The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) is holding its 54th session from February 23 to March 6 in Geneva, Switzerland. During the session, this United Nations human rights treaty body will review State reports submitted by the Gambia, Paraguay, and Tajikistan concerning their implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). The CESCR
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Inter-American Court of Human Rights Holds 107th Session
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR) convened its 107th regular session from January 26 to February 6, 2015 in San Jose, Costa Rica. The Court held hearings concerning five pending cases, provisional measures regarding Venezuelan prisons, and States’ compliance with four previous judgments. [IACtHR Press Release (Spanish)] Public hearings were held on the following pending cases: Rural Community of Santa Barbara
Read moreECtHR Finds Violation of Respect for Family Life in Surrogacy Case
On January 27, 2015, the European Court of Human Rights issued its judgment in Paradiso and Campanelli v. Italy, reaffirming the State obligation to prioritize the best interest of the child when determining guardianship arrangements. See ECtHR, Paradiso and Campanelli v. Italy, no. 25358/12, Judgment of 27 January 2015 (French only). The Court held that the State had violated Article
Read moreCommittee on the Rights of the Child Reviews 12 Countries’ Child Rights Records
The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is reviewing 12 States’ implementation of their obligations under the Convention of the Rights of the Child (the Convention) and its optional protocols on the sale of children and children in armed conflict at its 68th Session, being held in Geneva, Switzerland from January 12 to January 30, 2015. [OHCHR
Read moreIACHR Issues Report on Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women in Canada
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has published a new report on missing and murdered indigenous women in British Columbia, Canada. The report, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in British Columbia, Canada, examines the context and efficacy of Canada’s response to the pattern of violence and discrimination against indigenous women. The report also offers recommendations to assist the Canadian
Read moreNew IACtHR Judgments Address Length of Criminal Proceedings and Forced Disappearances
Last week, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights issued judgments in two cases, one of which concerned the duration of criminal proceedings against a Peruvian soldier responsible for two civilians’ deaths, and the other the forced disappearance of children during El Salvador’s internal armed conflict. [IACtHR Press Release: Tarazona Arrieta; IACtHR Press Release: Rochac Hernández] The judgments came as the
Read moreUN Treaty Bodies Clarify State Obligations Regarding Detention, Harmful Practices, and Refugee Women
Three United Nations (UN) human rights treaty bodies have released new interpretations concerning the rights to liberty and security of the person; harmful practices impacting women and girls; and the effect of gender on the refugee status, asylum, nationality, and statelessness of women. These general comments and general recommendation flesh out States parties’ obligations under three UN human rights treaties. The
Read moreIn the Case of Dominican and Haitian People Expelled v. the Dominican Republic, IACtHR Finds Multitude of Human Rights Violations
Last week, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights released its opinion in Case of Dominican and Haitian People Expelled v. the Dominican Republic, where it held that the State’s discrimination, detention, and mass expulsion of individuals of Haitian descent violated the rights to: juridical personality, nationality, a name, personal liberty, privacy, fair trial, judicial protection, equal protection before the law,
Read moreIACtHR Concludes 105th Ordinary Session, Orders Provisional Measures, Holds Public Hearing, and Delivers Judgments Involving Forced Disappearance, Indigenous Rights, and Arbitrary Killings
From October 8 to 17, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights held its 105th Regular Session at its headquarters in San José, Costa Rica. [IACtHR] During this session, the Court handed down three judgments, which will be publicized soon, concerning forced disappearance, indigenous land rights, and arbitrary killings. The Court also issued orders regarding provisional measures in three cases. On
Read moreNew Advisory Opinion and Country Visit by the Inter-American Human Rights Bodies Clarify the Rights of Migrant Children
Last month, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights released an Advisory Opinion defining the scope of States’ obligations to protect the rights of migrant children and families. See I/A Court H.R., Rights and Guarantees of Children in the Context of Migration and/or in Need of International Protection, Advisory Opinion OC-21/14, 19 August 2014. State Parties to the American Convention on
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