Human Rights Committee

2012 Annual Report Liberal International: 2012 Human Rights Report

Table of Contents

Overview of LI Human Rights Committee...... 2

Priority Work Areas...... 8

LGBT Rights...... 8

Women’s Rights...... 12

Responsibility to Protect...... 14

Target Countries...... 19

LI HRC at the UN Human Rights Council...... 21 Liberal International: 2012 Human Rights Report

Foreword from the Chair of LI Human Rights Committee

Dear Reader, t is a pleasure for me to present the first Annual Report of Liberal International’s Human Rights Committee. This document covers the activities of the Committee for the calendar year of 2012, which was the first operational year of the Committee following its renewed mandate at LI’s 187th Executive ICommittee Meeting in in October 2011. This past year we have witnessed several important developments in the field of human rights, not least because of the individual efforts of the members of the LI HRC for which I would like to wholeheartedly commend them.

The role of Liberal International within the framework of the United Nations Human Rights Council has flourished as the Committee advanced numerous issues of particular importance to both LI members and the organisation as a whole. Some of the main topics addressed included the on-going humanitarian crisis in Syria, the intensification of repression against human rights defenders, the deteriorated state of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender rights around the world, the universal abolition of the death penalty, and the declining state of human rights in the Republic of Belarus.

The Committee has also worked hard to promote awareness of key areas under the LI human rights roadmap: from launching a campaign aimed at tackling human rights violations in Belarus to organizing the first LI LGBT Rights seminar in Africa.

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to our financial donors, without whom the work of the Committee would not have been possible: ALDE Group, ALDE Party, Centerpartiet, DPP, and Llibertat i Democràcia. Your support for, and belief in, the importance of sustaining Liberal International’s human rights record will ensure that from around the world will continue to voice their concerns in a unified and coordinated way.

I hope that you will enjoy this report and that you will keep updated on our planned activities for 2013.

Yours sincerely,

Abir Al-Sahlani MP

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Overview of the LI Human Rights Committee

The LI Human Rights Committee acts as an executive body, illuminating human rights issues and promoting human rights worldwide. The Committee aims at promoting the adoption of international human rights standards, using human rights as a measure for policy approaches in all areas, and campaigning on behalf of individuals and groups around the world where their rights are being transgressed.

Chairperson:

Abir Al-Sahlani MP, Vice President on Liberal International Bureau

Abir Al-Sahlani was born on May 18, 1976 in Baghdad, Iraq. Ms Al-Sahlani has been a member of the Parliament of Sweden since 2010, representing Centerpartiet. She has a Master’s degree in computer system science from Stockholm University. Her studies included Arabic language and history, political science and psychology at both Stockholm University and Södertörn University College in Stockholm. After graduation Abir Al-Sahlani volunteered as a language teacher at Nacka School in Stockholm in 2002-2003, assisting migrants' children in their studies. In 2003 she returned for four years to Iraq, where she worked as Liaison officer for the Governing Council of Baghdad in 2003-2004, coordinating relations between the council and Iraqi ministries. During her years in Bagdad she arranged seminars on women's rights and successfully promoted the founding of a centre for democracy and a youth parliament. In 2004 Ms Al-Sahlani was appointed Secretary General of the National Democratic Alliance (DNA), an Iraqi , a position she held until 2007 when she was recruited as Political Adviser on foreign affairs and migration for the in Sweden. She entered the Swedish parliament in 2010 and is a member of the Foreign affairs committee and the Labour market committee.

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Honorary Patron:

Lord Alderdice, Immediate Past President of Liberal International

John Thomas Alderdice, Baron Alderdice (born 28 March 1955) is a Northern Ireland politician. He was Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly 1998-2004, leader of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland 1987-1998, and since 1996 sits in the House of Lords as a Liberal Democrat. He was elected President of Liberal International in 2005 and served until Liberal International's Cairo congress in 2009.

He was educated at Ballymena Academy and the Queen's University of Belfast (QUB). He worked part-time as a consultant psychiatrist in psychotherapy in the NHS from 1988 until he retired from psychiatric practice in 2010. He also lectured at Queen's University's Faculty of Medicine between 1991 and 1999.

The Alliance Party was formed in 1970 as an alternative to sectarian politics. Alderdice was on the Executive Committee of the party between 1984 and 1998, the Chair Policy Committee between 1985 and 1987, the party Vice-chair in 1987 before becoming the party leader ahead of the 1987 general election and contested Belfast East for the party. He received 32.1% of the vote, the highest percentage achieved by Alliance in an individual seat in a Westminster election until Naomi Long's historic victory for the party in Belfast East in the 2010 general election. In 1988, in Alliance's keynote post-Anglo Irish Agreement document, "Governing with Consent", Alderdice called for a devolved power-sharing government based on a voluntary coalition elected by a qualified majority vote. Throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, Alliance's vote stabilised at between 6% and 8%.

