un geneva
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CIVICUS intervention during the 16th SPECIAL SESSION on the Situation of Human Rights in the Syrian Arab Republic
Human Rights Council16th SPECIAL SESSION on the Situation of Human Rights in the Syrian Arab Republic
29 April 2011
Mr. President,
The recent developments in the Arab region and the peaceful people’s revolutions, including in Bahrain, Yemen and Syria, reflect the climax of people’s peaceful resistance and struggle against corruption, and the violation of their political as well as economic and social rights. What we are witnessing is the result of the escalation of violations of human rights which are guaranteed by the core international human rights treaties, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Citizens of the region are in need of protection and promotion of their rights, and they are seeking to regain their human dignity.
Moreover, the world is witnessing gross and systematic human rights violations committed by the governments as the security forces continue to use force against peaceful protests of unarmed citizens. The international community through the United Nations should immediately take action with its core responsibility to use all appropriate diplomatic, humanitarian, and other peaceful means to stop violence against civilians in the above mentioned Arab countries.
In this respect, CIVICUS welcomes this special session, urging all the UN member states to endorse their “Responsibility to Protect” commitment without any further delay. They should support the people of the region in their call for the creation of a new governance model that establishes a new social contract (pact) securing solid rights-based foundations for the citizen- state relation, active participation in democratic governance that overcomes corruption and nepotism and establishes freedom, transparency and accountability, as well as a re-visited social and economic model that services people’s rights.
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CIVICUS intervention during the 2nd Meeting of the Open-ended Intergovernmental Working Group on the Review of the Work and Functioning of the Human Rights Council
The 2nd Meeting of the Open-ended Intergovernmental Working Group on the
Review of the Work and Functioning of the Human Rights Council
23 February 2011
Mr. President,At the outset CIVICUS wishes to align itself with all previous speakers who commended the Facilitators for their extensive work, their thorough engagement and for the transparent, inclusive, forward looking and result oriented manner in which they guided us through the informal consultations.
CIVICUS had made a number of recommendations during the Review process so far, both formal and informal, and is pleased to note that some of them found enough support to be included in this compilation before us.
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CIVICUS intervention during the Annual Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Interactive Dialogue
16th session of the Human Rights Council
Item 2: Annual Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Interactive Dialogue, 3 March 2011
Delivered by Renate BloemThank you Mr. President,
Mme High Commissioner, CIVICUS welcomes your report, your audacity to speak up wherever violations occur throughout the world and your ongoing support for those who are in the frontline of engagement. We thank you for highlighting the leading role of civil society in the current movement in the Arab world and beyond towards a new dawn for freedom and democracy for the people, for a new paradigm where human rights and dignity are spelled in capital letters. Your rapid response in sending a delegation to Tunisia and to dispatch soon a senior staff team to Egypt is heartening.
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CIVICUS intervention during the follow up to the 15th SPECIAL SESSION on the Situation of Human Rights in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
Human Rights Council
Follow up to the
15th SPECIAL SESSION ON the Situation of Human Rights in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya14 March 2011
M.. President,
CIVICUS joins all speakers today in addressing deepest condolences to the Government of Japan and its people.M… President
CIVICUS had welcomed the Special Session on Libya and the strong unanimous outcome document, but is now very concerned about the ongoing precarious situation of the people of Libya who had courageously stood up against the dictatorial ruthless regime or should I say government of Moammar Gadhafi. -
CIVICUS intervention during the Interactive Dialogue on the Special Rapporteur for Human Rights defenders
16th session of the Human Rights Council
Item 3: Interactive Dialogue on SR HR defenders
10 March 2011Delivered by Slava Mamedov
Thank you Mr. President,
CIVICUS thanks the Special Rapporteur, Ms Sekaggya, for her report and for her focus on women human rights defenders. We also welcome the detailed information on communications contained in Addendum1 of the report. We wish to highlight the sections on Turkmenistan (pages 317-318) and on Uzbekistan (pages 325-332)
Speaking here as an exiled Turkmen Human rights defender, I want to underscore that Turkmenistan gave only one response to 34 requests and has yet to deliver an invitation to any Special Rapporteur. Neither has Uzbekistan responded to the repeated requests for visits for more than 10 years. Yet, torture in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan countries continues to be routine component of investigations and detention, and is a common practice in the penal systems.
