North Korea detente: UN expert urges opening for human rights

North Korea detente: UN expert urges opening for human rights

GENEVA (8 March 2018) – Welcoming rapprochement on the Korean peninsula, including possible discussions about denuclearisation, the UN Special Rapporteur, Tomás Ojea Quintana, called on the DPRK Government to take the opportunity to open up to UN human rights mechanisms.

“In looking back at the unprecedented tensions that marked the past year, the two Koreas must be commended for the efforts that led to the remarkable Olympic Truce that brought the two countries together in such a short period,” he said.

“I had always stressed that engagement with North Korea should never be underestimated, and also that human rights remain a priority, and must not be held hostage to the security situation. In this regard, I urge the DPRK to consolidate the rapprochement with a parallel opening to UN human rights monitoring.” 

Ojea Quintana also noted that family reunion events, which have not taken place since October 2015, must resume without delay, given the average age of the 59,000 individuals registered in South Korea for reunion with their loved ones in the North is 81.

“One year ago”, the expert noted, “I urged the Human Rights Council to make sure that human rights in North Korea remains a top priority despite the rising tensions. Today, I am calling upon them to keep human rights their priority while taking advantage of the critical openings that the current political situation offers.”

In a report* to the Human Rights Council, Ojea Quintana highlighted a continuing pattern of violations, including restrictions on freedoms of expression, movement and access to information, as well as dire access to basic needs, including food rations. His findings on ill-treatment in detention, including of women in pre-trial detention, are also included, as well as the continuing pattern of forced repatriation of North Korean escapees, including children, from China.

“The international community has a responsibility to ensure that these critical issues remain on the agenda – the momentum is there, and it must be seized for meaningful human rights dialogue that can translate into concrete results, whether through mainstreaming of human rights concerns in further interactions or technical cooperation,” the Special Rapporteur said.

“My key message to the DPRK authorities remains the same and consistent: we have a common agenda, which is the advancement and promotion of the well-being of their people,” said the Special Rapporteur, whose mandate on the situation of human rights in the DPRK is rejected by the North Korean authorities.

Recalling that the Government has taken some important steps in the past year to re-engage UN human rights mechanisms, the expert added: “I urge the Government of the DPRK to continue on this path by taking a crucial step: open its frontiers to relevant UN human rights mechanisms.”

The Special Rapporteur will report to the Human Rights Council on his findings on 12 March (AM). A press conference will be held at 11:30am on Monday 12 March, in press room 3, Palais des Nations.

(*) Check the advance edited report by the Special Rapporteur (A/HRC/ 37/69)

ENDS

Mr. Tomás OJEA QUINTANA (Argentina) was designated as the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the DPRK by the UN Human Rights Council in 2016. Mr. Ojea Quintana, a lawyer with more than 20 years of experience in human rights, worked for the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights, and represented the Argentinian NGO “Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo” in cases concerning child abduction during the military regime. He is a former Head of OHCHR human rights programme in Bolivia, and served as the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar from 2008 to 2014.

The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.

For more information and media requests please contact Olga Nakajo (+ 41 22 928 9348 / onakajo@ohchr.org)

For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts:
Jeremy Laurence, UN Human Rights – Media Unit (+ 41 22 917 9383 / jlaurence@ohchr.org) 

This year is the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the UN on 10 December 1948. The Universal Declaration – translated into a world record 500 languages – is rooted in the principle that “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” It remains relevant to everyone, every day. In honour of the 70^th anniversary of this extraordinarily influential document, and to prevent its vital principles from being eroded, we are urging people everywhere to Stand Up for Human Rights: www.standup4humanrights.org

 

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Accusations against UN expert a retaliation by Philippines, say fellow rapporteurs

Accusations against UN expert a retaliation by Philippines, say fellow rapporteurs 

GENEVA (8 March 2018) - UN human rights experts have expressed grave concerns about terrorism accusations levelled against the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, Ms. Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, a Philippine national.

The legal petition listing her name is an unacceptable attack against the mandate holder by the Philippines Government, they added. 

“We are shocked that the Special Rapporteur is being targeted because of her work defending the rights of indigenous peoples,” said Michel Forst, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, and Catalina Devandas Aguilar, Chairperson of the Coordination Committee of the Special Procedures.

The UN expert was named in a Government petition filed last month in a Manila court, accused of terrorism and alleged membership of the New People’s Army and the Communist Party of the Philippines along with over 600 others.

