Commonwealth Human Rights e-Newsletter: February 2006   Commonwealth National Human Rights Commission (CNHRC) Project

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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.

SPOTLIGHT of the month:   Keynote speech by Bert Massie, Chairman, UK's Disability Rights Commission (DRC) on ‘Achieving equality and social justice – a future without disability?'
Content:

	1. Forthcoming Events 2. Awards 3. Reports and Publications 4. News Stories 5. Update on 7th Session of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

E-learning courses in 2006 by Human Rights Education Associates (HREA) The registration process is now open for all HREA distance learning courses offered in 2006. Courses include HREA's annual courses on human rights advocacy; the United Nations human rights system; human rights-based programming; project development & management in the NGO sector; and human rights monitoring.

National Conference on Disability Rights in Colombo, Sri Lanka from 22 to 23 Feb 2006 The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka will host a National Conference from 22-23 February 2006 directed towards the promotion and protection of the human rights of people who have disability. Over 60 participants representing Government, the disability NGOs, academic and other related sectors have been invited to participate in this event. The Conference seeks to raise the profile of disability rights in Sri Lanka and to secure commitment to the implementation of the rights-based National Policy on Disability. Two international disability rights activist have been invited to address the conference and participate in its proceedings. Ms. Anuradha Mohit is the Special Rapporteur on Disability at the Human Rights Commission of India. She has been actively involved in the preparation of the draft International Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities at the UN in New York . Dr Sev Ozdowski has very recently completed a five-year appointment as Human Rights Commissioner and Acting Disability Discrimination Commissioner of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission of Australia.

International Seminar on Human Rights and Mental Health from 5 to 8 March 2006 in Edinburgh, UK British Council, Edinburgh will be organising an international seminar titled ‘Making Connections – Human Rights and Mental Health' from 5 -8 March 2006 in Edinburgh. The seminar aims to promote dialogue about mental wellbeing in the rights and justice framework and raise awareness in policy-makers and influencers regarding policy and legislation. The seminar will debate issues like; how do we make connections between legislation and best practice?; is mental wellbeing a human right?; can rights be mainstreamed within mental health services?; how can we balance the rights of service users with the safety of the public?; what can we learn from Scottish and international experiences? For more information write to Christine Wilson

50th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women from 27 February to 10 March 2006 in New York The 50th session of the Commission on the Status of Women will consider two themes: Enhanced participation of women in development: an enabling environment for achieving gender equality and the advancement of women, taking into account, inter alia, the fields of education, health and work; and Equal participation of women and men in decision-making processes at all levels.

62nd session of the UN Commission on Human Rights from 13 March to 21 April 2006 UN Commission on Human Rights will hold its 62nd session in Geneva from 13 March to 21 April, 2006, subject to approval by UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

Migrant Workers' Rights Training Course from 7 to 11 April 2006 in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia The Diplomacy Training Program, Faculty of Law, University of New South Wales Sydney, Australia, is calling for applications to a training course based on the rights of migrant workers in the Asia-Pacific. The week long programme will centre around the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Family (ICRMW) and other relevant legal standards. The course content will focus on the ICRMW in the context of the broader human rights framework, and the increasingly important role of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions. The course is aimed at human rights advocates, migrant workers' organisations, women's organisations, NHRIs and trade unions. Participants will develop practical skills in advocacy, lobbying and working with the media to advance migrant workers' rights. Applications close Friday 20 February, 2006.

International Human Rights Education Spring Institute - Women's Human Rights: Building a Peaceful World in an Era of Globalisation from1 May to 9 June 2006 in Toronto, Canada This Spring Institute is organised by the Centre for Women's Studies in Education, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto from 1 May to 9 June 2006. The Institute brings feminist perspectives and an activist orientation to the inextricably related issues of peace, human rights and life-sustaining development. Tuition is US$4,500 / CAD$5,000. The last date to apply is 15 February, 2006.

