News

In response to the call for submissions by the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression  for his upcoming follow-up report on Japan, IMADR and All Okinawa Council for Human Rights (AOCHR) submitted a joint NGO report. The report seeks to supplement the information on the Government of Japan’s implementation of the recommendations contained in the country visit report of the Special Rapporteur, namely on: the adoption of a broad anti-discrimination law; the enjoyment of the right to freedom of assembly; and the case of Mr. Hiroji Yamashiro. Download the full report here   

As a member organisation of TB-Net – NGO Network on UN Treaty Bodies, IMADR joined the call to UN Member States for an inclusive review process on treaty body strengthening. National, regional and international NGOs play a critical role in the work of the treaty bodies through monitoring the implementation of the treaties at the national level, providing information to the treaty bodies, and encouraging states to give effect to the treaty bodies’recommendations. Together with rights holders, NGOs are well placed to bring in-depth knowledge, expertise and proposals on strengthening the system. Click the image below to read the full text.

At its 98th session from 23rd April to 10th May 2019, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) will consider the situation of racial discrimination in following 5 countries. Civil society organisations (CSOs) are encouraged to submit information on Andorra, Guatemala, Hungary, Lithuania, and Zambia.  If you are a CSO participating in the forthcoming session and wishes to receive practical information, contact us at: geneva[@]imadr.org (remove “[]” when you send e-mail) Practical Information Deadline for NGO alternative reports for the review:  29 March 2019 Deadline for NGO alternative reports for the List of Themes: 8 February 2019 Information Note for NGOs  for the submission of reports, accreditation and participation in informal meetings and lunchtime briefings  For States parties’ reports, list of […]

To mark the 30th anniversary, IMADR published the booklet “Thirty Years of Fighting Racism – The International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism Celebrates its 30th Anniversary”. You can read the booklet from the image below.

On 15th November, TB-Net and Amnesty International held the “TB-Net Event on Treaty Body Elections” co-sponsored by the Permanent Mission of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Permanent Mission of Switzerland, as well as the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT). The event was a roundtable working meeting under the Chatham house rule to discuss amongst States and other key stakeholders including the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and NGOs, the current nominations and elections processes for Treaty Body membership, and proposals for improvements which aim to enhance the quality, independence and diversity of Treaty Body membership. Summary Report […]

On the 14th of December, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) concluded its 97th session. At the session, the CERD adopted concluding observations on Albania, Honduras, Iraq, Norway, Qatar and the Republic of Korea. *Recommendations with asterisks [*] are one-year follow-up recommendations. Concluding observations, reports of the State parties and other stakeholders are available at the OHCHR website . You can also watch the video archives of the public meetings with the States parties at UN Web TV . During the 97th session, the Committee held the informal meeting with States parties . The Committee issued letters to the Governments of Australia, Canada, France, Guyana, India and Papua New Guinea under its Early Warning and Urgent Action Procedure. _ Albania The […]

Odhikar, member of IMADR, released its Human Rights Monitoring Report (November 1-31, 2018) . IMADR remains concerned by the continuing human rights violations in Bangladesh reported by Odhikar. Read and download the report by clicking the image below.

During the 2nd session of the UN Forum on Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law, IMADR is co- hosting a side event on the “Role of the Parliament of Sri Lanka in Protecting Democracy, Human Rights and the Rule of Law”. The event will take place at 1 pm, Thursday 22nd November at Room XXIV in Palais des Nations. For further information, click on the flyer below.  

For the 33rd session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), IMADR joined a civil society submission on Nicaragua’s lack of compliance with its reporting obligations to UN treaty bodies, prepared by a TB-Net partner CCPR-Centre . Report can be downloaded by clicking the image below.