He was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly for Belfast East in 1998 and became the Assembly's first speaker, serving until 2004. Alderdice was a Belfast City Councillor from 1989 until 1997. He resigned as party leader to take the position of Speaker. He has been a member of the Independent Monitoring Commission since 2004.

Alderdice was created a life peer in 1996 as Baron Alderdice, of Knock in the City of Belfast; he was one of the youngest ever life peers. He sits in the House of Lords as a Liberal Democrat. On 10 June 2010, he was elected to the new position of Convenor of the Liberal Democrat Peers, a role in which he chairs the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Party in the House of Lords.

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Member:

Hon. Irwin Cotler MP, Liberal Party of Canada

Law Professor, Constitutional and Comparative Law Scholar, International Human Rights Lawyer, Counsel to prisoners of conscience, NGO Head, Public Intellectual, Peace Activist, Member of Parliament, and Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada – Irwin Cotler has been variously described in these roles and responsibilities as being “at the forefront of the struggle for justice, peace and human rights.”

Irwin Cotler is presently a Canadian Member of Parliament first elected in a by-election in November 1999 with 92% of the votes, in what was characterized as “the most stunning electoral victory in this century by any standard”. He was re-elected in the general elections of November 2000, June 2004, and January 2006, with the highest Liberal majority in the country, October 2008, and, most recently, in May 2011.

On December 12, 2003, the Prime Minister appointed him Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada. He was reappointed following the General Election of June 2004 and served in that office until the general election of January 2006, when the Liberal government was defeated. He is currently serving as Liberal Critic for Human Rights, is a member of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on International Human Rights, and Chair of the All-Party Save Darfur Parliamentary Coalition. A leading public advocate in and out of Parliament for the Human Rights Agenda, he headed the Canadian Delegation to the Stockholm International Forum on the Prevention of Genocide.

Mr. Cotler is currently on leave as a Professor of Law at McGill University, where he is Director of its Human Rights Programme, and Chair of InterAmicus, the McGill-based International Human Rights Advocacy Centre. He has been a Visiting Professor at Harvard Law School, a Woodrow Wilson Fellow at Yale Law School, and is the recipient of nine Honorary Doctorates, including from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, whose various citations refer to him as “a scholar and advocate of international stature.”

A leader in the struggle against impunity and the development of international humanitarian law, Professor Cotler served as Counsel to the Deschênes Commission of Inquiry in the matter of bringing Nazi war criminals to justice; filed amicus briefs before the International Criminal Tribunals for former Yugoslavia and Rwanda; and was leading advocate for the establishment of an International Criminal Court.

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Member:

Marietje Schaake MEP, D66

Marietje Schaake (born in Leiden on 28 October 1978) is a Dutch politician for the social liberal party Democrats 66. Since July 2009, she has served as a Member of the . She is a member of the parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET), as well as the Committee of International Trade (INTA) and the Committee on Culture, Media and Education (CULT). She also sits on the Parliament's Delegation for relations with the United States and the Delegation for relations with Iran, and the delegation for relations with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo. In March 2011 the European Parliament adopted Schaake's report on the cultural dimensions of the EU's external actions. She is currently the rapporteur for the first EU strategy on digital freedom in foreign policy. Marietje Schaake is a Member of the European Council on Foreign Relations, and serves on the Board of the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center. She is also vice-chair of the Supervisory Board of Free Press Unlimited, and serves on the Board of Governors of the European Internet Foundation.

Member:

Adrian Trett, Chair of the LGBT Committee of the Liberal Democrats

Adrian Trett has worked for Southwark Council for the past five years including Housing, Regeneration and currently Children Services departments. Previously, Adrian worked in the City for a company specialising in Legal and financial translation. He is very concerned with local issues including ensuring our young people have a safe and secure future, protecting the environment, sustainable green jobs and above all representing the local community in the Ward. Adrian has just been appointed as a local School Governor at Acacia Nursery and recently stood as a candidate for the first time in the recent 2010 local elections for Cann Hall Ward. Unfortunately he was not elected this time around, however he will continue to be a local ward activist in the community, assisting in particular Cllr Liz Phillips and will continue to be an active, hard-working member of both the Constituency's Local Liberal Democrat Party and the wider Waltham Forest Liberal Democrats.

