Recent Developments for NGO Engagement with the UN

Recent developments have made it easier for civil society to engage in advocacy in before various UN human rights bodies.  The changes particularly benefit NGOs that lack a permanent presence in Geneva and New York, allowing them to watch sessions or in some cases even participate even when travel to Geneva is not feasible. Online Speaker Lists for NGOs at

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52nd Ordinary Session of the African Commission to be Held October 9-22

The 52nd Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights will take place October 9-22 in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire.  The session will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the formation of the African Commission, which is tasked with promoting and protecting human rights throughout the African Continent as well as interpreting the African (Banjul) Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.  

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The Status of Guantánamo and Extraordinary Rendition Litigation before Regional Tribunals

On September 8, Adnan Latif became the ninth Guantánamo Bay detainee to die in U.S. custody. [NY Times] The military publicly announced Latif’s identity today, the eleventh anniversary of the tragic attacks of September 11, 2001. Those terrorist attacks gave rise to a more public, aggressive and extensive “war on terror” whose features have included the use of “black sites”

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Reprisals for Reporting Human Rights Violations

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, will present his annual report on government reprisals against persons who report human rights abuses to the UN at the Human Rights Council in September 2012. The Secretary-General’s report (A/HRC/21/18) presents numerous countries and cases where human rights defenders were subjected to intimidation and harassment by government for interacting or communicating with

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10 Essential Steps for First Time Advocacy at the Human Rights Council

1)  Define your objectives realistically Why?   As with any form of advocacy, the first step for engaging with the Human Rights Council is to clearly define your objectives based on realistic expectations of what is achievable. Advocates should recognize that the Council seeks to promote respect for human rights primarily through political dialogue. The Council holds no mandate to decide

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ECOSOC Debates Consultative Status for NGOs

Last week the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) debated a key concern of its subsidiary NGO Committee’s work to review and recommend NGO applications for ECOSOC consultative status. According to the UN Department of Public Information, Cyprus speaking on behalf of the European Union highlighted concerns that:  over the past few years, the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations continued

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New Video Tutorial and Advocacy Manual on the Inter-American System

The International Justice Resource Center is pleased to announce the release of a five-part educational video on the Inter-American System for the protection of human rights, which monitors, promotes and enforces the human rights  commitments of all 35 independent countries in the Americas. IJRC’s aim in producing the video and accompanying manual is to contribute to greater understanding and effective use

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Guantanamo, Ten Years On: A Look Back

Today marks the tenth year anniversary of the United States government’s use of the prison camp at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba to hold individuals suspected of supporting or being associated with al Qaeda or other groups – some, but not all, of which were designated terrorist groups by the U.S. government. See Mark Denbeaux et al., Report on the Guantanamo Detainees:

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