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Commonwealth Human Rights
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| This
e-Newsletter has been produced for Commonwealth National Human Rights
Institutions (NHRIs) by the British Council, as part of the British
Council's project to support networking and sharing between such NHRIs.
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| Content: | |
1.
Forthcoming Events |
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| FORTHCOMING EVENTS | |
| SUHAKAM/MPI
Human Rights Workshop for Journalists: 24-25 February, 2004 - Malaysia The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) and the Malaysian Press Institute (MPI) will jointly organise a two-day training programme on human rights for local journalists on 24 and 25 February 2004 . The Workshop is aimed at creating awareness and promoting understanding of human rights. It will help journalists to identify human rights issues and sharpen their thinking, analytical and intellectual skills in writing articles for the general public. For more details, please contact Ms Hanizah Hashim, Communications Director, SUHAKAM, 29th Floor, Menara Tun Razak, Jalan Raja Laut, 50350 KualaLumpur, Tel: 603-26125600, D/L: 603-26125641, Fax: 603-26125620/603-26125673, e-mail:hanizah@suhakam.org.my |
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| The
First Congress for the Advancement of Sexual Health and Rights in Africa:
25 - 29 February 2004 The Southern African Sexual Health Association (SASHA), the African Federation for Sexual Health and Rights (AFSHR) and the Planned Parenthood Association of South Africa (PPASA) will jointly organise the first Congress for the Advancement of Sexual Health and Rights in Africa from 25 to 29 February 2004 in Johannesburg. |
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| International
workshop on Commonwealth Human Rights Commissions and Legislatures:
Building an Effective Relationship in Abuja, Nigeria: 23 to 25 March
2004 An international workshop will be organised by the British Council, the Nigerian Human Rights Commission, the Committee on Human Rights of the Nigerian House of Representatives and the Legal Resources Consortium of Nigeria on "Commonwealth Human Rights Commissions and Legislatures: Building an Effective Relationship, in Abuja, Nigeria from 23 to 25 March 2004. The workshop will aim to help National Human Rights Institutions work effectively with their national parliaments (and vice versa) for the better protection and promotion of human rights at domestic and international level. For more details, write to neena.jacob@in.britishcouncil.org |
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| The
World Conference on Human Rights & Peace 2004: 31 March-7 April,
2004 The International Human Rights Commission will host a 5 days "World Conference on Human Rights & Peace 2004", which will be held at Islamabad and Lahore,Pakistan from 31 march to 7 April , 2004. This World Conference will address the issues of human rights and world peace. |
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| INTERVIEWS | |
| Interview
with Justice Michael Kirby of the Australian High Court Justice Michael Kirby is one of the seven Judges of the High Court of Australia, the apex court of that country. He has a keen interest in initiatives to tackle HIV/AIDS in India and addresses members of the judiciary, legal community, policy-makers and representatives of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) across the country every year. During his recent visit to Delhi in December to attend a colloquium organised by the Parliamentary Committee on HIV/AIDS and the Lawyers Collective HIV/AIDS Unit, he spoke to Siddharth Narrain of Frontline. |
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| Interview
with Sippi Azarbaijani-Moghaddam on Women's Rights in the Afghan Constitution Sippi Azarbaijani-Moghaddam is a sociologist and specialist in gender and social difference, with expertise on protection and participation specifically in Muslim contexts. In this Development Gateway interview she talks about women's rights in the Afghan constitution and the challenges female delegates faced at the loya jirga. |
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| AWARDS | |
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IFJ
Journalism for Tolerance Prize An annual competition among journalists from all sectors of media with a simple objective: to promote better understanding among journalists from all communities of the importance of tolerance and defence of human rights, particularly when it comes to reporting on minorities. The deadline is 27 February, 2004. |
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| 1000
Women for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005 An initiative to nominate 1000 women for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005 in order to recognise the role of women in peace making and peace building, and to promote documentation, academic research, and networking around these women's peace-building strategies. The deadline is 30 April, 2004. |
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| 2004
Awards for Action on HIV/AIDS & Human Rights This award highlights outstanding contributions that decrease vulnerability to HIV/AIDS and protect the rights and dignity of those infected and affected. It is presented annually to 1 Canadian and 1 international recipient. The deadline is 14 May, 2004. |
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| Call