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Member:

Medina Luciano Martins, Brazilian Group of Liberal International

Mr. Martins was born on 20 April 1971. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Social Communication/Journalism from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (1992-1999) and a Master’s Degree in Education from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (2003). He also studied legal sciences at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul from 1998 to 1991. His main professional activities include institutional relations, marketing, communication, advertising copywriting, translation and interpretation, political activism and human rights activism, investigative journalism, and research on social media for politics. He has held various positions in the Brazilian Congress such as Coordinator of Journalism at the Leadership (2007), Secretary for the Parliamentary Joint Committee of the Taxpayer's Rights (2007), Secretary for the body of officially appointed foreign counsels in the State of Rio Grande do Sul (Porto Alegre, 2009) and Coordinator of Social Media for the Brazilian MP, Onyx Lorenzoni (2011-2012). He is a Co-founder and Vice President of Marketing at the Institute for the Rights of Taxpayers and Vice President of Marketing of the Institute for the Study of Taxpayer Rights. He was awarded the 2008 Top of Marketing ADVB Trophy. He is also an Executive Secretary of the Consular Association of the State of Rio Grande do Sul: an entity that brings together all the consuls based in the state of Rio Grande do Sul/Brazil – Porto Alegre/2009.

Member:

Jordi Xucla MP, Llibertat I Democracia

Mr. Xucla was born in Olot (Girona) on 13 May 1973. He completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Law from the University of Girona in 1996 and a Graduate Diploma and Certificate in Research Proficiency in Public Law from the University of Girona in 2003. He also has a Master of Foreign Affairs and Defence (2006), a Diploma in electoral observation missions by the Diplomatic Academy (2009), a Diploma in Leadership Program for Public Management – IESE (2009) and a Diploma in Executive Management Programme for Parliamentarians, IE Business School (2010). He headed the Convergència i Unió list for Congress for Girona in the general elections held on 14 March 2004. He was re-elected on 9 March 2008. He is the current spokesman member of the Spanish Parliament on the Foreign Affairs Committee and Defence Committee, and a Member of Constitutional Committee and European Union Committee.

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He is also a Lawyer and Associate Professor of Administrative Law at the University of Girona and a Member of the Spanish delegation in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Other positions include Vice-Chairman of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, Chairman of the PACE Sub-committee on Nagorno-Karabakh and a Member of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights and Monitoring Committee.

As a Senator, he coordinated the proposal of the Catalan Parliamentary Group (Convergència i Unió) to reform the Senate and was spokesman for the Parliamentary Intergroup for monitoring the political process in Western Sahara.

He has been a member of International Program Visitor the U.S. government and is an associate member German Marshall Foundation. So, He is President of the European management of the State Legislative Leaders Foundation and Pattern of the Foundation Llibertat i Democracia (Catalan Group of Liberal International) and the Baruch Spinoza Foundation.

An active member of the university association movement, he founded the Girona Students Association. He is member of the University of Girona Social Council and Faculty, and of the committee responsible for drawing up the university’s bylaws.

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Priority Areas of Work

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights

dvocating for the protection and promotion of LGBT Rights is at the core of LI Human Rights work. The LI LGBT Rights working group was established as a way to streamline the LGBT rights work of Liberal International and provide greater expertise on LGBT Rights. The current coordinator of the group is Frank Van Dalen who is a member of the VVD political advisory board. Additional Amembers include LI HRC Member Adrian Trett and Bjorn Van Roozendaal, Member of D66. The group has created separate facebook page in order to keep interested parties updated on LI’s LGBT rights activities.

LGBT Rights Working Group

Main Coordinator:

Frank Van Daalen, Member of VVD Political Advisory Board

Frank van Dalen became first involved with LGBT-themes in 1997. The Gay Games of 1998 were in need for sponsors but sponsors were reluctant in openly sponsoring the event. A media campaign about gay-advertising led by van Dalen opened doors towards financial support. In 2005 van Dalen became president of the oldest existing Dutch LGBT-movement COC Netherlands. In this role he launched a new mission, the third phase of LGBT emancipation, revitalizing the LGBT-cause in the Netherlands.

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As a result the Dutch government adopted the objective of social acceptance as key-priority for the first time in 2007. In the same year Van Dalen also became a president of the gay pride-organizer ProGay. He set a new strategy focusing on broadening the audience and deepening the event agenda. It led to a doubled number of visitors a few years later and the establishment of new programs like Lesbian Pride, a massive cultural and emancipator program and many new initiatives. In 2009 Frank took the leadership in defining a new LGBT-program for the city of Amsterdam improving the social and safety climate. In 2010 he was elected in the town hall-council where he took leadership in developing a new program strengthening the economic side of Amsterdam as a Gay Capital. This program was adopted by the local council in the spring of 2011.

Member:

Björn van Roozendaal is Programmes Director with ILGA-Europe. In this role he is overseeing ILGA-Europe’s strategy on building capacities of the LGBT movements throughout Europe. Before joining ILGA-Europe, Björn worked with COC Netherlands, first as Project Consultant and later as International Advocacy Officer. He has taken the lead in developing the international advocacy work of COC Netherlands, and as such has worked with various international organisations, including the United Nations, the OSCE, the European Union and the Council of Europe. In this role he worked with activists from all over the world. As project consultant Björn worked together more intensively with activists from the Balkan, Turkey and Central-Asia.

