IIMA Side Event: Right to Education of Children Living and/or Working in the Street- March 4 2011, Geneva

On the occasion of the 16^th session of the Human Rights Council, held from 28 February to 26 March 2011, the Istituto Internazionale Maria Ausiliatrice  (IIMA) organized a side event on the “Right to Education of Children Living and/or Working in the Street”.

International Day for the Right to Truth Concerning Victims of Gross Human Rights Violations and Dignity of Victims

24 March 1980--- El Salvadorian human rights defender, Monsignor Oscar Arnulfo Romero, was shot to death while celebrating mass and after denouncing violations of the human rights of the most vulnerable populations and defending the principles of protecting lives, promoting human dignity and opposition to all forms of violence. Thirty years later, the UN General Assembly, marked the day as the “International Day for the Right to Truth Concerning Victims of Gross Human Rights Violations and Dignity of Victims”.  

On the occasion of its first commemoration, on 24 March 2011, the Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, and the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, expressed their support on the key concept that the victims of human rights abuses and their families possess an inalienable right to know the truth about the circumstances concerning the perpetration of heinous crimes against them. Ban Ki-moon emphasized that right to the truth is now provided in the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance which entered into force in December last year. Navi Pillay shared the three fundamental rights to fight against impunity and to restore the dignity of victims: the right to the truth, to justice, and to reparations. In addition, she pointed out the importance of public, independent, and impartial inquiries into gross violations in order to bring out the truth on the suffered violations.

Special Rapporteur on the situation in Iran

On 24^th March, the Human Rights Council created a post of Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran to assess and report on the respect of human rights in the country.

This is an important innovation because it implies that, henceforth, the situation of human rights in Iran will be constantly monitored by a UN expert who will submit at the Human Rights Council periodic reports. Consequently, Iran should cooperate with the Special Rapporteur, among other things, by inviting him/her to visit the country.

To read more information, please follow the link below:

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=37887&Cr=iran&Cr1=

Climate change and Human Rights

Geneva, 17 March 2011- Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Center for International Environment Law,  Earthjustice and WaterLex led a side event at Room XXV, Palais des Nations on the topic “Climate Change and Human Rights.”  The panel was composed of Joshua Cooper (University of Hawaii), Alyssa Johl (Center for International Environment Law), Yves Lador (Earthjustice) and Maria Francisca Ize-Charin (WaterLex). Felix Kirchmeier (Friedrich Ebert Stiftung) acted as the moderator.

Timor-Leste towards consolidation of peace and development

After the creation of the UN Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) in 2006, the country has taken important steps toward peace and development.

Tunisia: transition to democracy

After a week-mission in Tunisia, four top Experts from the UN Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said in a report that currently it is vital to support the country to the transition to democracy.