 

AWARDS,COMPETITIONS & INTERNSHIPS

IBA 2006 Human Rights Award The International Bar Association (IBA) is seeking nominations for its 2006 Human Rights Award. The award recognises personal endeavours in the practice of criminal law which make a substantial contribution to the promotion, protection and advancement of human rights. The closing date for nominations is 31 March 2006.

The Anti-Slavery Award 2006 Nominations are open for the 2006 Anti-Slavery Award. Anti- Slavery International instituted the Award in 1991 to highlight modern-day slavery and the courageous work of anti-slavery activists around the world. Nominations are sought annually from hundreds of organisations around the world and the winner is selected by a panel composed of invited people from a wide background, chosen for their knowledge of the various contemporary forms of slavery. The recipient is invited to the UK and formally presented with a medal to record the Award. During the visit, Anti-Slavery International organises a full programme of visits to government officials (both British and others), meetings with non-governmental organisations and support groups, as well as arranges interviews with UK and overseas media. There is no cash grant given with the medal, but the publicity generated by the presentation is expected to assist the recipient's work and to offer some protection in the carrying out of his or her humanitarian work. During the year of the Award, Anti-Slavery International also ensures that some of its campaigning is devoted to supporting the work of the Award winner. Closing date for nominations is 31 March 2006.

 

REPORTS & PUBLICATIONS

Commonwealth

Commonwealth Law Bulletin The 'Commonwealth Law Bulletin' is published by the Commonwealth Secretariat and priced at £72 for UK and £84 elsewhere, for an annual subscription of four issues. It provides readers with information and material reflecting the breadth of legal activities undertaken by the Commonwealth Secretariat and the vibrancy of jurisprudence among the Commonwealth countries. This issue covers topics such as legislation, focusing on constitutional law and human rights, competition law, criminal law and practice, law and technology, and protection of cultural heritage. It also includes topics on judicial decisions, law reform, the legal profession, and Commonwealth developments.

Commonwealth Secretariat Publications 2006 The Commonwealth Secretariat has issued its 2006 catalogue of books, working papers and expert reports from around the Commonwealth. Among the categories of publications are agriculture and environment; Commonwealth affairs; civil society; economics; education; elections; gender; health; human rights; information technology; law; management in public service; small states; tourism; world trade; and youth affairs. Commonwealth Foundation and Commonwealth Business Council publications, Commonwealth Reference Books and Almanacs are also featured in this catalogue.

International

Assessing the Effectiveness of National Human Rights Institutions This report is co-published by the International Council on Human Rights Policy and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. The report is designed to assist NHRIs to measure their own effectiveness. It was prepared through a participatory process involving members of NHRIs and establishes measurement benchmarks and indicators for the compliance of national institutions with the Paris Principles. The report first presents a set of benchmarks as the minimum normative condition that is desirable for a national institution to achieve its objectives. It is followed by a set of indicators, both quantitative and qualitative, to demonstrate progress achieved by the NHRI. These indicators of performance and impact are intended for a NHRI to be able to assess the human rights situation, its own performance and the impact of the institution on the enjoyment of human rights.

HIV/AIDS in Asia: Human Rights and the Education sector Produced by UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education (Bangkok) , this paper examines the impact of HIV/AIDS on education from a human rights perspective. It offers a conceptual framework to assess the impact of HIV/AIDS on human rights and the education sector, and discusses directions for future response. Human rights are discussed both in relation to access and demand for education by children affected by HIV/AIDS, and also in relation to supply, quality of education, the role of schools and management issues. The final part of this paper identifies the inter-related dynamics of human rights, HIV/AIDS and the education sector, and outlines how the education sector can be mobilised to protect human rights in the context of HIV/AIDS. The paper finds several connections among the education sector, human rights and HIV/AIDS: children and adults infected with HIV or affected by AIDS are often denied their right to education or their right to employment in the education sector; the supply and quality of education are threatened by the epidemic; there are important curriculum issues that need to be addressed by the education sector when the epidemic advances; there are financial and management implications of the pandemic that have a relation to upholding human rights; and in heavily affected areas, schools need to change and play different additional roles in the community, for which planning and training is needed.