Activist work for Björn started with the Dutch LGBT youth magazine ‘Expreszo’ and later was a board member with IGLYO, and advised the preceding board afterwards. Currently he is a board member of the Planet Romeo Foundation. Björn holds a degree in Communications from the Inholland University in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. His thesis covered the subject of philanthropic fundraising in the Netherlands. When leaving COC Netherlands in 2012 Björn’s work was recognised with an organisational award. His work previously has been recognised by his election of ‘Dutch European young person of the year’, in 2007. LGBT Rights Workshop at LI 58th Congress in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire

The panel was an opportunity to bring the agenda of the LI Human Rights committee regarding LGBT-rights one step further as it focused on LGBT rights in Africa and saw the participation of two local NGOs: Alternative Cote d’Ivoire and Arc-En-Ciel-Plus. The discussion examined cross-cultural experiences from both Europe and Africa in order to discuss a suitable strategy to push LGBT-rights on a global level. The overall goal of the panel was to show that whether homophobia is fought in Europe or in Africa, political parties and LGBT Rights organisations have to work together in order to combat discrimination and criminalization of homosexuality. The session was chaired by Markus Loening, Federal Commissioner for Human Rights (FDP, Germany) and newly elected Vice President on the LI Bureau. Speakers included Naomi Blumenthal, Former Deputy Minister for National Infrastructure (Israeli Liberal Group), Danko Runic, Director of the Agency for European Integration of the City of Belgrade (LDP, Serbia), Frank Van Dalen, Claver Ningwélé Toure from Alternative Cote d’Ivoire and Gnao g. Elvis Jocelyn from Arc-En-Ciel-Plus.

Both panellists and participants agreed that more information is needed on the causes of homophobia in the first place so that discrimination against LGBT individuals is tackled in a solution-oriented way. One of the main questions raised during the discussion was finding ways to implement LGBT Rights in countries where it is difficult to talk about the issue. 9 Liberal International: 2012 Human Rights Report

Among the conclusions reached were that in order to fight homophobia homosexuality needs to be decriminalized along with ensuring equal rights for LGBT individuals by pushing for internationalization of laws protecting LGBT people.

The panel was attended by around 30 different delegates including representatives from South Africa and Senegal. “How do we succeed in implementing LGBT Rights in countries where it is Permanent LGBT Rights Exhibition at LI 58th difficult to talk about the issue? In Congress in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire Israel we succeeded by combining As part of the LGBT Rights panel, the LI Human Rights quiet work inside the parliament with Committee decided to organize a permanent LGBT exhibition a public display of homosexuality by displaying the work of LI members in the field which included organizing gay parades.” leaflets, brochures, presentations, photos, gadgets and other similar materials. There was also a general presentation on Naomi Blumenthal LGBT rights prepared by the LI LGBT working group which was also displayed throughout the entire duration of the Congress. A total of 5 LI members took part in the exhibition: DPP (Taiwan); LibDems (UK); Folkpartiet (Sweden); D66 (Netherlands) and IFLRY.

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LI LGTB Rights Workshop at ILGA World Conference, Stockholm, 10-16 December 2012

For the first time in the history of LI Human Rights Committee the organization hosted an LGBTI Rights workshop at an LGBTI conference. The session was headed by the Chair of the LI Human Rights Committee and LI Vice-President on the Bureau, Abir Al Sahlani MP, in conjunction with the coordinator of the LI LGBTI Rights workgroup Frank Van Dalen.

The goal of the workshop was to bridge Liberal International and its members with the wider LGBTI community and to address how liberal values connect to LGBTI human rights principles. A map of regions and backgrounds of liberal parties was outlined as a way to understanding the possibilities for political influence for LGBTI-organizations. Via the panel discussion opportunities to combat criminalization of homosexuality and discrimination of LGBTI were also explored. Special attention was paid to countries with nationalist governments and liberals in opposition, countries where liberal politicians operate in extremely homophobic environments and countries where homosexuality is criminalized.

Participants raised concerns that some of the members of Liberal International might in practice not be as LGBTI-friendly as one might expect based on general liberal values regarding human rights and the various policies LI had adopted on the issue. As a way to follow-up on these concerns the LI HRC Chair invited the LGBTI-defenders present to take part in the network of liberals supporting LGBTI rights and to submit reports to the LI Secretariat detailing the LGBTI rights situation in their respective countries. A one-off newsletter containing information on LI’s LGBT Rights activities and the expertise of the LI LGTB working group was sent to all of the attendees of the session who represented a diverse group of countries from Asia, Latin America, Africa and Europe.