for Entries to the HURIGHTS OSAKA Award 2004 in the Asia Pacific region The Asia-Pacific Human Rights Information Center (HURIGHTS OSAKA) will be celebrating its 10th anniversary of its establishment in July 2004. To commemorate the event, HURIGHTS OSAKA will create an "International Human Rights Education Award," to recognise the most original new teaching material on international human rights. Outstanding works will be selected from the participating materials for the Award, which comes with the prize money of 200,000 Japanese Yen. The Award will be given out during a ceremony at the HURIGHTS OSAKA 10th Anniversary commemorative meeting planned for July 2004. Deadline for submission is April 30th 2004. |
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| REPORTS | |
| Afghanistan | |
| Land
Rights in Crisis:Restoring Tenure Security in Afghanistan- A report Afghanistan land disputes are threatening the prospects of post-war reconstruction in Afghanistan. Population growth, returning refugees, opium poppy production, ethnic tension and drought have increased the pressure on the land. A growing number of rural Afghans are either landless or own plots too small for survival. Competition over pasture is leading to armed clashes between nomads and settled farmers. A report from the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU) warns that urgent action is needed to untangle a muddle of overlapping laws, policies and titles which are complex, contradictory and currently unenforceable. |
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| Trafficking
in Persons; An Analysis of Afghanistan Trafficking in human beings is a global problem, with an estimated 800,000 to 900,000 people trafficked across international borders each year and an untold many trafficked within their own countries. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) conducted a one-year study to examine trafficking of Afghans, particularly women and children, within and from Afghanistan, and of third country nationals into and through Afghanistan. The research findings have been compiled into a report, Trafficking in Persons; An Analysis of Afghanistan. |
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| Africa | |
| The
Value of Advocacy in Promoting Social Change:Implementing the New Domestic
Violence Act in South Africa South Africa’s first democratic government passed the Domestic Violence Act (DVA) into law in 1998 as part of local and international commitments to protecting the human rights of women. Although the Act was welcomed as groundbreaking legislation, delays in implementing it led to increasing frustration. This paper describes an advocacy campaign conducted by the Soul City Institute for Health and Development Communication in partnership with the National Network on Violence against Women, to ensure the effective implementation of the DVA. Lessons from the campaign stress the importance of coalition building to draw on diverse strengths, and the use of a combination of advocacy tools, including lobbying, media advocacy and social mobilisation to achieve campaign goals. Given the critical role NGOs dealing with victims/survivors of domestic violence and the justice system played in lobbying for change and drafting the new law. |
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| Adoption
of New Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights
Strengthens Women's Rights The African Union’s adoption of the Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa is a significant step in the efforts to promote and protect the rights of African women. Adopted on 11 July 2003, at the second summit of the African Union in Maputo, Mozambique, the Protocol requires African governments to eliminate all forms of discrimination and violence against women in Africa and to promote equality between the sexes. In addition, it obligates states to integrate a gender perspective in their policy decisions, legislation, development plans, and activities, and to ensure the overall well-being of women. Once fully ratified and implemented, the Protocol will become an important framework for ending impunity for all attacks on human rights of women in Africa. |
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| Canada | |
| Protecting
Their Rights: A Systemic Review of Human Rights in Correctional Services
for Federally Sentenced Women The report, Protecting Their Rights: A Systemic Review of Human Rights in Correctional Services for Federally Sentenced Women, looks at the systemic human rights issues facing federally sentenced women. The report’s main finding is that the correctional system needs to be more tailored to the unique needs and generally lower security risks posed by women offenders. Specifically, the correctional system should take a more gender-based approach to custody, programming and reintegration for women offenders. |
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Commonwealth |
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| World
Development Report, 1978-2004 This omnibus CD-ROM edition includes the text of all 26 editions of the World Development Report. It contains a wealth of historical information on the economic and social state of the world, as well as PDF versions of the 2002 - 04 editions. All contents are fully indexed and cross-referenced for searching across the volumes in the archives. The disk also includes selected World Development Indicators, statistical indicators for more than 200 economies. There are many display options, and the data can be exported for use in other applications, such as spreadsheets and databases. |
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| Working