Laws that save lives: international treaties and HIV/AIDS Worldwide, close to 42 million people are living with HIV/AIDS. Although there are no legally binding international treaties on HIV/AIDS, every country in the world has signed at least one human rights treaty that includes health-related rights. What role can international law play in ensuring that treaties are upheld? Human rights are not dependent upon being given or granted by governments since people are entitled to human rights simply as a part of being human. Further, they are not always legal rights. They become legal rights when they are included in legal documents such as international treaties and domestic law. A study undertaken as part of the Crisis States Programme at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), UK , considers the link between development and international law. It specifically questions the role that international law plays in addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic, including its reference to the ‘right to development' debate.

Human Rights Watch World Report 2006 'The 532-page Human Rights Watch World Report 2006 contains information on human rights developments in more than 60 countries in 2005. The Report contains survey information on human rights developments in more than 70 countries in 2005. In addition to the introductory essay on torture, the volume contains the following two essays - 'Private Companies and the Public Interest: Why Corporations Should Welcome Global Human Rights Rules'; and 'Preventing the Further Spread of HIV/AIDS: The Essential Role of Human Rights'.

Preventing the further spread of HIV/AIDS - The essential role of Human Rights Joseph Amon, Director of HIV/AIDS Research at HRW, looks at the role of human rights abuses in the spread of HIV/AIDS and "whether the pandemic is due to denial of the existence or extent of the epidemic, misappropriation of resources, or hostility to those individuals infected or those populations most at-risk of infection".

Private companies and the public interest: why corporations should welcome global human rights rules The author of this essay, Lisa Misol, argues that enforceable global standards are desirable, inevitable, and, contrary to received wisdom, good for business. She highlights that within the business community some have started to question whether industry's antagonism to regulation makes sense when it comes to human rights. They realise that only binding standards can ensure a level playing field and that, increasingly, the choice facing them is not between adopting voluntary codes of conduct and doing nothing. It is a choice between continuing to compete on an uneven, ever-shifting playing field and participating in the creation of universally binding and enforceable rules that apply equally to all companies. Ms Misol finds that for most corporations, having clear, consistent rules would be preferable to being subjected to unfair competition and a confusing mix of standards that provides little guidance to companies and little comfort for victims of human rights abuse.

Women in an insecure world: facts, figures and analysis Published by Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF), this book brings together a comprehensive list of the facts and figures regarding violence against women in daily life, during war and conflict and in post-conflict situations. The authors map the pervasiveness of violence against women, analyse strategies to prevent and punish that violence and highlight the key role that women play in initiatives to counter violence. The document argues that violence against women must be recognised as a key issue in its own right, as one of the significant causes of death on our planet - comparable in importance only to war, hunger and disease. It highlights the active role women can have in peacemaking and post-conflict reconstruction. For what makes women's role in combating violence indispensable is that they demonstrate the capability of overcoming the trauma of violent acts, to survive and help in the survival of others, and to contribute actively to building peace. The book provides analytical data and statistics, legal documents and policy recommendations complemented by feature stories and illustrations.

Broken bodies — Broken Dreams: violence against women exposed This publication is part of OCHA/IRIN's (United Nations Office for the co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs/Integrated Regional Information Networks) ongoing campaign to highlight the issues of violence against women through film, text and photography. It offers a testimony of the different types of gender-based violence experienced by women and girls worldwide throughout their lives, through the use of photographs, individual case studies and illustrative text. “This book serves to raise awareness and provoke action in addressing the causes of gender-based violence, as well as assisting and defending the millions of women targeted by violence. These are our sisters, our mothers, our daughters.” — Jan Egeland, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. A photo exhibition has been developed to launch the book and has been displayed in three international locations: New York , Geneva and Nairobi.

