international human rights – Page 51 – International Justice Resource Center

Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to Review the United States, Peru, Japan, Iraq, Estonia, El Salvador, and Cameroon during Ongoing 85th Session

August 12, 2014 IJRC discrimination, international human rights, UN treaty bodies

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) opened its 85th session on Monday, August 11 in Geneva, Switzerland. During this session, which will close on August 29, the Committee’s agenda includes its review of periodic reports from seven States parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), consideration of individual complaints

European Court of Human Rights: Poland Responsible for Secret Detention, Torture, and Rendition of Two Guantánamo Detainees

July 30, 2014 IJRC death penalty, due process & judicial protection, European System, international human rights, liberty & security of person, regional human rights protection, security & rule of law, torture, Uncategorized

In its first judgment concerning the human rights of current Guantánamo detainees, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) found that Poland failed to uphold its international obligations by allowing the secret detention, torture, and extraordinary rendition of a Saudi Arabian national and a stateless Palestinian, both suspected of terrorist acts. See ECtHR, Al Nashiri v. Poland, no. 28761/11, Judgment of 24

UN Human Rights Council Establishes Commission of Inquiry for the Occupied Palestinian Territory as Civilian Deaths and Displacement Continue

July 29, 2014 IJRC international human rights, international humanitarian law, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Human Rights Council, UN Security Council

In a special session convened last week to address the escalating violence in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, the UN Human Rights Council resolved to establish an independent commission of inquiry to investigate “all violations” of international humanitarian law and human rights law committed in the context of armed conflict in the region since June 13, 2014. See UN

Three New Judges Elected to the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights

July 22, 2014 IJRC African System, international human rights

The Assembly of the African Union appointed four judges to the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (AfCHPR) during its 25th Session in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. Three of the judges, Mrs. Solomy Balungi Bossa (Uganda), Mr. Rafaa Ben Achour (Tunisia), and Mr. Angelo Vasco Matusse (Mozambique), are new to the AfCHPR and the fourth, Justice Sylvain Oré (Côte d’Ivoire), was re-elected to serve

IACHR Special Rapporteur Releases Comprehensive Report on Freedom of Expression and the Internet

July 9, 2014 IJRC human rights defenders, Inter-American System, international human rights, thought, expression & association

In a new report, the regional human rights expert on freedom of expression in the Americas identifies principles and standards to guide States in their regulation of online communication. On June 27, 2014, the Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) released the report, Freedom of Expression and the Internet, specifically addressing the

6 Key Takeaways on Protecting Women’s Rights through International Law and Advocacy

June 26, 2014 IJRC children, civil society, Commission on the Status of Women, discrimination, IJRC Updates, international human rights, LGBTI rights, reproductive and sexual rights, U.S. courts, UN Special Procedures, UN treaty bodies, women's rights

More than 75 people gathered last Thursday for Protecting Women’s Rights: International Law & Advocacy, a full-day conference for advocates and lawyers organized by the International Justice Resource Center (IJRC). The training, held at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco, featured some of the most distinguished human rights and women’s rights practitioners in the world speaking on a variety

Jordan’s Prince Zeid to Succeed Navi Pillay as New United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in September 2014

June 25, 2014 IJRC civil society, international human rights, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Universal system

The United Nations General Assembly has approved the appointment of Prince Zeid Ra’ad Zeid al-Hussein as Navanethem (Navi) Pillay’s successor to head the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The High Commissioner is the official with the foremost responsibility for human rights activities at the United Nations. See UN General Assembly, Resolution 48/141, High Commissioner for

World Refugee Day 2014 Draws Attention to Record Number of Displaced Persons

June 23, 2014 IJRC African System, immigration & asylum, Inter-American System, international human rights

On Friday, June 20th the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and nations around the world marked World Refugee Day with diverse tributes and activities. In its efforts to raise awareness about the struggles faced by refugees, UNHCR emphasized that the number of displaced persons in 2013 was the highest in the post-World War II era.

UN Human Rights Committee Invites Feedback on Draft General Comment No. 35 on the Rights to Liberty and Security of Person

April 14, 2014 IJRC civil society, due process & judicial protection, international human rights, international humanitarian law, liberty & security of person, security & rule of law, UN treaty bodies

During its 110th session last month, the United Nations Human Rights Committee concluded its first reading of Draft General Comment No. 35 on Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which protects the right to liberty and security of person, including the freedom from arbitrary arrest and detention. The Committee invites interested stakeholders to submit

UN Human Rights Council Focuses Attention on Promoting and Protecting Human Rights Defenders, Civil Society Space, and Peaceful Protest during 25th Regular Session

April 4, 2014 IJRC civil society, human rights defenders, international human rights, thought, expression & association, UN Human Rights Council, UN Special Procedures

During its 25th regular session last month, the UN Human Rights Council undertook several measures to address the challenges and risks faced by human rights defenders and other civil society actors. On March 11, it held a panel discussion to analyze the factors that reduce civil society space and to evaluate strategies to promote an interactive partnership between States and