“The accusation against her comes after the public comments made, jointly with other Special Rapporteurs, in relation to the militarization, attacks and killings of indigenous Lumad peoples by members of the armed forces in Mindanao; this accusation is considered as an act of retaliation for such comments,” the experts said.

The Special Rapporteur most recently addressed the issue in a news release on 27 December 2017, which was made in line with the responsibility entrusted to her by the Human Rights Council to report on alleged violations of indigenous people’s rights globally. The President’s spokesperson reacted with hostility to the news release, publicly accusing the Special Rapporteur of seeking to embarrass the Duterte administration.

“We call on the Philippine authorities to immediately drop these unfounded accusations against Ms. Tauli-Corpuz and to ensure her physical safety and that of others listed,” the UN experts said.

“We remind the Philippine Government of its obligations under the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations of 1946, which sets out that United Nations experts have immunity from legal proceedings of every kind of spoken and written acts undertaken in the course of their mandated work,” the experts added.

“The attack against the Special Rapporteur is taking place in the context of widespread extrajudicial executions and ongoing attacks against voices who are critical of the current Government, including human rights defenders. The President has himself publicly intimidated Special Rapporteurs. 

“Ms. Tauli-Corpuz is a human rights defender,” the experts said. “Therefore, the Government of the Philippines has a duty under the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders to guarantee her right to promote and to strive for the realization of human rights.”

ENDS

Mr. Michel Forst is Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, and Ms. Catalina Devandas is Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities and Chairperson of the Coordination Committee of the Special Procedures.  

The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.

For further information and media requests, please contact: Adriana Zarraluqui (+41229179965/ azarraluqui@ohchr.org)

For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts please contact:

Jeremy Laurence, UN Human Rights – Media Unit (+41 22 917 9383 / jlaurence@ohchr.org)

This year is the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the UN on 10 December 1948. The Universal Declaration – translated into a world record 500 languages – is rooted in the principle that “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” It remains relevant to everyone, every day. In honour of the 70^th anniversary of this extraordinarily influential document, and to prevent its vital principles from being eroded, we are urging people everywhere to Stand Up for Human Rights: www.standup4humanrights.org.

 

 Subscribed and Published by 

Anjan Kumar Samal

FOR 

THE LAST HOPE(Regd.)

UN human rights expert to visit Cambodia from 5-14 March

Khmer version attached

UN human rights expert to visit Cambodia from 5-14 March 

GENEVA/PHNOM PENH (1 March 2018) – The United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights in Cambodia, Rhona Smith, will visit the country from 5 to 14 March 2018, at the invitation of the Royal Government.

During her 10-day visit, the expert plans to meet senior officials, representatives of civil society and members of the diplomatic community.

The UN Special Rapporteur undertakes regular official missions to Cambodia and reports annually to the Human Rights Council, which appointed her in March 2015.  She will present her next report to the Council in September 2018.

The expert will conclude her visit with a press conference to discuss the preliminary findings of her visit on Wednesday 14 March at 15:00 local time at the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR), No. 4, Street 271, Sangkat Phsar Daem Thkov, Khan Chamkar Morn, Phnom Penh. Access to the press conference is strictly limited to journalists.

ENDS

Professor Rhona Smith (United Kingdom) was appointed as Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia by the UN Human Rights Council in March 2015.

Special Rapporteurs, they are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms. Special Procedures mandate-holders are independent human rights experts appointed by the Human Rights Council to address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. They are not UN staff and are independent from any government or organization. They serve in their individual capacity and do not receive a salary for their work.

Check the Special Rapporteur’s reports on Cambodia.

UN Human Rights, country page: Cambodia

For more information and media requests, please contact:

Mahmoud Garga  (+ 855 (0)12 790 178 / mgarga@ohchr.org )

Esther Lam (+41 79 444 3940 / elam@ohchr.org)

For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts please contact

Jeremy Laurence, UN Human Rights – Media Unit (+41 22 917 9383 / jlaurence@ohchr.org)

This year, 2018, is the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the UN on 10 December 1948. The Universal Declaration – translated into a world record 500 languages – is rooted in the principle that “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” It remains relevant to everyone, every day. In honour of the 70^th anniversary of this extraordinarily influential document, and to prevent its vital principles from being eroded, we are urging people everywhere to Stand Up for Human Rights: www.standup4humanrights.org.