Asia-Pacific

Advisory Council of Jurists: Final Report on Torture recommends minimum interrogation standards In its final report on torture the Advisory Council of Jurists of the Asia Pacific Forum of NHRIs has made a number of recommendations and observations in relation to national human rights institutions and the protection of individuals from torture. Foremost among the recommendations are the proposed Minimum Interrogation Standards, which it is hoped will make an original contribution to the effective implementation of the prohibition on torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and punishment in the Asia Pacific region. The Final Report is a comprehensive analysis of the international law, standards and principles that relate to torture. The report also contains detailed information about State laws relative to torture and detention, comparing and contrasting State laws with international laws and standards. The report makes a series of recommendations to the Asia Pacific Forum's (APF) member institutions. The Advisory Council observes that one of the challenges of the Asia Pacific region is the lack of a single human rights instrument reflecting a common regional approach to human rights. APF member institutions will be asked to closely examine the recommendations of the Advisory Council and report back at the Eleventh Annual Meeting which will be held in Fiji in 2006 on both the implementation of the recommendations with regard to torture and on the proposal to request that the ACJ prepare a draft regional or sub-regional human rights instrument for the region.

Kenya

KNCHR releases first "Living Large" Report on Wasteful Government Expenditure The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, in conjunction with Transparency International Kenya, have released the first "Living Large" report, highlighting instances of the wasteful expenditure of tax-payer's funds. This first report focuses on the purchase of high-end, luxury vehicles by senior government officials in the first year of the NARC administration. In subsequent reports, the Commission plans to investigate other areas of waste. The report demonstrates how, by translating the cost of such expenditure into real steps that could have been taken to alleviate poverty. The 878 million shillings spent could provide ARV treatment for 147,000 people for a whole year or see 25,000 children through eight years of school.

United Kingdom

The Duty to Promote Disability Equality Statutory Code of Practice UK 's Disability Rights Commission (DRC) has written and produced this Code of Practice on the disability equality duty (DED) for the public sector. This new duty was introduced in the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 and will come into force in December 2006. A survey among CEOs and public sector managers revealed that senior public sector managers had low levels of interest in the DED and, unlike the race equality duty, lacked the personal commitment to see it through. Bert Massie, DRC Chairman, described the duty as a useful tool for CEOs and senior managers, and a core part of their leadership responsibility to improve public services. In 2006 DRC will publish guidance for different services and advice for disabled people on how to help make the new duties work.

 

NEWS STORIES

CHILD RIGHTS

Committee on Rights of Child considers report of Mauritius and Ghana The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child held its forty-first session from 9 January to 27 January 2006. It considered the second periodic report of Mauritius on 19 January on how that country is implementing the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Introducing the report, Indranee Seebun, Minister of Women's Rights, Child Development, Family Welfare and Consumer Protection of Mauritius, said despite its limited economy and trained human resources, much had been achieved by Mauritius since 1995. Among the recent initiatives taken by the new Government, which had been in place since July 2005, was the Programme for 2005-2010 which contained a number of policy decisions aimed at ensuring the survival, development, protection and participation of children. The Minister also noted that her Ministry was in the process of reviewing the National Children's Policy as well as the National Plan of Action, which were prepared in 2003 and 2004, in order to better safeguard the rights of the children in line with the Convention, with focus on early childhood development and the State parental empowerment programme. Also read report of Ghana

CRIMINAL JUSTICE

UK's new Youth Justice Bill to offer better tailored custodial options for young offenders The UK 's new Youth Justice Bill up for approval in parliament includes a number of measures to cut the number of children in custody by 10% by March 2008. Proposed changes include creating a network of less secure children's homes, custodial arrangements for offenders with special needs, and maintaining detainees closer to their own homes. There are an estimated 3,000 juvenile offenders jailed at any one time in England and Wales . Defending the gist of the bill, Ellie Roy , chief executive of the Youth Justice Board's said:  “There are some children and young people who do not require the relatively high level of security that applies to those who are held in young offender's institutions, local authority secure homes and privately run secure training homes.” One group to benefit from the proposed reform is that of for 200 to 300 older boys who have mental health, drug, literacy and other problems. This significant minority needs specialised units with more intensive staff support than the prison service can offer.