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Women’s Rights

“Strong Women as a Force for Change: The Arab Spring and Beyond” Panel at LI 188th EC Meeting in Barcelona, Catalonia

The panel was an opportunity to address the predominant fear of the imposition of Sharia or elements of it in the new constitutions of Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, as that would mean a serious deterioration of the position of women. LI used the opportunity to raise the issue within the framework of the theme of the first anniversary of the Arab Spring. The objective was to have the women leaders from the Arab world to speak about the involvement of women in the changes in the Arab world and to reflect about the consequences of the Arab Spring on the position of women and their rights.

The panel was chaired by Mr. Lennart Nordfors, Chairman “We realized that our voices have to of SILC, and it featured the following speakers: Dr. Hoda be louder and we have to listen not to Badran, President of the Alliance for Arab Women, Mrs. Anne Brasseur, President of ALDE PACE and Abir Al-Sahlani hundred but to thousands of women. MP, Vice-President on the Bureau and Chair of LI Human We need to join forces and call for a Rights Committee. Among the issues discussed were the political space in the transition strong patriarchal systems still dominating many of the process to democracy in Egypt.” societies in the region which became very clear during the transitional process to democracy. Following the ruling of Dr. Hoda Badran the Egyptian Military

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Council for example, the Muslim Brotherhood gathered popular support in part due to their loyalty to the Council, which “The problem in the region is marginalized the role of women in the Egyptian political circle that women’s rights are not even more. Currently, there is a huge problem of power struggle in the country between the Military Council and the Muslim recognized as human rights.” Brotherhood which creates a power vacuum and leaves very little Abir al-Sahlani MP space for NGOs like the Alliance for Arab Women. Islamic groups claim to act in the name of Islam but at the same they exclude women from the political mechanisms discussed following the revolution which certainly has nothing to do with the religion itself.

Tunisian women continue to be underrepresented in many sectors of the economy especially in the political sphere. In fact it is the political parties that are not really reaching out to women to participate. In Iraq women have a very high rate of unemployment as access to education for girls is very limited.

Some of the conclusions reached are that women have been put at the biggest disadvantage in the Arab Spring as they were the first to start off the revolutionary process but they are yet to be represented in the political process. The fight of women however is not just a fight of women but that of men as it is a project for the whole society. Democracy is about behavior on a daily basis not just about the written book of the law. Thus the international community has to keep applying political pressure and keep women’s and minority rights in the MENA region high on the agenda.

Campaign for the Release of Nahid Gabralla

The LI HRC joined forces with the and an organisation called Waging Peace in helping secure the release of Nahid Gabralla, one of the leading Sudanese women’s rights activists, who was arrested on 3 July 2012. Gabralla is the technical advisor to SEEMA, the National Program of Abolition of Female Genital Mutilation. The notorious Sudanese National Intelligence Security Service picked her up as part of a sweep of hundreds of human rights defenders and democracy campaigners and journalists. Gabralla was held at Omdurman Women’s Prison where she was tortured and received death threats. In 2009 she bravely led a march by hundreds of women to a courtroom where a young woman, Lubna Hussein, was on trial for the crime of wearing trousers (Section 152 of the criminal code: indecency, punishable with 40 lashes). Gabralla faced down riot police who were armed with AK47s to deliver her defiant message of support for Lubna Hussein.

As part of the campaign the LI HRC publicized the case though its social and print media and it also distributed a sample appeal letter prepared by Waging Peace urging LI members to distribute it to the ambassadors of Sudan in their respective countries and lobby the Sudanese government directly.

Outcome

Nahid Gabralla was released from prison on 12 August though several other human rights campaigners have remained in jail. Overall the campaign proved very successful as it not only achieved its final goal but it also gained the support of several LI members such as the International Network of Liberal Women and D66. 14 Liberal International: 2012 Human Rights Report

Responsibility to Protect: R2P Conference,187th LI Executive Committee, London

he Conference on the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) was co-organised by the Liberal Democrats Party (LibDems) and the Liberal International British Group (LIBG) with the support of ELDR and ALDE. The Conference was organised in the context of the recent developments in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and the liberal dimension of the Arab Spring. Its objective was to discuss Tthe concept as a liberal approach and to bring attention to several R2P issues which have arisen as a result of the UN-backed NATO mission in Libya. Jonathan Fryer, a member of the LibDems party and ELDR Council Member, who lectures at SOAS, presented a special report on R2P. In it, he discussed at length concepts such as liberal interventionism and precautionary intervention. There were 3 discussion panels each focusing on the different aspects of R2P. The first one addressed R2P broadly as a concept. The second one went from a theoretical to a practical review of the concept. The last one focused on the future and the challenges that come with implementing R2P. A few of the prominent speakers included LibDems Convenor in the House of Lords and immediate past LI President Lord Alderdice, Former Minister of EU and Integration Astrid Thors MP, the foreign affairs spokesperson of the governing Dutch Liberal Party Han Ten Broeke MP, Former Minister of Defence of Canada and LI Treasurer Art Eggleton, the Minister of Regional Integration of Zimbabwe Priscilla Mushonga as well as former D66 leader Lousewies van der Laan.