with Media in Conflicts and other Emergencies: A guide This guide aims to act as a resource to strengthen understanding of the role media can play in conflict and other emergency situations, and the options open for supporting practical initiatives. It includes: Why support Media in Conflicts and Other Emergencies? When to support media in Conflicts and Other Emergencies? What types of assistance can be provided? How to appraise and monitor media initiatives in conflicts and other emergencies? Case Studies from the Great Lakes, Central Africa; Armenia, Colombia; Akron, Ohio, USA; Liberia; Macedonia; and South Africa. Issues including support to local media, the challenge of the new technology, when peace building goes wrong and doing the doable. |
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| World
report 2004: Human Rights and Armed Conflict The invasion of Iraq ended the reign of a brutal government, but coalition leaders are wrong to characterise it as a humanitarian intervention, Human Rights Watch said in the keynote essay of its annual global survey released. The 407-page World Report 2004: Human Rights and Armed Conflict includes 15 essays on a variety of subjects related to war and human rights, from Africa to Afghanistan, from sexual violence as a method of warfare to the new trends in post-conflict international justice |
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| Amnesty
International Report 2003 Human rights activists continue to face new challenges. The "war on terrorism" and the impending war on Iraq dominated the international political agenda during 2002, diverting attention from other vital human rights issues. There were concerted efforts to roll back the human rights gains of recent decades in favour of narrow security agenda. The Amnesty International Report 2003 documents human rights abuses in 151 countries and territories during 2002. It is a contribution to the work of human rights defenders struggling to achieve a safer world, a world where human rights take priority over political, military or economic interests. |
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| Not
a Minute More:Ending Violence Against Women Based on a series of regional reviews conducted by UNIFEM in 2002, this new report provides an overview of achievements made on the issue of gender-based violence, and includes a focus on the problem of violence against women as a violation of human rights as well as a public health issue. The report highlights many of the achievements and indicates what must be done to build on them. It provides examples of good practices as well as of efforts that did not meet the goals set out for them - and explores why not. It looks at the challenges ahead, and asks what the most fruitful next steps might be. |
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| Gender-based
Violence in Armed Conflict and the United Nations Security Council’s
Resolution 1325 of October 2000 This paper analysis women and girls’ vulnerability in war and conflict situations. Violence against women is shown to be both a health issue as well as a violation of human rights. The United Nations responses to these problems particularly the implementation of the United Nations Security Council’s Resolution 1325 (October 2000) is discussed. |
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| Globalisation
of prurience: The Internet and degradation of women and children This paper explores some key questions: How does the Web facilitate the production and dissemination of pornographic materials? How, and why, does pornography that depraves and corrupts unwary children, and exploits women, go untrammelled through the web? |
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| India | |
| Meeting
The Mental Health Needs Of Developing Countries-NGO Innovations in India Massive changes that occur around us in all spheres have implications for the way of life in the future, including care of mentally ill persons and the mental health of populations. There is an urgent need to develop innovative and cost-effective strategies and interventions to respond to the challenges posed by mental health problems in developing countries. The non-governmental sector has a significant role and responsibility in this area. The book started out as a means to focus on NGOs' action in the field of mental health, with the explicit objective of documenting their innovative achievements and examining the issues to determine their success and viability. An attempt is made in it to focus on generating a consensus on the role, contributions and future strategies or plans of NGOs working in mental health area. The book projects the good practice models in variety of mental health activities and provides inspiration to others who may wish to involve themselves in innovations in mental health care in developing countries. |
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| Right
to know: Voters Guide This booklet is meant to assist people, interested in cleaner electoral politics, to understand their rights and responsibilities and become familiar with some of the present debates around the issue of electoral reforms. Most of all it is meant to urge and help citizens to take action themselves by joining with others nation-wide, to ensure that candidates with clean and spotless background are elected to represent them in Parliament and State legislatures. |
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| New Zealand | |
| The
Right to Education - A Discussion Document The document provides an overview of the right to education, listing its core elements and highlighting the implications of international human rights agreements to national obligations. The Right to Education Framework presented in the document is founded on the work of the United Nation's Special Rapporteur on the right to education, Katerina Tomasevski. It is made up of four broad human rights measures - availability, accessibility, acceptability, and adaptability. These measures are divided into more detailed considerations. |