MEDIA

SUHAKAM asks media to show more concern in promotion of Human Rights The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) asked the media in the country to show more concern for the promotion of human rights among the people. SUHAKAM commissioner and chairman of its Economics, Social and Cultural Working Group Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam said the media could create human rights awareness in the people. He suggested specialised reporting or creation of a special desk in media organisations to cover human rights issues continuously instead of on an ad hoc basis.

SOUTH AFRICA: Newspapers barred from publishing Muhammad cartoons A South African newspaper is set to challenge a court interdict barring the publication of controversial cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, initially printed in Denmark, that have caused angry protests in countries around the world. A Muslim group obtained an interim interdict barring Sunday newspapers from reprinting the cartoons. South Africa 's largest newspaper, the Sunday Times, said in a statement that the interdict "pre-empted a decision the newspaper had not yet made". The Sunday Times had "opposed the urgent interdict on the grounds that it would not be held to ransom by pressure groups. We are aware of the sensitivities regarding the cartoons, and the editorial team was discussing whether these sensitivities should be given more weight than the right of non-Muslim readers to see the depictions that had caused huge offence in other parts of the world", the paper said. The right to publish without fear or favour was enshrined in South Africa 's constitution and fundamental to robust democracy, the paper pointed out. However, the Johannesburg High Court granted the Jamiatul Ulama an interim court order interdicting the Sunday Times and other newspapers from publishing the offending cartoons, ruling that the right to dignity outweighed the right to freedom of expression in this case. Also read statements by Statement by The Danish Institute for Human Rights (DIHR) regarding freedom of expression and respect for religion Statement by Joris de Bres, Race Relations Commissioner, New Zealand Human Rights Commission - Cartoon controversy highlights the need for dialogue United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan urges Muslims to accept apology

MENTAL HEALTH

Welcome for Prison Mental Health review in Northern Ireland The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) has welcomed the review of non-natural deaths in Northern Ireland prisons released on 23 January 2006 by Professor Roy McClelland and hopes that its recommendations will be promptly implemented. Professor McClelland's review draws attention to short-comings in the care of vulnerable people in prison service custody but also notes the shortfall in mental health services in the community. The Commission plans to conduct its own research into self-harm and suicide prevention in prisons in Northern Ireland in the near future.

Alarm over refugees' mental health in UK The UK government's policy of expanding detention centres for asylum seekers has come under fire from medical experts concerned that it is damaging to the mental health of detainees. Writing in the British Medical Journal, Mina Fazel and Derrick Silove claim that detention centres raise "serious human rights issues about the treatment of people fleeing oppression". Pointing to evidence that detention of refugees damages mental health, the two experts note that Australia abolished mandatory detention for asylum seekers last year, after finding that the policy had failed. The authors acknowledge that nations have a right to monitor borders, but they suggest that doctors are facing ethical challenges in providing care without discrimination to asylum seekers without becoming complicit in a harmful system. They conclude: "The lessons for Britain are clear. Australia has acknowledged the failure of detention policy. There is ample evidence that models of community accommodation for asylum seekers lead to better mental health outcomes and that humane but rigorous forms of monitoring can still be instituted in these settings. By continuing to document the psychosocial impact of detention, the medical profession is well placed to add its expert voice in shaping humane immigration policies." The government proposes the expansion of detention centres in the latest immigration bill and increasing capacity to effect forced removals, despite reports by attending doctors in both the UK and Australia that detainees held for long periods suffered from feelings of profound hopelessness and despair and experienced suicidal urges. Also read reports ‘Not For Service: Experiences of Injustice and Despair in Mental Health Care in Australia' and National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention by Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, Australia (AHREOC)