Panel One: R2P as a Concept

The panel was chaired by Professor Ingemund Hagg, a Patron of LI, and featured the following speakers: Dr. Meierhenrich from the London School of Economics, Medard Mulangala MP and Leader of the Union for a Republican Majority (CD), Senator Art Eggleton from the Liberal Party of Canada (CA) and Lord Alderdice, Convenor of the Liberal Democrats Party (UK) in the House of Lords.

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The discussion stressed on the notion that even though R2P has evolved as a concept it must also incorporate further dimensions such as the responsibility to intervene and to rebuild: two dimensions essential for the successful resolution of any humanitarian crisis.

The role of women in bringing these dimensions to reality is important and therefore they should “Society’s understanding of be allowed a greater role and participation. It was sovereignty has improved also pointed out that military intervention as a quite a lot but there is still policing operation is not an outright application of much resistance to be force when implementing R2P. The use of force under the R2P concept should reflect a view of expected.” “sovereignty to protect”, which means that each Dr. Meierhenrich state has a positive duty to protect its own citi- zens. If there is no capacity or intention to intervene and prevent atrocities then a law on R2P does not matter. R2P should be implemented as a last resort and prevention should come first. Collective action must be taken only when “peaceful means are inadequate and national authorities are manifestly failing to protect their populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.”

Several participants raised the fact that the international community cannot act as a world’s policeman but it can certainly focus on building economic capacity and democracy in fragile states as a first step to preventing mass atrocities. The United Nations should be pressured into bringing back the more demanding aspects of R2P as a concept.

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Panel Two: R2P in Action - As seen from different perspectives

The panel was chaired by Sir Graham Watson, MEP and former ALDE President, and featured the following speakers: Sam Rainsy, leader of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (KH), Gianni Vernetti MP from Allianza per Italia (IT) and Former Deputy Foreign Minister of Italy, and Issiaka Konate, RDR UK Representative (CI). Both speakers and participants agreed that R2P should be at the centre of policy intervention before it becomes necessary to use military action. The notion of R2P is generally as an international extension of a national concept. Authoritative regimes should not be given legitimacy by the Western world. To break the cycle of violence in Cambodia it is crucial to implement the prevention and re-building aspects of the R2P concept for example. Sam Rainsy emphasized that democracy in Cambodia is the way to successful R2P implementation. The United Nations allows the current regime of Cambodia to intervene in the decision of the International Criminal Court and prevent the prosecution of those responsible for atrocities in the country. Another issue brought up was the fact that the right to protect is much easier to implement in Africa than in China. In addition, because of corruption, African countries succumb to China’s cheap deals in view of exploiting African resources. Dr. Rajiva mentioned that one should also not confuse the right to protect with the responsibility to protect. Many authoritative regimes for example were supported by Western governments. The democratic regimes of the so-called BRIC countries are open to implementing the R2P concept until the question of regime change comes up. In Bahrain the opposition does not want to topple the regime. However, the state responsibility to protect the people is non-existent in the country. A serious and credible dialogue with the king of Bahrain is much needed. The report of the Observer Commission in the country needs to be objective and its implementation is essential. Yet, it is necessary to have an international pressure applied in order for the country to uphold the R2P principles there.

The role of regional organisations “It is important to not only was brought up as important in intervene in situations where mass situations where intervention on humanitarian ground is necessary. violations of Human Rights occur In fact, several participants stressed but to also assure that the duration that R2P should not only be the of the actual military intervention responsibility of the UN Security is sustained for as long as it is Council but also the responsibility needed.” Sam Rainsy of regional organisations. The involvement of the Arab League in Libya was quite important for example. ASEAN is considering taking an action in Burma. In Cote D’Ivoire it was the regional organisations that tried to deal with the post-election violence in the first place and only after these efforts failed did they turn to the UN.

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Panel Three: The Challenges of Implementing R2P

The panel was chaired by Astrid Thors, Former Minister of Integration for Finland (Swedish People’s Party), and featured the following speakers: “There will always be Lousewies van der Laan, Former Chief of Cabinet of the President of the political interests in place International Criminal Court (NL); which prevents the Priscilla Mishairabwi-Mushonga, universal evoking of R2P Minister of Regional Integration and principles.” International Cooperation and Lousewies Van Der Laan Secretary-General of MDC (ZW); and Han ten Broeke, MP and Spokesman on Foreign Affairs of VVD (NL).

Several important questions were raised in regards to the situation in Syria and the possibility of evoking the R2P principle there. Participants and speakers agreed that in general it is desirable that a UN Security Council resolution is triggered before any intervention actions are undertaken. The problem however is that no consensus can be reached by the UN Security Council on whether to intervene in Syria or not. It is true that trade sanctions have been imposed but these have been watered down by some European powers to such an extent that they are no longer efficient.