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CIVICUS interventions at the 26th UNHRC Session
During the 26th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, 9-27 June, CIVICUS organized eight joint or stand-alone panel discussions on pressing thematic and country specific human rights situations:
• Civil Society Space: Addressing the Implementation Gap
• East Africa: Civil Society and Human Rights Defenders : Regional Challenges
• Repression, Reprisals and Detained Human Rights Defenders in the Gulf Region: Kuwait and Qatar in Focus
• Rule of Law in Bangladesh
• Re-Imagining Global Governance: CIVICUS’ 2014 State of Civil Society Report
• Human Rights in Eritrea
• Voices from Uzbekistan – An Atrocious Human Rights Record and the Lack of Effective Cooperation with the UN
• Bahrain: Empty Promises, crowded prisons
CIVICUS also delivered ten joint and individual oral statements to highlight ongoing restrictions on fundamental freedoms:
• Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights to Freedom of Opinion and Expression and the Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association
• General Debate on the Human Rights Situation in South Sudan
• Final Update of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
• Interactive Dialogue on UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women
• Interactive Dialogue on the Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprise
• Human rights situations that require the Council’s attention
• Adoption of the UPR outcome report of Cambodia
• Adoption of the UPR outcome report of Eritrea
• Adoption of the UPR outcome report of Vietnam
• Adoption of the UPR outcome report of Yemen -
CIVICUS interventions at the 27th UN Human Rights Council Session
During the 27th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, 8-27 September 2014, CIVICUS and its partners made a number of interventions to promote the creation of a safe and enabling environment for civil society and human rights defenders. CIVICUS co-organized several panel discussions focusing on unwarranted restrictions on the rights to freedom of assembly, association and expression requiring the Council’s further attention. In addition, eight joint and stand-alone oral statements were issued to highlight pressing thematic and country specific human rights concerns.
In parallel to the Council session events, CIVICUS co-organized six panel discussions to help identify emerging global trends in civil society restrictions and reflect on the essential measures States and the UN must take to protect the spaces in which civil society operate. The events, including on Bahrain, Ethiopia, and Yemen, provided crucial ingresses for human rights defenders to discuss the challenges they face at the national level and examine their governments’ adherence to international human rights obligations. -
CIVICUS INTERVENTIONS AT THE 28TH SESSION OF THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
During the 28th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, 2-27 March 2015, CIVICUS and its partners made several high-level interventions to support the creation and maintenance of a safe and enabling environment for civil society across the world. CIVICUS co-organized a number of thematic and country specific side events to draw attention to acute restrictions on civil society, human rights defenders and fundamental democratic freedoms. In addition, CIVICUS issued several oral statements calling on the Council to address persistent violations of basic human rights.
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CIVICUS interventions during the 24th Session of the UN Human Rights Council
During the 24th UNHRC Session, 9-27 September 2013, CIVICUS facilitated the participation of a number of human rights defenders to discuss the challenges faced by civil society across a range of countries. Through these interventions CIVIUCUS gave support to and provided a platform for civil society partners and members experiencing threats and intimidation to make a number of inputs into Council processes, including the UN Universal Period Review (UPR).
CIVICUS and its partner organizations made several oral interventions on Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Syria and Uzbekistan to raise awareness about restrictions on civil society and reprisals against civil society activists for cooperating with UN bodies including:
Joint statement on threats to civil society in Azerbaijan
Joint statement on the deteriorating environment for human rights defenders in Bahrain
Statement on continued harassment of independent media in Sri Lanka
Joint statement on harassment and imprisonment of civil society activists in Uzbekistan
Joint statement on intimidation and reprisals against human rights defenders
CIVICUS also co-sponsored panel discussions on the on-going crackdown on CSOs and activists in Russia and Bahrain. The side events, panelled by a number of national civil society activists, examined recommendations made to both countries during the UPR process and discussed the continued invocation of regressive legislation to silence independent dissent.
Side event on the state of civil society in Russia
Side event on Bahrain’s implementation of UPR Recommendations
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CIVICUS interventions during the 25th Session of the UN Human Rights Council
The 25th UN Human Rights Council session, 3-28 March 2014, marked the first-ever formal panel discussion at the UNHRC on the promotion and protection of civil society space. During the 25th session, CIVICUS made a number of interventions to highlight emerging trends in civil society restrictions and recommend key steps that States and the UN must take to protect the spaces in which civil society operate. Through these interventions, including parallel side events and written and oral statements, CIVICUS also provided a platform to its partners and members to input into UNHRC processes on creating a safe and enabling environment for civil society.
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CIVICUS interventions during the 29th UN HRC Session
During the 29th Session of the UN Human Rights Council (15 June - 3 July 2015), CIVICUS made a number of joint and individual interventions to highlight restrictions on civil society space. The interventions, including 9 parallel side events and 10 oral statements, underscored pressing thematic and country specific concerns on the rights to freedom of assembly, association and expression and persecution of human rights defenders, which require the Council’s attention.
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CIVICUS interventions during the 30th UN Human Rights Council Session
During the 30th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, CIVICUS and its partners raised a number of pressing human rights concerns requiring the Council’s attention. The joint and individual oral statements, panel discussions and advocacy letters underscored a broad range of thematic and country specific violations gravely undermining fundamental civil society rights. CIVICUS further provided recommendations to create a safe and enabling operating environment for human rights defenders and ensure effective accountability for persistent human rights violations.
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CIVICUS Interventions during the 31st UN Human Rights Council Session
During the 31st Session of the UN Human Rights Council, 29 February – 24 March 2016, CIVICUS and its partners raised a number of pressing country specific and thematic civic space concerns. CIVICUS’ joint and oral statements and advocacy letters provided an important opportunity to urge Members and Observer States of the Council to address persistent and acute restrictions on human rights defenders and civil society. CIVICUS further held a series of joint panel discussions to examine the environment for civil society in several countries and assess emerging global civic space trends.