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS

UK claims Security Council resolution trumps Human Rights Act On Monday 16 January, the Court of Appeal began hearing an appeal from a British national who is being detained indefinitely by British forces in southern Iraq . The UK government is claiming that its authority to order internment of individuals under UN Security Council Resolution 1546 takes precedence over the right to liberty under the Human Rights Act 1998. JUSTICE, the UK section of the International Commission of Jurists, has been granted permission to intervene in the case, arguing that a Security Council resolution cannot be used to override individual rights guaranteed by an Act of Parliament.

Judges elected to the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights On 21 January 2006, the African Union (AU) Executive Council of Ministers to the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights elected 11 judges out of the 21 nominated candidates put forward by the 16 states that have ratified the protocol on the establishment of the Court. The elected judges are: Fatsah Ouguergouz (Algeria); Jean Emile Somda (Burkina Faso); Gerard Niyungeko (Burundi); Sophia Akuffo (Ghana); Kellelo Justina Masafo Guni (Lesotho); Hamdi Faraj Fanoush (Libya); Modibo Tounty Guindo (Mali); Jean Mutsinzi (Rwanda); United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to water, El Hadji Guisse (Sénégal); Bernard Ngoepe (South Africa); and G Kanyiehamba (Uganda).  The AU-funded court will be situated in East Africa, with Mauritius the most likely location, and should be in place by July with an initial annual budget of $2.25 million, said Ibrahima Kane, a legal expert who has been advising the AU.

Bill of Rights now! It's a balancing act writes Natasha Stott Despoja The passage of the Anti-Terrorism Bill (No. 2) 2005 poses perhaps the greatest threat yet to our fundamental rights and freedoms, including the rights to liberty, free speech, privacy, due process and legal representation writes Natasha Stott Despoja, a Senator for South Australia. She is the Democrat's spokesperson on the issue of a Bill of Rights. According to her, these rights must of course be balanced against the wider interests of the community and the nation. She says “however, in this age of increased terrorism, we run the very real risk of losing the right balance, of letting fear rule our lives, and allowing our governments to trade off our rights and freedoms in the name of 'national security'. Now more than ever, Australia needs a Bill of Rights against which such invasive laws must be measured, to provide a basic safety net for the protection of human rights". The format of instruments in each Western nation differs. For example, the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act covers a range of civil and political rights. The United Kingdom 's Human Rights Act 1998 incorporates the civil and political rights set out in the European Convention on Human Rights. Canada 's Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms includes the right to affirmative action and cultural rights. The South African Bill of Rights is striking for its broad coverage of rights. Its modern construction extends it beyond the rights contained in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) to include economic and social rights such as access to housing, health care, food, water and security; the right to a healthy environment; and, property rights.

Impasse on Human Rights Ongoing negotiations among United Nations members over how to reform the world body's often criticised Human Rights Commission so it can better tackle abuses worldwide are bogged down in disputes over important details, the Washington Post notes in this editorial. The main problem is that "autocratic" states like Egypt and Pakistan are resisting thorough changes that would truly make a new Human Rights Council more effective, the paper opines, concluding that if the new body cannot be agreed upon by its next meeting in Geneva in March, the old flawed one should be abolished. Mr. Annan proposed to replace the human rights commission with a council that would be smaller, more effective and harder for chronic human rights abusers to join. A draft resolution to create the new body, issued by a working group in December , has some positive features, including a commitment to meetings throughout the year by the new council, instead of the current system of one annual session. But almost every important detail of the organisation remains in dispute. Western democracies and human rights groups want to reduce the number of members to 30, require that they be elected by a two-thirds vote of the General Assembly and hold sessions at least four times a year for 10 weeks.

