IN THIS ISSUE

FROM THE HREA STAFF: 61st SESSION OF THE COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS


Dear Colleagues and Friends,

Many of us have been closely watching the UN Commission on Human Rights, which convened in Geneva in March and April for its annual session. Despite the issues of (counter-)terrorism, Abu Ghraib, etc. on the global agenda, the session seemed less politicised than previous sessions. Years before the Cuba-US infighting put a shadow on the session and allowed other countries with gross human rights violations to navigate through the Commission silently and largely undisturbed, and major human rights abuses to go unnoticed (e.g. Chechnya).

The Commission made positive decisions in a few areas in which success was not guaranteed, e.g. on the human rights crises in Nepal and Sudan. Other notable achievements were the appointment of a Special Rapporteur on counter-terrorism and a Special Representative on the issue of Human Rights, Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises; and the adoption of the Basic Principles and Guidelines on the Right to a Remedy and Reparation for Victims of Gross Violations of International Human Rights Law and Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law.

The highlight of the session was the reform proposal presented by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. Although it is obviously too early to assess the impact, Annan's proposal to restructure the UN's human rights system and replace the Commission with a Human Rights Council that would have a more prominent place in the UN is very promising.

With warm wishes from the HREA Board and staff,

Felisa Tibbitts
Executive Director

WORKSHOP ON HUMAN RIGHTS MONITORING


On 25 and 26 March, HREA organised an introductory training workshop on human rights monitoring at the International Center for Tolerance Education in New York. The workshop familiarised participants with international and regional human rights standards, and the principles and goals for monitoring human rights. In break-out sessions, techniques for documenting and monitoring closed institutions (e.g. prisons, psychiatric hospitals) and gender-based violence (incl. domestic violence and violence against women in armed conflict) were demonstrated and discussed.

The workshop was attended by staff members of human rights and social justice NGOs, UN specialised agencies, graduate students from Columbia University and New York University, and alumni of distance leaning HREA courses. "This was a wonderful opportunity to meet others working on different issues", commented one of the twenty participants. Similar introductory workshops on human rights monitoring will be held in New York and Amsterdam later this year.

Unique to the workshop was the participation of a small group of 9th grade students from the School for Human Rights in Brooklyn (New York). The students participated in some of the plenary sessions with the adult participants yet also had their own programme. For the students this was an overwhelmingly successful event. One of the students told HREA's Programme Associate Jessamyn Waldman: "Ms Waldman, I will never forget this day!".

HUMAN RIGHTS CRISIS IN DARFUR

HREA staff member Abderrahim Sabir just returned from a 7-month mission as coordinator of the UN human rights monitors in Darfur. Over 50,000 people are believed to have been killed and thousands of others have died as a result of hardship and disease since the conflict in Darfur erupted over two years ago. In a day-long "chat session", Mr. Sabir reported out to volunteers and course participants about the latest developments in the severe human rights and humanitarian crisis in Darfur. Below an excerpt of the on-line conversation.

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Question by F. (UK):

I was wondering how effective the work of the NGOs in Darfur has been? Do they have access to the people and are they protected in their work?

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Abderrahim Sabir answers:

Dear F.:
Most of the NGOs in Darfur are doing a fantastic job. They all have access to people in the camps and some of them have presence in the camps. Most are working on humanitarian issues. In terms of protection, it is hard to say. They are supposedly protected since they signed an agreement with the Sudanese authorities before going to the field. But there were attacks on their convoys and some of the attacks were deadly. We were not certain of who is behind these attacks, some of them were acts of banditry but some were committed by the janjaweed or the rebel groups.

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Question by A. (Tunisia):

I first wanted to thank you for sharing with us your views and experience on Darfur. My question is on the effectiveness of the international approach for the Darfur crisis. While the Sudanese government started to show positive steps with the international community in dealing with the Southern Soudan crisis; world powers (and the UN) did not grasp this positive momentum to deal with the crisis in Darfur, they rather chose a conflictual approach (sanctions, ICC). Couldn't the international community build on the cooperation of the government to solve the human rights problem in Darfur?