At its 97th session from 26th November to 14th December 2018, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) will consider the situation of racial discrimination in following 6 countries. Civil society organisations (CSOs) are encouraged to submit information on Albania, Honduras, Iraq, Norway, Qatar and the Republic of Korea.  If you are a CSO participating in the forthcoming session and wishes to receive practical information, contact us at: geneva[@]imadr.org (remove “[]” when you send e-mail) Practical Information Deadline for NGO alternative reports for the review:  5 November 2018 Deadline for NGO alternative reports for the List of Themes: 21 September 2018 Information Note for NGOs  for the submission of reports, accreditation and participation in informal meetings and lunchtime […]

On the 9th of October, we released our new issue of E-CONNECT. If you have not subscribed to our newsletter, you can do it from here! Back number is also available. Feature story Deep-rooted racial discrimination in Sri Lankan criminal justice system At the 39th session of the UN Human Rights Council, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention presented its country visit report on Sri Lanka. IMADR welcomed the Working Group’s thorough assessment on the enjoyment of the right to liberty and security in Sri Lanka and recommendations to the Government. On this occasion, IMADR submitted a written statement with a focus on racial discrimination in the Sri Lankan criminal justice system including […]

IMADR statement on “Human rights defenders cooperating with UN for non-racial discrimination” at the 39th session of the Human Rights Council. Whole text can be read below or downloaded here.  ——— IMADR Oral Statement: 39th session of the Human Rights Council Item 9: General Debate –  Racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related forms of intolerance, follow‑up and implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action 25 September 2018 Speaker: Antoine GIBERT Thank you Mr. President, We express our deepest concerns over the worldwide resurgence of racial discrimination. We firmly condemn the increase in racist hate speech by politicians and government officials. This is symptomatic of the larger issue of the normalization of […]

IMADR submitted a written statement on “Arbitrary Detention in Sri Lanka” at the 39th session of the Human Rights Council. Whole text can be read below or downloaded here.  The original statement with footnotes is available here.  ——— Arbitrary Detention in Sri Lanka IMADR welcomes the country visit to Sri Lanka undertaken by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) from 4th to 15th December 2017. In this regard, we submit this written statement to share concerns and recommendations on the issue of arbitrary detention in Sri Lanka. We welcome the following recent progress undertaken by the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) related to the prevention of arbitrary detention and the prosecution of those […]

IMADR statement on “Human rights violations against minorities in Myanmar and India” at the 39th session of the Human Rights Council. Whole text can be read below or downloaded here.  ——— IMADR Oral Statement: 39th session of the Human Rights Council Item 4: General Debate 18 September 2018 Speaker: Taisuke KOMATSU Thank you Mr. President, We welcome the Report of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar which identified grave human rights violations committed by Myanmar’s military and other security forces in Kachin, Shan and Rakhine States and concluded for the need for further investigations and prosecution for crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. We call for the full implementation […]

IMADR statement on “Arbitrary Detention in Sri Lanka” at the 39th session of the Human Rights Council. Whole text can be read below or downloaded here.  ——— IMADR Oral Statement: 39th session of the Human Rights Council Item 3: Interactive Dialogue with the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention 12 September 2018 Speaker: Antoine GIBERT Thank you Mr. President, We welcome the Working Group’s report on arbitrary detention in Sri Lanka and its recommendations. We reiterate the Working Group’s concerns over the discriminatory exercise of deprivation of liberty and the dire effects on minority groups. The report has highlighted areas for reforms and action to be taken to address such systematic human rights violations. […]

IMADR statement on “Racist hate speech in politics and transitional justice in Sri Lanka” at the 39th session of the Human Rights Council. Whole text can be read below or downloaded here.  ——— IMADR Oral Statement: 39th session of the Human Rights Council Item 2: General Debate – Oral Update by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights 11 September 2018 Speaker: Taisuke KOMATSU Thank you Mr. President, We congratulate the High Commissioner on the appointment and thank her for the first oral update to the Human Rights Council. At the outset, we would like to reiterate our calls and commitments laid out in the joint letter addressed to you by over 700 […]