UN member states issues draft on Human Rights Council A new draft resolution was circulated on 2 February 2006 among UN member states on the creation of the Human Rights Council, which provides for the size and composition of the new body and the criteria for its membership. But the draft again uses brackets while mentioning the method of electing the members of the Human Rights Council, indicating that the difference in this regard persists among the 191 UN member states. The latest draft provides that the Council shall consist of 45 member states, which shall be elected directly and individually by secret ballots by the General Assembly. The seats shall be distributed among the five regional groups within the United Nations - 12 for Africa, 13 for Asia, 5 for Eastern Europe, 8 for Latin America and 7 for Western Europe. According to the draft, the Council members can serve two consecutive three-year terms and their election shall be based on their contribution to the promotion of human rights. Countries that are under UN sanctions for human rights violations shall be excluded from the Council. Replacing the Geneva-based Commission on Human Rights with a Human Rights Council is a major step to reform the UN human rights machinery agreed by world leaders at last September's summit in New York.

New rights for very civil partnerships in Northern Ireland The Civil Partnership Act 2004 came into force in Northern Ireland on 5 December last year. A civil partnership is a legally recognised relationship between two people of the same sex. It only exists once it is registered and can only end on death or if it is formally terminated. A civil partnership confers many of the same rights and responsibilities which married people enjoy. The introduction of this legislation has implications for employment rights. If an employer employs a civil partner they will have to treat them in the same way as a married couple with regards to their employment and workplace benefits and most occupational pension benefits.

RIGHTS OF THE DISABLED

Non-availability of disabled friendly cars - NHRC, India seeks comments from the Government The National Human Rights Commission, India has 'sought comments' from the Government on why there were no disabled-friendly cars on Indian roads. The Commission took cognizance of a complaint from a disabled person that the car manufacturing companies have discontinued manufacturing vehicles for physically challenged persons which is causing hindrance to those who want to be self-dependent. The Commission has asked the Ministry of Heavy Industries Secretary to comment on a complaint that car manufacturing companies, even those in the public sector, have stopped making vehicles for the physically challenged.

Visually impaired students in India to get Braille Textbooks on time - 12 States/UTs assure NHRC The National Human Rights Commission, India was shocked to learn that blind students routinely receive their Braille textbooks towards the end of the academic sessions or worse still a majority do not have access to these books at all. It was found that many States and Union Territories (UTs) had not established a Braille press. In places where it existed, obsolete technology and an inefficient distribution system together made the service as good as redundant. Recognising the right of blind persons to access books in Braille script, Dr Justice A S Anand, Chairperson, NHRC, India wrote to the Chief Ministers of all the states to ensure availability of Braille books to blind students. The Commission recommended that the State Education Boards may take steps to print books in Braille and work on proper distribution systems so that books prescribed by the Boards are available to visually impaired children at the beginning of each academic session, at the same time as their sighted counter parts. Responding positively to the suggestions of the Commission, around 12 states and UTs have assured it of timely availability of the Braille books. On similar lines, the Commission is also working towards availability of a child-appropriate sign language to be used in the education of deaf children in the country.

Protecting disability rights requires new attitude more than new funds Attitudes, rather than resource constraints, often create the strongest barriers to the enjoyment of rights by persons with disabilities, Louise Arbour, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights told a UN committee in New York that is drafting the first-ever treaty on disability rights. Louise Arbour told the negotiators that simple and inexpensive regulatory changes could often improve access to education or employment. She also acknowledged that lack of money often blocks poor countries from providing equal treatment to their citizens with disabilities, and that putting into practice the provisions of the convention will be costly. States parties will be required to make progressive and proportional changes depending on resource availability, she said, but some obligations must be met immediately.

UK Government poverty targets will not be met without placing disability at the heart of its strategy The inequality experienced by disabled people stands between the UK Government and its targets to reduce child poverty and increase the number of people in work, Bert Massie, Chairman of the Disability Rights Commission said. Mr Massie's comments came during a keynote speech to launch a nationwide advertising campaign on the impact of disability discrimination in Britain . His comments came as figures reveal that more disabled adults and those with long term health conditions are now living in poverty than children or pensioners. This is having a massive impact on child poverty in the UK. In two thirds of families where both parents are out of work one parent is disabled.