Therefore, unless there are tighter sanctions results will be limited. The international community has to ensure that autocratic leaders like Assad are no longer able to engage in diplomatic prolonging in order to avoid military sanctions.

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The importance of international law in implementing R2P was discussed at length though several limitations were identified. In the case of the International Criminal Court (ICC) the following issues to the ICC’s mandate were pointed out:

The Rome Statue Treaty has been ratified only by 119 countries which excludes key players such as USA, China, Russia and India. ICC deals only with three issues: ethnic cleansing, crimes against humanity and war crimes. In addition, there have to be consistent violations for ICC prosecution to be evoked. Yet, there are many atrocities that are not branded “crimes against humanity” and thus cannot be prosecuted by the ICC but are still very serious. There are always political interests in place which prevents the universal evoking of R2P principles. The system of the ICC applies only to states which leaves out occupied territories like Palestine for example where many atrocities have occurred.

Concluding Remarks on R2P

he concluding remarks of the Conference were given by LibDems Foreign Affairs Spokesperson in the House of Lords Baroness Kishwer Falkner, TCo-Chair of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Party Committee on International Affairs (UK). Overall, an emphasis was put on the concept of prevention since every conflict which has broken out or is on-going is the recurrence of previous conflicts. Intervention should be longer lasting as pulling out too quickly might cause authoritarianism to return. Regional bodies have to be empowered to take responsibility but unfortunately there is too much rivalry going on between them for that to happen. Overall, two schools of thought emerged from the discussion: those who wished to see R2P applied more broadly to cases of autocracies and dictatorships and "Prevention of a those who did not wish for it to be interpreted too legalistically. As a final note conflict is where we it was stressed that there is a certain moral relativism inherent in the West's selectivity in intervening in one instance versus another. Thus the limitations of should work harder." the R2P principle is that it is an emerging norm from the West but yet the West Baroness Falkner can certainly not act as the “world’s policeman.”

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Target Countries

Belarus

Campaign for the Removal of the World Ice Hockey Championship from Minsk

The Campaign on the removal of the World Ice Hockey Championship from Belarus was initiated following the LI Executive Committee Meeting in Barcelona in March. Liberal International joined the official campaign on the issue organised by several NGOs called “Don’t Play with the Dictator” and was listed as an official supporter of the campaign on the campaign’s website (http://www.minsk2014.no/supporters/).

As a first step an official letter of appeal was sent to the President of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) on behalf of LI HRC Chair and the entire LI membership urging him to move the Championship ahead of the Federation’s Congress in Helsinki. A call for action was also sent to the international officers of LI members requesting them to contact their national ice hockey federations (if any) so that they can lobby more effectively the IIHF. As a result several LI members in countries where ice hockey is a popular sport got involved such as SFP (Finland), LPC (Canada), (Russia), Svenska Folkpartiet (Sweden), and Det Radikale (Denmark). Several of those members raised the issue with their national ice hockey federations (SFP and Svenska Folkpartiet) while others issued supportive statements and/or provided valuable contacts with human rights organizations working on this issue in their home countries.

Outcome

Due to the limited time available to lobby both the International Ice Hockey Federation and the National Ice Hockey Federations there was not much momentum gained in shifting the decision in favour of cancelling the World Ice Hockey Championship in Minsk. Nevertheless the campaign proved instrumental in raising the awareness about human rights violations in Belarus and managed to generate an

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interest among the LI membership. Overall this proved to be a good first campaign for the Committee and most importantly provided a solid basis for follow-up work under the Belarus pillar of the LI Human Rights Project.

Follow-up Actions

Sample parliamentary questions were distributed to ALDE-PACE and all LI members with a request to urge their MPs to pose the following issues regarding the state of the rule of law, human rights and democracy in Belarus:

1. What is the official position of your government on the recent decision of the International Ice Hockey Federation to hold the World Ice Hockey Championship in Belarus?

2 How does your government intend to act in order to raise the issue of the on-going human rights abuses in the country with the ice hockey teams nominated to participate at the World Ice Hockey Championship?

3. How does your National Ice Hockey Team (if you have any) intend to address the situation once on the ground?

4. To what extent does the government consider boycotting the World Ice Hockey Championship?

5. What is the government position on sending official representatives to Belarus in general and to the Championship in particular?

6. How does participating in the World Ice Hockey Championship fit in this policy [mentioned under 5]?

7. What does the government do to raise and promote the issue of the lack of human rights and democracy in Belarus?

8. Are there any government programs in place to support the civil society sector in Belarus?

Members were also requested to send any answers received to the LI HR Officer in due course.

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LI HRC at UN Human Rights Council

The participation of the LI Human Rights Committee in the work of the UN Human Rights Council flourished substantially in the year 2012. The LI HRC submitted a total of 4 written statements and 2 oral statements which has so far been the highest number of statements submitted to the Council since the establishment of the Committee.