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| Nigeria | |
| The
death penalty and women under the Nigerian penal systems The death penalty as applied in Nigeria violates fundamental human rights and is sometimes used in a discriminatory way against women, Amnesty International said in a new and its first report on women and the death penalty entitled: "Nigeria: The death penalty and women under the Nigerian penal systems. Amnesty International welcomes the Nigerian government's initiative to set up the National Study Group on the Death Penalty, with a mandate to make recommendations to the Federal Government on the status of the death penalty by June 2004. |
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| Northern Ireland | |
| Connecting
Mental Health & Human Rights At any point in time one in six people will have mental health problems. Many relatives and friends will be indirectly affected too. A key report entitled Connecting Mental Health and Human Rights was launched by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission to make the case for much greater respect to be accorded to the human rights of people with mental health problems. This report makes concrete recommendations for the amendment of mental health law, policy and practice in Northern Ireland to ensure compliance with human rights standards. While arguing for increased funding for mental health promotion and community services, the report also highlights areas where human rights standards may currently be being breached. |
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| Uganda | |
| Project
Completion Report: Information & Education Communication Campaign
For Advocacy in the Disability Sector of Uganda In 2001, the National Union of Disabled Persons of Uganda, in conjunction with Leonard Cheshire International, Radio for Development, and Action on Disability and Development, initiated a 22-month radio-based public education campaign to increase awareness of disability issues in Uganda. Organisers stress "the need to develop innovative strategies that link a livelihoods framework with a rights-based approach in the design of interventions. This appears to be particularly appropriate to projects with objectives related to education through mass education, outside of a formal setting or within the context of governance where institutions are traditionally regarded as inaccessible". |
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| United Kingdom | |
| Deaths
in custody: Interim Report -First Report of Session 2003 -04 This document contains written evidence received by the Committee in connection with its continuing inquiry into human rights aspects of deaths in prisons, police detention, immigration detention and detention under the Mental Health Act, particularly in relation to the obligation to protect the right to life under Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights, incorporated into UK law by the Human Rights Act 1998. |
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| NEWS STORIES | |
| ACCESS TO JUSTICE | |
| Australian
Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission intervenes in challenge
to immigration detention of children HREOC was granted leave to intervene by the High Court in a matter relating to the constitutional limits on the powers to detain children under the Migration Act 1958 (Cth). The Commission submitted that the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) fails to provide a system whereby children’s particular interests and vulnerabilities are recognised. Instead, the Act requires the mandatory detention of both adults and children alike, without any mechanism for the individual assessment of the needs of children. The Commission has submitted that this undifferentiated approach fails to meet the constitutional requirement that such detention be limited to what is reasonably necessary for the purposes of assessment of immigration status or removal/deportation. The Commission made particular reference to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which imposes international legal obligations upon Australia in relation to the detention of children. |
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| Enforcing
Human Rights and Access to Justice: The South Asian Judicial Colloquium
Series-South Asia This series of judicial colloquia focuses on the domestic implementation of human rights norms, access to justice, and the protection of economic, social and cultural rights for judges of the superior courts in South Asia. The series is being facilitated by the International Centre for the Legal Protection of Human Rights (INTERIGHTS) and the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), each of which has long co-operated with the judges in the region, in collaboration with other organisations such as the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR). |
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| ASYLUM | |
| Courts
bring 'Pariahs' under constitution's protection- South Africa
Illegal immigrants stand in line as they await deportation. But they have rights too 'Every individual who comes before the courts in this country, whether high or low, rich or poor, alien or local, is entitled to enjoy the benefits flowing from the supremacy of the Constitution' A PART of apartheid's madness lay in its increasing exclusivity. More and more people were defined as politically and socially unimportant - even threatening - and unworthy of protection by the law. Their potential contribution to the life of South Africa, to our culture and thought, was discounted. And under the old constitution Parliament could simply pass laws sidelining them. |
