HR News Update:

September 2009

Geneva moves from summer to autumn and the pace of events in the field of human rights picks up. The WILPF Human Rights Team has followed and reported on a wide range of Human Rights meetings. If you would like us to focus on different issues or meetings, please email the Human Rights Team at rights@wilpf.ch.

The following points will be discussed in this update:

1. Reports 11th Human Rights Council Session [2 – 19 June]
2. Annual UNHCR-NGO consultations [30 June & 01 July]
3. Review Netherlands Cultural & Political Rights [14 & 15 July]
4. Hearings Gaza Fact Finding Mission [16 & 17 July]
5. Meeting on the Question of Palestine [22 & 23 July]
6. Review Colombia and Philippines Racial Discrimination [12 & 13 August]
7. Coming period [September, October & November]

1: Reports 11th HRC Session

In June 2009 the second Human Rights Council session of this year took place. The two most important meetings were:

• The Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur for Violence Against Women (VAW);
• and the Annual Day on Women’s Rights.

A reception was organized to celebrate the fifteenth birthday of the Special Procedure, which was the first Special Procedure to be established in 1994. Mme. Yakim Erturk’s was replaced by Mme. Rashida Manjoo. A critical review was published on the 15 years of the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women. WILPF read out an oral statement to push for the further implementation of Security Council Resolution 1820 and to end the impunity of wartime rape. Please click here for WILPF's reports on the 12th HRC Session, such as the Council’s discussion of Universal Periodic Review reports.

2: Annual UNHCR-NGO consultations

At the end of June, WILPF was present at two specific meetings in the yearly UNHCR-NGO consultations. During both meetings sexual violence against women was discussed, specifically relating to the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1820 and the refugee setting. In the follow-up to this meeting UNHCR sent the Secretary-General’s annual report of 1820 and WILPF responded by sending their Open Letter to the Security Council concerning Women, Peace and Security. Please click here for WILPF’s review of the Secretary-General’s report.

3: Review Netherlands Civil & Political Rights

The Human Rights Committee is responsible for the State compliance with the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The Netherlands was reviewed in a two-day session. The WILPF Report is available online and lists the main issues discussed and a summary of the State’s reactions. To learn more about the Human Rights Treaty Bodies please click here.

4: Hearings Gaza Fact Finding Mission

After attending the NGO meeting with the UN Fact Finding Mission to Gaza in May, WILPF attended the public hearings in July. The hearing of victims and experts from the Gaza strip, West Bank and Israel were held, as the Israeli government did not allow access for the Fact Finding Mission to the most affected areas. The most astonishing in the hearings were the testimonies on the shooting of people carrying white flags, the level of violence used by the Israeli Defense Forces and the targeting of civilians up to the level of ambulances.

5: Meeting on the Question of Palestine

At the end of July, WILPF attended a two-day meeting on the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People. Speakers from different national and professional backgrounds informed the audience:

• About violations of international humanitarian and human rights law committed by Israel;
• The obligations of international organisations and third parties in upholding international law;
• And the impact of the media, the role of parliaments and civil society in holding Israel accountable.

The WILPF Human Rights Team covered the meeting and wrote an in-depth report of the discussions.

6: Review Colombia & Philippines Racial Discrimination

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is responsible for the State compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Colombia and the Philippines were both reviewed during two-day sessions in August. The WILPF Report for Colombia is available online and lists the main issues discussed and the main State reactions. In preparation of this session WILPF sent a letter to the Committee members urging them to raise the issue of military expenditure.

To learn more about the Human Rights Treaty Bodies and to find the report for the Philippines, please click here.

7: Coming period

The 12th Human Rights Council session is held from 14 September until the 2nd of October. In these three weeks the WILPF Human Rights Team will attend the:

• Interactive Dialogue with the Independent Expert on Water;
• Consideration of the Universal Periodic Review of New Zealand;
• Annual discussion on the integration of gender perspective in the Council’s work;
• And the follow-up to the report of the UN fact-finding mission.

On all these agenda items WILPF will make an oral statement and will in addition introduce its “you get what you pay for” campaign to the Council and request the attention of the Council for the situation in Camp Ashraf in Iraq.

On the 12th and 13th of October WILPF will attend the review of the civil and political rights in Switzerland by the Human Rights Committee.

In November we will cover the meeting on Columbia of the Committee Against Torture and the reviews of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Netherlands and Switzerland under the Covenant for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.