UN expert: State and religion best served by maintaining “respectful distance”

                      

UN expert: State and religion best served by maintaining “respectful distance”

GENEVA (2 March 2018) – The degree of States’ entanglement with, or disengagement from, religion or belief has far-reaching implications on how the right to freedom of religion or belief is upheld, said the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Ahmed Shaheed.

“States that either enforce or restrict religion are both motivated to establish a monopoly for their ideologies that involve coercion or discrimination,” the expert said. “Everyone, whether belonging to the majority or minority religious communities, including the converts and non-believers, women, children and LGBTI persons are bound to be affected in these States in their rights to freedom of religion or belief.”

In a report to the Human Rights Council, Shaheed identified three broad types of relationships between State and religion as the basis to discuss the challenges that States face in promoting and protecting freedom of religion or belief: States with official or favoured religions, States with no identification towards a specific religion and States that pursue policies to heavily restrict the role of religion.

“Although international law does not prescribe any particular form of relationship between State and religion, it does impose a duty on the State to be an impartial guarantor of freedom of religion or belief to all,” he said.

“No model of relationship between State and religion is sufficient to guarantee freedom of religion or belief to all, however, the model that is most frequently co-related with respect for freedom of religion or belief for all is when the State and religion maintain a “respectful distance” in terms of law and public policy, and respect pluralism and promote social inclusion,” Shaheed said.

“What is most crucial is that national religion laws conform to international standards on freedom of religion or belief, that there is respect for the rule of law, the protection and promotion of the equal enjoyment of all human rights by everyone, and a social and political commitment to fostering pluralism,” he said.

“Respect for freedom of religion or belief is closely related to the degree of tolerance and respect for diversity within a society,” added the Special Rapporteur. “Other human rights like freedom of expression and freedom of assembly and association cannot flourish if freedom of religion or belief is violated.

“I strongly encourage states to facilitate interfaith communication and invest in increasing the literacy on religions and freedom of religion or belief.”

The Special Rapporteur also presented reports on his country visits to Albania and Uzbekistan at this session.

ENDS

Read the Special Rapporteur’s report on country visit to Albania

Read the Special Rapporteur’s report on country visit to Uzbekistan

Mr. Ahmed Shaheed (the Maldives) was appointed as Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief by the UN Human Rights Council in 2016. Mr. Shaheed is Deputy Director of the Human Rights Centre at the University of Essex, UK and Senior Fellow of the Raoul Wallenberg Human Rights Centre in Canada. He was Foreign Minister of the Maldives from 2005 to 2007 and from 2008 to 2010. He led the country’s efforts to sign and ratify all nine international human rights Conventions and to implement them in law and practice. Mr. Shaheed is the former Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran.

The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.

For inquiries and media requests, please contact: Chian Yew Lim (+41 22 928 9310 / clim@ohchr.org)

For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts please contact: Jeremy Laurence – Media Unit (+ 41 22 917 9826 / jlaurence@ohchr.org) 

This year is the 70th anniversaryof the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the UN on 10 December 1948. The Universal Declaration – translated into a world record 500 languages – is rooted in the principle that “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” It remains relevant to everyone, every day. In honour of the 70th anniversary of this extraordinarily influential document, and to prevent its vital principles from being eroded, we are urging people everywhere to Stand Up for Human Rights: www.standup4humanrights.org

Attachments area

UN torture prevention body to visit Uruguay

UN torture prevention body to visit Uruguay

GENEVA (2 March 2018) – The United Nations Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) is due to make its first visit to Uruguay from 4 to 15 March to assess the treatment of persons deprived of their liberty and the measures taken for their protection against torture and ill-treatment. The SPT will also meet with the country’s detention monitoring body, also known as the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM), which has been operating since 2013.

Among the places the SPT delegation is due to visit are prisons, police stations, psychiatric institutions, and correctional centers for women and juveniles. The delegation will meet State officials, and United Nations and civil society representatives. They will also hold discussions with the NPM to evaluate their situation and working methods.

“People who are deprived of liberty are particularly exposed to ill-treatment. Our aim is to ensure that they are treated with dignity and respect and are free from any violence. During our visit we will assess the current situation in the country, advise the authorities on the practical steps to prevent torture and ill-treatment and discuss the functioning of the NPM,” said Felipe Villavicencio Terreros, who will head the SPT delegation.

At the end of the visit, the delegation will present its confidential preliminary observations to the Government as well as to the NPM.