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| CHILD RIGHTS | |
| OHCHR
online guide to child rights The UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights makes available online resource page with a basic menu of links leading to a comprehensive array of UN documents, conventions, press releases, statements and other information related to children’s rights. |
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| Child
Rights Information and Documentation Centre Launched in Malawi The Child Rights Information and Documentation Centre (CRIDOC) seeks to provide access to information on child rights or related issues through documentation, research, website and/or other ICT models in Malawi. It also constitutes off-line materials such as child rights related books and literature, posters, over 1000 reports and conventions on various child rights issues, over 1000 pamphlets on Human rights issues and documentation of newspaper clippings. It will also have video documentaries on issues relating to children. |
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| CRIMINAL JUSTICE | |
| Northern
Ireland criminal justice assessed Mr Kit Chivers, a former chief inspector of courts in England and Wales, has been appointed to assess criminal justice in Northern Ireland. He will carry out independent checks on policing as well as the public prosecution, probation and prison services. Mr Chivers will be assisted by six specialists in areas including policing, custody management, legal issues and youth justice. |
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| Why
the International Criminal Court is different As widespread violations of international humanitarian law became common practice in the contemporary world, the growing concern expressed by the international community led to a demand for international criminal prosecution in an international criminal court for crimes recognised under customary international law as a threat to international peace and security. The International Criminal Court (ICC), a permanent body to judge crimes against humanity, is a reality since 1 July 2002. The ratification was made possible in April 2002, after a group of 10 countries -including Bosnia, Cambodia, Ireland, Mongolia and Romania- signed the treaty, taking the total number of ratifications to 66. On 14 July 2003 Guinea became the 90th State Party member. The signature of at least 60 countries was required in order to approve the treaty. However, many important states have failed to sign or ratify the agreement, including the US, China and Russia. |
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| Enact
stricter laws to stop honour killings, say women’s groups-India After female feticide and the trafficking of young girls, the medieval practice of ‘honour killings’, enforced by illegal caste panchayats, is the latest scourge against women in Punjab and Haryana. Caste-related ‘honour killings’ are on the rise in northern India, say women’s rights activists calling for urgent changes in the laws to counter these violent incidents. Honour killings -- where men and women who marry out of their caste are killed by their kin or members of their caste -- account for up to 10% of all killings in the northern states of Punjab and Haryana, according to the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), a leading women’s rights group. “This violence is committed in the name of saving the ‘honour’ of the community, caste or family. |
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| Lives
lost in jail: UK Suicide, self-mutilation, drug abuse and serious mental illness: this is the terrifying reality of life in women's prisons in the UK. Prison governors now believe that at least 80 per cent of women who end up in jail are addicted to heroin, crack, alcohol, or a combination of all three. Around half have mental health problems and all but a handful have been abused by their partner. More than 4,400 women are now kept in prison, the vast majority accused or convicted of drugs offences or theft to fund their drug habit. But it is clear that most women sent to jail should not be there. A survey of women in prison shows that 61 per cent were on remand. Of those, around half were acquitted or received a non-custodial sentence. Two people a week are killing themselves in the jails. |
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| DEATH PENALTY | |
| Stop
child executions! Ending the death penalty for child offenders The use of the death penalty against child offenders - people under 18 at the time of the crime - is clearly prohibited under international law, yet a handful of countries persist with child executions. Since January 1990 Amnesty International has documented 35 executions of child offenders in eight countries- the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the USA, China and Yemen. The USA carried out 19 executions - more than all other countries combined. During the same period, several countries raised to 18 the minimum age for application of the death penalty, in accordance with international law. |
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| ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS | |
| Economic