TRAFFICKING

Data and Research on Human Trafficking: A Global Survey In this special issue of International Migration Vol. 43 (1/2) 2005 by International Organisation for Migration (IOM) most of the papers present a broad overview of current research and data on trafficking in particular regions of the world. Nine of the articles focus on specific regions and three of the articles explore issues relating to research methods. The nine regional papers do not provide a detailed summary of the results of studies on trafficking, but rather try to assess the type and quality of research that has been conducted and discuss priorities for further research. The availability and quality of data on trafficking are also discussed in each of these papers. One of the aims of this publication is to suggest ways in which the research methods used to study trafficking could be made more robust.

Human Trafficking Web Portal launched The USA-based National MultiCultural Institute (NMCI) launched a new web portal http://www.humantraffickingsearch.net that provides more than 15,000 web entries of informational resources on issues related to human trafficking and modern-day slavery from around the world. HumanTraffickingSearch.net and its "deep search" engine provide information on related topics including: Human Trafficking, Child Labour, Bonded Labour and Sex Slavery. The site offers information about more than 120 countries through a broad range of articles, research studies, congressional testimony, case studies, UNODC public service videos, a data map on child labour, and a daily news service.

 

Update on the 7th Session of the Ad Hoc Committee on a Comprehensive and Integral Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities held from 16 January 2006 to 3 February 2006
Progress so far
1 - 12 August 2005	Sixth Session
24 January - 4 February 2005	Fifth Session
23 August to 3 September 2004	Fourth Session
24 May to 4 June 2004	Third Session
5 to 16 January 2004	Working Group on convention
16 to 27 June 2003	Second Session
29 July to 9 August 2002	First Session
7 Oct 2005	Letter from the Chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee to all members of the Committee
Update on the 7th Session of the Ad Hoc Committee
	Resolution on the Ad Hoc Committee
	Background Documents - Status of the work of the Ad Hoc Committee
12 Jan 2006	UN prints first direct-to-Braille documents
16 Jan - 3 Feb 2006	Side-events to the Seventh Session of the Ad Hoc Committee
16 Jan 2006	Ad Hoc Committee negotiating first-ever Convention on Rights of Disabled Persons opens Three-Week Session Day One Summary
17 Jan 2006	Disability Convention Committee forges ahead on Articles on Personal Freedoms, Individual Rights Day Two Summary
18 Jan 2006	Disabled youth plead for inclusion at UN meeting on disability rights treaty Day Three Summary
19 Jan 2006	Day Four Summary
20 Jan 2006	Day Five Summary
23 Jan 2006	Intervention by National Human Rights Institutions National Human Rights Institutions - Proposal on Monitoring - 10 August 2005 Talks on proposed UN treaty to protect rights of disabled advance on key issues Day Six Summary
24 Jan 2006	Day Seven Summary
25 Jan 2006	Day Eight Summary
26 Jan 2006	Day Nine Summary
27 Jan 2006	New Treaty to play key role in affirming Rights of Disabled Persons, High Commissioner tells Disability Convention Committee Protecting disability rights requires new attitude more than new funds, UN official says Day Ten Summary
30 Jan 2006	Disability Convention Committee nears Consensus on Health, Labour Rights, Participation in Society Day Eleven Summary
31 Jan 2006	Intervention by National Human Rights Institutions Delegates at UN meeting on disability rights see it as major step forward Day Twelve Summary
1 Feb 2006	Day Thirteen Summary
2 Feb 2006	Day Fourteen Summary
3 Feb 2006	Day Fifteen Summary Session ends - Right to privacy for persons with disabilities agreed upon at the United Nations
16 Jan -3 Feb 2006	Comments by Non-Governmental Organisations

 

 

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