The SPT delegation will comprise the following members: Felipe Villavicencio Terreros (Head of Delegation; Peru), Nora Sveaass (Norway) and Emilio Ginés Santidrián (Spain).

ENDS

For media inquiries or for more information about the visit, please contact:

In Uruguay: Gianna Sanchez Moretti, +41 (0) 79 444 5172 / gmoretti@ohchr.org 

In Geneva: Julia Gronnevet, +41 (0) 22 917 9310 / jgronnevet@ohchr.org

Background:

The Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment has, to date, been ratified by 87 countries. The SPT communicates its recommendations and observations to States by means of a confidential report and, if necessary, to National Preventive Mechanisms. However, States parties are encouraged to request that the SPT makes these reports public. 

The SPT is composed of 25 independent and impartial experts from different regions of the world. For more information on the mandate of Subcommittee, please visit: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/OPCAT/Pages/OPCATIndex.aspx

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Syria - Eastern Ghouta: Statement by UN High Commissioner for HumanRights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein to the Human Rights Council in Geneva

37th session of the Human Rights Council

Urgent Debate on situation in Eastern Ghouta

Statement by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein

2 March 2018

Distinguished President,

Excellencies,

            For half a decade, the people of Eastern Ghouta have been under siege. They have suffered airstrikes, shelling and on several occasions, civilians have reportedly died gasping for breath after toxic agents were released. They have endured every kind of deprivation, with no aid getting through since November except for one single convoy of humanitarian aid on 14 February that managed to reach just 7,200 people, of the hundreds of thousands who are living in this area. As a direct result, thousands upon thousands of children in Eastern Ghouta are acutely malnourished and profoundly traumatised. And now they are facingone of the most pitiless onslaughts in this long-running and brutal civil war.

            We have received reports of relentless airstrikes hitting hospitals, schools and markets in recent weeks. The Special Envoy's team has reported attacks on 14 hospitals, three health centres and two ambulances between 18 and 22 February. Reports suggest that on 25 February in Shifouniya, several civilians, including six children had serious respiratory problems due to toxic agents that may have been released following airstrikes. Two of these children are now reportedly dead. The recent death toll in Eastern Ghouta has reportedly been among the highest registered in the past seven years of conflict. People living in what was once an ordinary suburb – human beings who share the rights and hopes of all of us here – are trapped and battered by bombs, and deprived of every human right – above all, the right to life.

           

            The Security Council at last adopted Resolution 2401 (2018) six days ago. It required all parties to the Syrian conflict to immediately cease hostilities for at least 30 consecutive days, to enable the delivery of humanitarian assistance and evacuation of the critically sick and wounded. Despite this rare example of unanimity, civilians in Eastern Ghouta have reported that airstrikes and shelling continue. We have spoken to people in Eastern Ghouta who say they do not dare attempt to leave their shelters, given the persistent ground and air strikes and the sheer uncertainty about what will happen even if they survive their flight. Satellite imagery showing the shocking scale of the destruction of towns across Eastern Ghouta starkly reveals how dangerous any attempt to flee could be.

            Despite the five-hour pause announced by the Russian Government to allow medical and humanitarian aid, airstrikes and ground-based strikes continue – as well as shelling of Government controlled areas of Damascus; my Office received reports that a civilian was killed there, and five others injured, by ground-based strikes on 27 February. Moreover, the humanitarian agencies have made it very clear that it is impossible to deliver aid during a five-hour window as it can take up to one day to simply pass checkpoints.

            The cessation of hostilities laid out by Resolution 2401 was not intended to apply to operations against ISIL, Al Qaeda, Jabhat Al Nusra and others. But as Under Secretary General Jeffrey Feltman told the Security Council two days ago, "The scale of the Government’s indiscriminate military attacks against Eastern Ghouta, an area with a civilian population of 400,000, cannot be justified on the basis of targeting Jabhat al Nusra fighters". And as Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock said, if there is no humanitarian access there will be: “More bombing. More fighting. More death. More destruction. More maiming of women and children. More hunger. More misery. More, in other words, of the same.”

Mr President,

            Once again, I must emphasise that what we are seeing, in Eastern Ghouta and elsewhere in Syria, are likely war crimes, and potentially crimes against humanity. Civilians are being pounded into submission or death. The perpetrators of these crimes must know they are being identified; that dossiers are being built up with a view to their prosecution; and that they will be held accountable for what they have done.