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CIVICUS makes an oral intervention at the UN Human Rights Council on creating an enabling environment for civil society
During the 25th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, member organizations of the Civic Space Initiative, including CIVICUS, International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL), Article 19, and World Movement for Democracy, issued an oral statement calling on the international community and national governments to take immediate steps to further articulate and codify the creation of a free and enabling environment for civil society.
Specifically, the organizations call on:
- States to lead by example, to adopt and adhere to meaningful participatory processes in legislating and policymaking, and to repeal laws and abandon practices that restrict civic space.
- The Human Rights Council through its special procedure mechanisms to develop and adopt guiding principles on creating a safe and enabling environment for civil society.
- The Human Rights Committee to prioritize the drafting of General Comments on Articles 21 and 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights."
Read the full statement here.
- States to lead by example, to adopt and adhere to meaningful participatory processes in legislating and policymaking, and to repeal laws and abandon practices that restrict civic space.
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CIVICUS makes joint written interventions on Yemen and Vietnam in advance of the 26th UN Human Rights Council Session
In Yemen, CIVICUS, ANND and HRITC highlight the need to ensure the full realization of explicit commitments made by the government of Yemen during its UPR examination, including implementing legislation to create a safe and enabling environment for civil society.
In Vietnam, CIVICUS and 15 national civil society organizations raise concern about the ongoing persecution of human rights defenders for engaging with UN human rights mechanisms such as the UN Universal Period Review (UPR). They further urge the UNHRC to engage the Vietnamese government to ensure that human rights defenders are permitted to carry out their legitimate work free from government harassment.
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CIVICUS puts Bahrain and Russia in the spotlight at UN Human Rights Council
CIVICUS was active at the 21st session of the UN Human Rights Council, which came to an end in Geneva on 28 September. During the Council’s session we brought together different civil society organisations to raise awareness of challenging conditions for civil society across a range of countries, and working with our members, made a number of inputs into Council processes. Above all, we gave our support to and provided a platform for civil society partners and members experiencing threats and intimidation.
Among the highlights was an event we convened with Russian civil society organisations. The meeting enabled Russian human rights defenders and people from different forms of civil society, including youth movements and organisations that promote voters’ rights, to meet with representatives of governments and UN human rights staff in a spirit of constructive dialogue.
One of the main focuses of the discussion was the new legislation that requires that all CSOs receiving funds from outside Russia to be registered as ‘foreign agents’, and to indicate this on any activities they undertake. This move was identified as a clear attempt to undermine people’s trust in CSOs.
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CIVICUS response to Human Rights Commissioner´s opening remarks at 33rd Session of Human Rights Council
We fully endorse the High Commissioner´s caution against populist demagogues in Europe and the United States, who fuel hatred and bigotry against minority groups, refugees and entire religious communities. We applaud his continued attention to the precipitous backsliding on basic public freedoms undermining important human rights gains and democratic consolidation in many regions of the world.
We equally deplore the lack of access given to his Office and Special Procedures to many countries in an attempt to block or evade human rights scrutiny.
Specifically, CIVCUS reiterates the High Commissioner’s deep concern about the grave and escalating violations of human rights in Ethiopiain the context of peaceful protests. We urge the Council to rapidly dispatch an international, independent and transparent investigation into the use of excessive and lethal force against protesters, which has resulted in hundreds of extra-judicial killings and thousands of arrests.
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CIVICUS side events during the 29th Session of the UN Human Rights Council (15 June – 3 July 2015)
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:
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CIVICUS Speaks at the 17th session of the UN Human Rights Council
17th session of the Human Rights Council
Item 4 Human rights situations that require the Council’s attention15 June 2011Delivered by Renate Bloem
Thank you Mr. President,
CIVICUS repeatedly raised its concern about the situation in Belarus. Our partners from the ground spoke even last week here about the still deteriorating conditions for peaceful protesters and civil society activists and human rights defenders. We therefore wish to support any strong monitoring action by the Council, including adopting the draft resolution which should help to end the ongoing crackdown, the systemic violations and commit the Government to an urgently needed human rights reform which in particular should lift all unjustified restrictions placed on NGOs and civil society and guarantee in practice freedom of assembly and freedom of expression. -
CIVICUS STATEMENT DURING THE HIGH-LEVEL SEGMENT OF THE 31ST HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL SESSION
Thank you Mr. President,
I warmly welcome this important opportunity to address the Council on shrinking space for civil society. My organization has worked for nearly two decades to strengthen citizen action and civil society throughout the world. However, despite the growing recognition of the importance of a vibrant, independent civil society sector, civil society activists and organisations are becoming the target of a concerted global campaign to restrict civic space. Those of us who monitor conditions for civil society show that, in 2015 alone, fundamental freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly were significantly violated in over 100 countries.