Transcript PowerPoint-presentation

Human rights law in the UN
system – a civil society
perspective
Besök oss på Klara
södra kyrkogata 1
111 52 Stockholm
www.humanrights.se
[email protected]
Ylva L. Hartmann, human rights specialist
[email protected]
08-4061624/0705-650274
Indevelop, 20 november 2013
Expectations and presentation
What comes to your mind when I say
”human rights”?
UN established in 1945
Article 1(3) UN Charter:
-respect for human rights – key to maintain
international peace and security
Human rights are not a
modern invention
”All human beings are born free and
equal in dignity and rights. ”
- UN declaration on human rights 1948
…but, it is a declaration not a
convention or treaty
Which are our human rights?
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Life
Freedom from slavery
Freedom from torture
Equality before the law
Fair trial
Freedom of thought
Freedom of religion
Freedom of opinion
Freedom of speech
Freedom of assembly
Freedom of association
Right to vote
Move freely within a state
Leave any country
Return to one’s country
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Seek and enjoy protection
from persecution
Non-discrimination
Nationality
Start a family
Own property
Work
Social security
Rest, leisure, and
vaccation
Housing
Health
Education
Participate in the cultural
life
United Nations
core conventions
• ICCPR – International covenant on civil
and political rights
• ICESCR – International covenant on
economic, social and cultural rights
• CERD – Convention on the Elimination of
All Forms of Racial Discrimination
• CAT – Convention against Torture
• CEDAW – Convention on the Elimination
of All Forms of Discrimination against
Women
• CRC – Convention on the rights of the
child
• CMW – migrant workers
• CED – enforced disappearances
• CPD – persons with disabilities
Ratifications of the UN treaties
Treaty
ICCPR -civil and political
ICESCR - economic social
and cultural
CERD - racial
discrimination
CAT - against torture
Adopted
1966
Entered
into force
1976
Number of
ratifications
167
1966
1976
160
1966
1969
176
1984
1987
153
CEDAW - discrimination
against women
1979
1981
187
CRC - rights of the child
1989
1990
193
CMW - migrant workers
CED - enforced
disappearences
1990
2003
47
2006
2010
40
2006
2008
133
CPD - persons with
disabilities
Who has the responsibility to
respect, promote and protect human
rights?
1)The State
2)The UN and other international
organisations
3)Civil society and NGO:s – you and me
4)Another option
Human rights are
interrelated,
interdependent and
indivisible
Absolute rights,
ex:
Non-discrimination
Right to life
Prohibition against torture
Prohibition of slavery and
forced labour
No punishment without law
poena sine lege)
Fair trial
Non-absolute
rights, ex:
(jus cogens)
(nulla
(relative)
Freedom of expression
Freedom of assembly and
association
Right to liberty
Right to work
Right to education
Freedom of thought,
conscience and religion
UN bodies
Treaty-based bodies
Charter-based bodies
CERD
ECOSOC
HRC
Security Council
CESCR
General Assembly
CEDAW
Human Rights Council
CAT
CED
CPD
CRC
Expert body (Sub-Comm)
CMW
Special Procedures
Treaty bodies monitoring of state compliance with the
conventions
• Recieve and consider periodic reports
>concluding observations/recommendations
– Sweden 2008
• Develop general comments
– ex. CEDAW, nr 29: Economic consequences of
marriage, family relations and their dissolution
• Consider individual communications (CCPR, CERD,
CAT, CEDAW, CRPD, CED and CESCR)
• Inter-state complaints (CAT, CMW, CED, ICESCR, CRC
(ad hoc conciliation: CERD and CCPR)
• Inquiries (CAT, CEDAW, CRPD, CERD, ICESCR)
UN treaty bodies schedule
UN Human Rights Council
• Subsidiary organ of General Assembly
• 47 member states elected by majority
of the General Assembly
• Eligible for two consecutive terms only
• Gross violators can be removed by two
thirds majority vote of General
Assembly
The Council’s members
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Angola 2013
Argentina 2015
Austria 2014
Benin 2014
Botswana 2014
Brazil 2015
Burkina Faso 2014
Chile 2014
Congo 2014
Costa Rica 2014
Côte d'Ivoire 2015
Czech Republic 2014
Ecuador 2013
Estonia 2015
Ethiopia 2015
Gabon 2015
Germany 2015
Guatemala 2013
India 2014
Indonesia 2014
Ireland 2015
Italy 2014
Japan 2015
Kazakhstan 2015
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Kenya 2015
Kuwait 2014
Libya * 2013
Malaysia 2013
Maldives 2013
Mauritania 2013
Montenegro 2015
Pakistan 2015
Peru 2014
Philippines 2014
Poland 2013
Qatar 2013
Republic of Korea 2015
Republic of Moldova 2013
Romania 2014
Sierra Leone 2015
Spain 2013
Switzerland 2013
Thailand 2013
Uganda 2013
United Arab Emirates 2015
United States of America 2015
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic
of) 2015
The Council’s tools
• A complaint system
• A system of expert advice – the Advisory
Committee
• A system of special procedures
• Universal periodic review (UPR)
UN special rapporteurs
• «Eyes and ears» of the Human Rights
Council
• Thematic, 36 issues, see list on:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/SP/Pa
ges/Themes.aspx
• Country specific:
Belarus, Cambodia, Côte d’Ivoire,
Eritrea, North Korea, Haiti, Iran, Mali,
Myanmar, Palestinian Territories,
Somalia, Sudan and Syria
Universal Periodic Review
• A mechanism created to monitor the
human rights situation in all UN
countries
• NGO can participate by ‘stakeholders’
submission
Universal Periodic Review ctd.
The basis of the review:
• UN Charter;
• UN Universal declaration on human
rights
• Human rights treaties ratified by the
country in question
NGO-participation UN Human
Rights Council session
Swedish Section of the International Commission
of Jurists -
What, according to you, are the
strenghts and weaknesses of the
UN system for protection of
human rights?
Thank you for your time and attention!
Ylva L. Hartmann
[email protected]
08-4061624/0705-650274