            Let it not be thought that the perpetrators will get away with this. Others once thought that too, and saw themselves as patriots – before they were arrested. Over the past four months, the Bosnian Serb General Ratko Mladic was convicted of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity committed a quarter of a century ago. Salvadoran Colonel Inocente Orlando Montano has been extradited to Spain to face charges related to the killings of six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper and her daughter in San Salvador in 1989. Two Argentinian former Navy Captains, Alfredo Astiz and Jorge Eduardo Acosta, were convicted for crimes against humanity committed between 1976 and 1983. The wheels of justice may be slow, but they do grind. This Council can have a real impact in ensuring that there will be justice – determined, inescapable and effective – for the suffering that has been inflicted on the Syrian people.

            Syria must be referred to the International Criminal Court. Attempts to thwart justice, and shield these criminals, are disgraceful. I also urge all States to greatly increase their support for the International, Impartial and Independent mechanism set up last year. The IIIM's mandate focuses on ensuring that information about serious crimes is collected, analysed and preserved, with a view to furnishing dossiers for future prosecutions. This work is indispensable, and it is complementary to the remarkable work produced by the Council's Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria. I also strongly encourage the Council to renew the mandate of the Syria CoI in the course of this session. For our part, my Office is determined to continue our own monitoring, reporting, and early warning work.  These three processes, while separate, are mutually reinforcing, aimed at preventing further horrific human suffering and increasing the certainty that justice will one day be done.

Thank you

A 3-Year-Old in Chains?

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Baby elephants are being captured and BEATEN. Dear ANJAN KUMAR, When they are barely 3 years old, baby elephants are forcibly taken from their families and immediately shackled in spiked chains. Day in and day out, they are viciously beaten with wooden canes. Their skin is gouged with sharp, hooked rods so that they will obey humans. Even when the beatings stop, their suffering goes on. Chained and isolated, they live and sleep on hard concrete and are denied everything that's natural and important to them. All this is done for the sake of giving rides to tourists. In nature, baby elephants are raised by all the females of their herd and aren't weaned until they are nearly 10 years old. In the tourism industry, they face a lifetime of torment and misery. Please make a generous gift today to help PETA India prevent elephants and other animals from suffering like this. This abuse is only the tip of the iceberg. Inspectors from PETA India and other organisations have documented rampant abuse of captive elephants throughout the country. These sensitive, magnificent animals suffer from agonising foot problems caused by standing on concrete as well as bloody, infected wounds from beatings and abrasion by the chains they live in. And no matter how severe their injuries, they rarely receive veterinary care. Inspectors even witnessed partially and completely blind animals who were forced to work. Often, the cruel treatment violates animal-protection laws. At Hathigaon, the "elephant village" set up by the Jaipur government, inspectors saw elephants who were enclosed in a space many times smaller than what's required by Central Zoo Authority guidelines. The frustrated animals were in such deep despair that they displayed stereotypic, repetitive motions, such as swaying on the spot and bobbing their heads. But together, we're inspiring kind people to shun attractions in which animals are forced to work or perform. PETA India founder Ingrid Newkirk recently organised a demonstration in Jaipur against elephant rides and delivered a petition calling on the tourism minister to ban this abusive form of entertainment. The petition was signed by 63,000 people. TripAdvisor, the largest travel website in the world, has stopped selling tickets to attractions that force wild animals into contact with humans, and more than 100 travel agencies have also pledged not to include elephant rides or shows in their itineraries. We need your support to make even more of an impact for elephants and other animals who are suffering horribly for tourism and other human interests. Please make a gift to PETA India today. With the help of our dedicated supporters, we've brought relief to elephants, including Sunder, who was chained and used as a living begging bowl at a temple in Maharashtra for seven years. When we discovered him, he was covered with tell-tale signs of abuse, including an eye injury and a hole in his ear. We immediately campaigned for his freedom, and we would not give up, even when his captors hid him in a dark shed and beat him. We recruited hundreds of thousands of supporters and caring celebrities to our side and won Sunder's freedom in India's courts. Thanks to the perseverance of PETA India and kind people like you, he now enjoys life in a beautiful sanctuary where he can be himself. Today, help us generate public pressure to end animal-exploiting tourist attractions and bring freedom to other chained, abused elephants. Please donate right now to help us improve the lives of elephants and other animals like Sunder. Thank you for your compassion and support.   DONATE NOW Very truly yours, Dr Manilal Valliyate Chief Executive Officer