rights as human rights Is it morally acceptable for a society to allow professions that are clearly inhuman, possibly even cruel? Or, should the economic rationale behind them be squared with social objectives? The economic rationale, however, must be squared with social objectives, and here lies the dilemma. Should there be a concept of ‘individual economic rights’ which would protect human beings from having to take up ‘inhuman’ occupations? And who is best placed to determine and enforce ‘morally acceptable economic activities’? For over half a century, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, ratified by the United Nations, has provided the foundation for civil and political rights. There has been an ‘International Covenant on Economic, Cultural and Social Rights’ which has been around since the 1960s. |
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| Wills
and Inheritance Laws Programme - Zimbabwe This is a project from International Video Fair that teaches women about the Zimbabwean Wills and Inheritance laws through the use of video, support materials and discussion. It is aimed at giving women knowledge and details about laws that protect them in the case of the death of their spouse. The organisers believe the general feeling among most women, especially in the rural areas, was that the majority of the women who lost their property to relatives when their husbands died did not know their rights and how to protect them. |
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| HEALTH | |
| HIV/AIDS:Stand
up for Human Rights Launched on December 10 2003 (Human Rights Day), this colourful, interactive cartoon for young people is designed to raise awareness and mobilise action to tackle HIV/AIDS. The United Nations Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the United Nations Joint Programme for HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), and the World Health Organisation (WHO) hope that the publication will empower young people to promote human rights in relation to HIV/AIDS, raise awareness of the key linkages between HIV/AIDS and human rights, demystify the disease, and combat the myths and taboos associated with HIV and AIDS. The cartoon is part of a global campaign to encourage youth action to combat HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination and other human rights violations. Using language and characters designed to be accessible to young people world-wide, the cartoon explains how HIV is transmitted, and how individuals can protect themselves. It sets out to combat HIV/AIDS-related discrimination by illustrating how a lack of awareness about HIV/AIDS can contribute to stigma, discrimination, and human rights violations against people affected by HIV/AIDS. It shows how discrimination based on gender can hinder people's ability to protect themselves from HIV infection and also prevent people from accessing needed treatment, care, and support. |
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| NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS | |
| Comments
on the cabinet proposals for the abolition of Uganda Human Rights Commission-
Uganda These comments are made in respect to proposals No.3.10 of the “Proposals of the Government of the Republic of Uganda to the Constitutional Review Commission, September, 2003”. Government recommended the abolition of the Uganda Human Rights Commission on the grounds that there are at present too many Commissions under the Constitution which are costly to Government and are performing functions which can be performed by other Constitutional Institutions. |
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| National
Human Rights Commission and State Human Rights Commissions agree to
co-ordinate efforts for better protection of Human Rights-India The National Human Rights Commission and State Human Rights Commissions have agreed to co-ordinate their activities to create a human rights culture in the country. They have also agreed to explore ways and means to avoid duplication o f work. Human Rights in prisons, training and awareness building were discussed in detail at a meeting in New Delhi. Forging a computer linkage between the different Commissions has been suggested as one such solution to avoid duplication in the processing of complaints of human rights violations. This in turn would create a countrywide database on human rights issues. Pending adoption of the amendments suggested in the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, the National Human Rights Commission and the State Human Rights Commissions have agreed to work on a consensus in formulating conventions that will help in better co-ordination in their effort to protect human rights. |
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| First
feedback points to key human rights- New Zealand The right to health, to justice and to an adequate standard of living are at the top of the list of human rights important to New Zealanders. That’s the preliminary feedback from the first round of public consultation carried out as part of the development of the New Zealand Action Plan for Human Rights (NZAPHR). The right to education, to security of the person and to work followed closely. |
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| Racism
on the agenda for equality and human rights bodies- Northern Ireland The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission met with the Equality Commission in their annual plenary session. The topic for consideration was the development of the UK’s National Action Plan Against Racism and the parallel development of a National Action Plan in the Republic of Ireland. Following the UN World Conference Against Racism in Durban in 2001, both governments committed to the Durban Declaration. This promised to develop, implement and monitor a National Action Plan to combat all forms of racism and discrimination. National Human Rights Institutions were given the role of monitoring the Plan’s progress. Both Commissions have monitored and contributed to the UK’s planning process, which has been laborious and disappointingly slow to progress. At the meeting the Commissioners discussed how the two organisations can work together to re-invigorate the process and to ensure that the Northern Ireland position is fully represented.The recent racial attacks on members of ethnic minorities in Northern Ireland highlight the urgency required to address this issue. |
