his friends had asked CIVICUS to make them known. I quote:

  "I asked myself why a firm fighter and a statesman pushed his nation to permanent neutrality leaving voluntarily the ecstasy of victory and the joy of winning, till I have realized that there is no winner in wars, everybody is a loser, and there is nothing good in war except its ending.
  From Baghdad to Budapest, Lebanon to Prague and from Vietnam to the two Koreas, I have learnt that there is nothing good in war except its ending, and from the victims of wars .. to the victims of tyranny in our Arab world... I have learnt that the road to democracy is as far from the path of extremism and terrorism as it is from dictatorships and tyranny.
  Yes .. we want freedom and dignity and justice and yes we deserve it, but it surely is not the freedom of dying under torture or slaughtered, it is not to be killed by a shell from a jet or a by car bomb, it is the freedom of life on the basis of sharing and coalition between the universality of human rights values and the privacy of local social relations in order to reshape global human sphere that makes life itself a moral human experience and we look at it as more owned by others than us...."

  Read the full statement

• Civil Society letter on Bahrain to the High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay

  We are writing to encourage your office to make the conclusions of its mission public and to clearly identify key human rights concerns that should be addressed in priority by your office and by the Government of Bahrain. We also call on you to urge the Government of Bahrain to immediately release individuals arrested and imprisoned solely for the exercise of the rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly and to swiftly set up dates for the visits of Special Procedures of the UN Human Rights Council.

  Read the letter here.

• Civil society’s expectations for the Human Rights Council in 2022

  To the incoming President of the Human Rights Council, His Excellency Mr Federico Villegas, Permanent Representative of Argentina to the United Nations Office at Geneva