Remembrance, Truth and Justice.Credit: Lisa Reinsberg

On 4th International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, Advocacy and Monitoring Continue on Behalf of Victims and Families

On August 30th, the international community will commemorate the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, honoring those who have been forcibly disappeared, while encouraging States to cease this practice and remedy the damage it has caused. Enforced disappearance is defined as arrest, detention, abduction, or other deprivation of a person’s liberty by agents of the State, combined with

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

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

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In July Sessions, UN Human Rights Treaty Bodies Review 14 States and Develop 3 General Comments

Last month, both the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Committee and the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW Committee) held regular sessions in Geneva, Switzerland. During these sessions, the committees reviewed States parties’ implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against

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

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

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UN Committee on the Rights of the Child to Review Six Countries’ Reports during Ongoing 66th Session

The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child is currently holding its 66th Session in Geneva, Switzerland. The session began on May 26 and will continue until June 13, 2014. During this time, the Committee is scheduled to review State reports from Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, the United Kingdom, India, Indonesia, and St. Lucia on their implementation of the Convention

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Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Adopts First General Comments, on Legal Recognition and Accessibility

During its eleventh session earlier this month, the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) adopted general comments on Article 12 (equal recognition before the law) and Article 9 (accessibility) of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. [OHCHR] These two texts are the first general comments adopted by the CRPD. See CRPD, General Comment No.

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UN General Assembly Approves Resolution to Strengthen Human Rights Treaty Body System

During its 68th Session, the United Nations General Assembly last week approved a resolution intended to strengthen the UN human rights treaty body system. The measures and changes called for by the General Assembly seek to improve treaty bodies’ ability to effectively and efficiently monitor States’ implementation of human rights conventions. [OHCHR] This resolution is the next step in the treaty

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

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

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