Newsletter E-CONNECT No. 30 is out

On the 24th 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

Global civil society proposes stronger UN treaty body system

In the lead up to the UN General Assembly’s review of the human rights treaty body system in 2020, civil society organisations from different parts of the world made joint proposals to strengthen the system. The proposals illustrate a model of the reporting procedures with the introduction of a fixed calender which are accessible to rights holders, responsive to victims of human rights violations, and ensure that all governments uphold their treaty obligations. TB-Net (NGO Network on UN Treaty Bodies), which IMADR is a member, held a series of consultations with civil society organisations from the national, regional and international levels to lead the development of the proposals. More >>

UN experts urge Peru to protect indigenous peoples and their lands

UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) expressed concerns to Peru about the recent adoption of a new regulation that would affect indigenous peoples in the Santa Clara de Uchnya territory. The new regulation was reportedlly adopted without adequate consultation and free, prior and informed consent of indigenous peoples. The Committee also urged Peru to protect the members of the indigenous community from intimidation, harassment, threats and attacks by groups of land-traffickers. Under the Early-Warning Measures and Urgent Procedures, the Committee issued letters to Canada, France, India, Latvia, Peru and Thailand. More >>

Unfulfilled promises for truth, justice and accountability in Sri Lanka

In September, the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances submitted its follow-up report on Sri Lanka to the UN Human Rights Council. IMADR and Franciscans International highlited the two years anniversary of the Office on Missing Persons (OMP) and expressed concerns on the security sector’s lack of cooperation with the Office. More than one year has passed since Sri Lanka failed to submit its first report to the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED). The Working Group and the Human Rights Council was alerted for possible retrogression in the transitional justice process by the upcoming Presidential election in November 2019. More >>

IMADR in the world

Call for inputs: New information technologies, racial equality, and non-discrimination         UN Special Rapporteur on racism, E. Tendayi Achiume, invites submission for her next thematic report to the 44th session of the UN Human Rights Council. Deadline: 13 December 2019. More >>

IMADR and its concerns

“Hostage justice” in Japan                             UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued the opinion No. 55/2018 which they declared the detention of Hiroji Yamashiro, a prominent human rights defender from Okinawa, to be arbitrary and directly connected to his exercise of freedom of expression and peaceful assembly against the constructions of new U.S. military facilities. More >>

IMADR at the UN

CERD to hold 100th session                                 Between November and December, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) will consider the situation of racial discrimination in Cambodia, Chile, Colombia, Ireland, Israel and Uzbekistan. More >>

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Publication

Article: EMRIP and the right to language for indigenous peoples (Alexey Tsykarev)             To celebrate the International Year of Indigenous Languages, IMADR held a human rights seminar on 12 September in Tokyo, focusing on Ainu and Ryukyu languages. Alexey Tsykarev, a former member of the UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP), gave a keynote speech on the importance of protecting and promoting indigenous languages and the role of the UN. More >>