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Abderrahim Sabir answers:

Dear A., while I share your concern and feel that when positive steps are being taken we should recognize them and do everything we could to encourage the authorities to undertake more similar steps. On the other hand, we should recognize that an atrocity has taken place and over a million people are still living in the camps and have been victims of attacks committed by the janjaweed militia with the tacit support of Sudanese military. If we accept the premise that the culprit of a human rights attack on civilians should be brought to justice, then we cannot argue about the recent decision undertaken by the Security Council resolution. The Sudanese government had ample time to bring those who are behind the attacks to trial. They choose not to do so, and thus opened the door for more international involvement. The first resolution on Darfur talked about disarming and bringing to justice the janjaweed militia. None of that occured.
I also would like to inform you that we have always mentioned in our reports the positive steps that were undertaken by the Sudanese government. But I am sure that you agree with me when I say that we cannot ignore the issue of impunity if we want to build reconciliation and a state respectful of its own domestic laws and of international law.

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Question by M. (USA):

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your work. I appreciate your efforts. I am very interested in how people with disabilities are managing in the camps and if the UN has been addressing the needs of families with children or other family members that have intellectual or developmental disabilities. I know in other countries where there has been major conflict, man children with disabilities die at birth or shortly after birth. Any information on that? Many people in conflict countries leave their family members in institutions. I assume they don't have institutions there. Is that correct?

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Abderrahim Sabir answers:

Dear M., unfortunately not much is being done on the issue of people with disabilities. The conditions in the camps are horrendous and heart breaking, and they are, as you can imagine worst for people with disabilities. There are no institutions in Darfur. It is an extremely poor area without the conflict. The UN has been addressing the needs for women and children, since they are the ones that are affected the most by the conflict; but there is really nothing that is being done for people with physical or mental disabilities. I saw a young man suffering from mental disability being attached by his family to the ground inside a tent by a rope. When I spoke to them they said they did not want him to get lost and they don't know what else to do or where to take him. These are very poor families and the only existing place is in Khartoum. They have no means and the conflict is making the situation worse.

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The full text of the conversation about the human rights crisis in Darfur can be found on HREA's website.

Upcoming e-learning courses in 2005/2006

The application process has started for HREA distance learning courses offered in the second half of 2005 and first half of 2006, including our annual courses on the European human rights system, human rights monitoring, human rights advocacy and the introductory course on human rights education. Find out more about these and other upcoming e-learning opportunities.

HREA and OSCE organise workshop in Warsaw

HREA and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) organised a workshop for OSCE human rights officers in Warsaw on 5 and 6 April 2005. During the training participants were introduced to human rights education and examples of how OSCE field offices can incorporate HRE in their activities. Read further.

Resource packet for Northern Ireland Bill of Rights in Schools

A resource packet with lessons about the proposed Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland is now available on-line. The packet, of which HREA staff members Ellie Keen and Felisa Tibbitts are co-authors, allows pupils and their teachers to explore the topics of children’s rights, social and economic rights, group identity and the two main communities, equality and non-discrimination, and ethnic minorities in Northern Ireland.

HREA partners with Educators for Social Responsibility

HREA has joined forces with Educators for Social Responsibility (ESR). In partnership with ESR we will develop new materials that bring human rights into classrooms in the United States. Press release.

E-learning course parallel to session of Commission on Human Rights

HREA offered an e-learning course on the United Nations human rights system parallel to the 61st session of the UN Commission on Human Rights.

Notes from Cambodia

HREA Director Felisa Tibbitts was recently in Cambodia to support the development of paralegal training in the provinces. Read her reflections on Cambodia.

How You Can Help

HREA supports human rights and educational institutions in transitional democracies in developing human rights curricula and training materials. With your donations we can continue to assist our colleagues in their important work. Find out how you can contribute.

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