19th Session

LI Delegation to the 19th Session of UNHRC:

he LI Human Rights Committee organized a delegation to 19th Session of the UN Human Rights Council which was led by Chair of LI Human Rights Committee and LI VP on the Bureau Abir Al-Sahlani MP, LI Deputy President Juli Minoves and LI Treasurer Robert Woodthrope Browne. The delegation was joined by representatives from the Sam Rainsy Party (LI member) and the Swedish TInternational Liberal Centre (LI cooperating organisation). As part of the visit the LI representatives met with the Human Rights Officer of the EU Permanent Representation to the UN, Jerome Bellion-Jourdan, and the German Federal Commissioner for Human Rights, Markus Löning. There was also a dinner hosted by Andy Sundberg which was attended by former US diplomats and representatives from Human Rights Watch, the International Labour Organisation and the European Union. The purpose of the meetings was to help raise the awareness about LI’s human rights work, help advance LI’s role within the United Nations system and strengthen LI’s cooperating relationship with other human rights NGOs.

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Written Statement

The written statement focused on the intensification of repression of human rights defenders and democracy activists around the world paying particular attention to the situation in Belarus, Cambodia, Egypt, Myanmar, Syria, and Singapore. Key actions that LI called upon are for the immediate release of all political prisoners, free and fair elections and for judicial and legislative reforms so that basic political and civil rights in these countries are respected.

Oral Statement

The oral statement focused on the civil unrest and humanitarian crisis in Syria condemning the brutal actions of the Syrian authorities urging the Human Rights Council to recommend to the Security Council to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court and freeze President Bashar Al-Assad’s assets. Liberal International called on the governments in the Middle East and North Africa to answer to the genuine calls of the popular revolt, establish genuine participatory liberal democracies, abolish all repressive legislation that disrespects human rights and release all human rights activists and political prisoners.

20th Session

Written Statement

The written statement focused on the intensification of human rights violations in the Republic of Belarus. Particular attention was drawn to the violent repression of the political protests in the aftermath of the Presidential elections in 2010 and the intensive crackdown on civil society organizations and human rights defenders. In this respect the lack of freedom of speech and freedom of assembly were pointed out as major impediments to the development of a true democratic process in the country. Liberal International called for the ending of all cooperation between western governments, businesses, industries and Belarusian State companies that are linked to the Belarusian government and on the need for the Belarusian authorities to develop a clear roadmap for democratic reform and free and fair elections.

21st Session

Written Statement

Two written statements were submitted to the 21st Session of UNHRC: one titled “Universal Abolition of the Death Penalty” and another “Deterioration of the State of LGBT Rights Around the World.” The statement on the death penalty highlighted LI’s adopted policy on the issue while paying particular attention to the situation in regards to the issue in Belarus, China, Iran, Russia, Singapore, and the USA. LI issued several concrete recommendations to both the UNHRC and the member states of the UN such as creating an annual black list of countries which still implement the death penalty, opting out not to elect countries which still use this punishment method as members of UNHRC and introducing strict export 23 Liberal International: 2012 Human Rights Report

control on substances which can be used in injections administered as a death penalty mechanism. The role of the LibDems in regards to this last point was particularly welcomed and encouraged.

The statement on LGBT rights also highlighted LI’s adopted policy on the issue while paying particular attention on the recent negative developments worldwide with regards to respect for LGBT rights. LI issued several concrete recommendations to the UN member states such as reviewing and repealing state persecutions and discriminations based on sexual orientation such as laws providing for the death penalty or criminalization of homosexual acts. As opposed to previous resolutions on this topic, LI also called on the Holy See to work closely with the rest of the religious minorities on de-criminalization of homosexuality as recommended in the Holy See’s statement to the 63rd Session of the UN General Assembly. The overall LI membership contribution to the statements was more satisfactory compared to the contributions received for the 20th Session of UNHRC.

Oral Statement

The oral statement solidified LI’s position on the abolition of the death penalty following the written statement and it also allowed for greater visibility of LI HRC work especially following LI’s previous oral statement at the 19th Session. In the statement, LI advocated that the notion that abolition of the death penalty is the legal protection of the individual from acts by the state which threaten the fundamental rights and existence of the individual. Concrete calls for action that Liberal International stressed on was urging countries which produce and /or export substances that are often used in lethal injections to follow the example of the British government and introduce strict export controls and not to elect countries which still implement the death penalty as members of the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Acknowledgements: The Liberal International Human Rights Committee would like to thank Antonella Fabiani for allowing us to reproduce her photographs (cover page and page 12) in this publication. Find out more about her work: www.antonellafabiani.com / [email protected] 24 Liberal International Secretariat 2013. Liberal International 1 Whitehall Place London SW1A 2HD Tel: +44 (0)207 839 5905 Email: [email protected]