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| MEDIA | |
| Reporting
the crime - India Law stipulates that when a citizen informs the police or the police learn otherwise about the occurrence of a cognisable crime, the police shall institute a First Information Report (FIR) and initiate criminal investigation. And yet, each year, Police refuse to file thousands of complaints made by citizens. Dr. Arvind Verma, a former IPS officer, currently with the Department of Criminal Justice at Indiana University in Bloomington, in the United States, looks at the FIR mechanism that forms the basis of criminal investigation. |
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| Database
on Human Rights Instruments in Asia and the Pacific The UNESCO Office in Bangkok recently launched an online database on Human Rights instruments for the benefit of UNESCO partners working to promote Human Rights principles and practices in the Asia-Pacific region. The service also includes references to Human Rights in the area of information and communication . |
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| 3
Continents Film Festival 2004, South Africa: Africa, Asia, Latin America The 3 Continents Film Festival (3CFF) showcases political cinema from Africa, Latin America and Asia. The Festival aims to expand the educational and outreach programme of the Lawyers for Human Rights organisation, through film and video. The 3CFF will take place throughout South Africa during September 2004 with 15 days of screenings at commercial cinema houses in Johannesburg and Cape Town. 2004 marks the 10th anniversary of democratic elections in South Africa. The theme for this year’s festival will be Post-Liberation Democracy, Successes and Challenges Ahead. Selected films from different countries with different historical trajectories will seek to reflect on this general theme. The deadline for entries is June 1, 2004. |
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| RIGHTS OF THE DISABLED | |
| Disability
and Poverty As part of the Bank’s Human Development Learning Week, Bank experts and university staff members examined the relationship between poverty, which can cause disability through poor nutrition, disease, etc, and disability itself, which often fosters greater poverty. The United Nations estimates that at least 10 percent of the poor in developing countries are people with disabilities. |
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| Government
discriminates against the disabled in IAS recruitment - India Despite qualifying for the Indian Administrative Services, disabled candidates are being refused the deserved government placements. A nation-wide campaign by disability activists seeks to highlight the “blatant discrimination by the department of personnel and training (DoPT), GOI” in employment of disabled candidates. Two candidates with disabilities who secured high rankings in the civil services examinations, and were entitled to entry into the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) were given entry only to the Indian Information Service (IIS) which is much lower in the hierarchy of officers’ rankings. Another candidate who was entitled entry into the Indian Revenue Service last year was not allotted a category as there was apparently no vacancy in ‘identified jobs’ for persons with disabilities. |
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| TRAFFICKING | |
| UN
Protocol on Human Trafficking enters into force The UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, received its 40th country ratification in September 2003 and entered into force on 26 December 2003. |
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| Remedial
measures suggested to check illegal trade in human organs- India The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has in a letter to the Prime Minister and Chief Ministers suggested remedial measures to check illegal trade in human organs. The commission has endorsed the remedial measures suggested by a core group of medical experts who examined the issues related to public health, human rights and trade in human organs, in particular. They expressed the view that the clause relating to ‘compassionate donation’ in the Act had been exploited frequently in an unethical manner. |
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| WOMEN'S RIGHTS | |
| A
Conference on Women in 2005? The pros and cons- review What Beijing +10 will look like is not yet decided: it could be a high-level, adequately resourced UN-conference, a global summit, a special session of the General Assembly or the assessment could be processed within the regular functions of the UN decision making organs. In order to facilitate the ongoing discussion process WIDE has opened a discussion forum on the 5th high level UN Conference on Women. The Beijing +10 global review, co-ordinated by the UN Division for the Advancement of Women (UNDAW), will be held in 2005. The objective of these regional and global processes is to review the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action, signed by 189 governments at the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing, China, in 1995. |
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