UNITED NATIONS Press Release Commission on Human Rights 56th session 4 April 2000 Afternoon A series of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) spoke on economic, social and cultural rights this afternoon, with many of them telling the Commission on Human Rights that more had to be done to eradicate poverty around the world and many others lamenting that economic globalization, high levels of Third World debt, and “structural adjustment” programmes imposed on developing countries by international financial institutions were leaving much of humanity in a situation of hopeless and mounting poverty. Speaking were representatives of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and the following NGOs: Centro de Estudios Europeos; Federation of Associations for the […]
Category: documents
Debate on economic, social and cultural rights
UNITED NATIONS Press Release Commission on Human Rights 56th session 3 April 2000 Afternoon Debate on economic, social and cultural rights continued this afternoon with a series of countries and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) telling the Commission on Human Rights that more had to be done to battle poverty and that a prime obstacle to improving the lives of millions was the crippling external debt owed by many of the world’s poorest nations. Addressing the afternoon meeting were representatives of Panama, Malaysia, Honduras, San Marino, Habitat International Coalition, Egypt, Bolivia, Food and Agriculture Organization, Uruguay, Iran, and Yemen. The following NGOs delivered statements: International Federation of University Women (on behalf of […]
Speakers Decry Human Rights Violations in Many Countries
UNITED NATIONS Press Release Commission on Human Rights 56th session 29 March 2000 Afternoon Speakers Decry Human Rights Violations in Many Countries The Commission on Human Rights was addressed this afternoon by the Foreign Minister of the Netherlands, who said that there could be no hiding behind the principle of sovereignty in cases where human rights or fundamental freedoms were being violated. Jozias van Aartsen, Foreign Minister of the Netherlands, emphasized that the world had grown up and a mature and self-confident world community should be open and unafraid of taking the measure of itself; there could be no hiding behind the principle of sovereignty in cases where human rights […]
Item 12 – Violence against Women in particular, trafficking in persons
Oral Intervention by Lin Chew, on behalf of Asian Legal Resource Centre and Global Alliance Against Trafficking in Women. Mr. Chairperson, In our written submission to this Commission, ALRC highlighted several forms of violence against women in Burma, India, and Pakistan. However, I would like to underline the seriousness of the life-threatening and systematic violation of the human rights of Dalit women in India, (the details are contained in ALRC written submission E/CN.4/2000/NGO/65). In India caste and gender discrimination is perpetrated in its worst forms on Dalit women. Dalit people are considered “out-castes” of Indian Society. Dalit women suffer three-fold discrimination: because they are women, because they are Dalits, and […]
Item 11(b) – Civil and Political Rights: Disappearances and Summary Executions
Presented by Sanjeewa Liyanage, Mr. Chairman, On behalf of the Asian Legal Resource Centre I would like to draw the attention of this commission to a grave human rights problem faced in many Asian countries. Systematic causing of mass disappearances has left a permanent mark in the conscience of the many states in Asia as well as international community. Enforced and involuntary disappearances is one of the horrifying and ugly phenomenon faced by the peoples of many Asian countries especially in Punjab in India, Kashmir, Aceh in Indonesia, East Timor, and Sri Lanka. When a person disappears, there are many who are affected by such single instance. Parents, brothers, sisters, […]
Item 9 – Question of the violence of human rights and fundamental freedoms in any part of the world
Mr. Chairman, On behalf of Asian Legal Resource Centre I would like to bring to the attention of this Commission human rights violations suffered by the Dalits in India. Those who were once called Untouchables in India now call themselves ‘Dalits’, meaning ‘the oppressed. Indeed, they are one of most oppressed groups that history has ever known. They comprise 17% of the Indian population. In sheer numbers, the problem affects at least 170 million men and women. However, this figure excludes those Dalits who have become Muslims or Christians. After a thousand years of exclusion from society they continue to be in limbo in Indian society, despite the legal abolition […]
Integration of the human rights of women and the gender perspective: Violence against women
Link to UNCHR Distr. GENERAL E/CN.4/2000/NGO/65 8 February 2000 Original: ENGLISH COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS Fifth-sixth session Item 12 (a) of the provisional agenda INTEGRATION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF WOMEN AND THE GENDER PERSPECTIVE: VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN Written statement submitted by the Asian Legal Resource Centre, a non-governmental organization in general consultative status The Secretary-General has received the following written statement which is circulated in accordance with Economic and Social Council resolution 1996/31. [29 December 1999] GE.00-10723 (E) Violation of the human rights of women in Asia 1. The 1995 Beijing Platform for Action, which contained a comprehensive list of recommendations for the integration of the human rights of […]
Civil and political rights, including the question of: Independence of the judiciary, administration of justice, impunity
Link to UNCHR Distr. GENERAL E/CN.4/2000/NGO/64 8 February 2000 Original: ENGLISH COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS Fifty-sixth session Item 11 (d) of the provisional agenda CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS, INCLUDING THE QUESTION OF: INDEPENDENCE OF THE JUDICIARY, ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE, IMPUNITY Written statement submitted by the Asian Legal Resource Centre, a non-governmental organization in general consultative status The Secretary-General has received the following written statement which is circulated in accordance with Economic and Social Council resolution 1996/31. [29 December 1999] GE.00-10751 (E) Right to a fair trial in Asia 1. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) guarantees fair trial. The provisions on due process contained in this convention […]
Civil and political rights, including the question of: Disappearances and summary executions
Link to UNCHR Distr. GENERAL E/CN.4/2000/NGO/63 8 February 2000 Original: ENGLISH COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS Fifty-sixth session Item 11 (b) of the provisional agenda CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS, INCLUDING THE QUESTION OF: DISAPPEARANCES AND SUMMARY EXECUTIONS Written statement submitted by the Asian Legal Resource Centre, a non-governmental organization in general consultative status The Secretary-General has received the following written statement which is circulatd in accordance with Economic and Social Council resolution 1996/31. [29 December 1999] GE.00-10747 (E) Enforced and involuntary disappearances in Sri Lanka 1. In the communications of the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) and the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) we have exposed the situation relating to disappearances […]
Economic, social and cultural rights: Food scarcity in Myanmar
Link to UNCHR Distr. GENERAL E/CN.4/2000/NGO/61 8 February 2000 Original: ENGLISH COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS Fifty-sixth session Item 10 of the provisional agenda ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS Written statement submitted by the Asian Legal Resource Centre, a non-governmental organization in general consultative status The Secretary-General has received the following written statement which is circulated in accordance with Economic and Social Council resolution 1996/31. [29 December 1999] GE.00-10739 (E) Food scarcity in Myanmar 1. The right to food is a fundamental human right. It is guaranteed under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (art. 25 (1)) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (art. 11). 2. In the […]