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Special Procedures Bulletin SPECIAL PROCEDURES BULLETIN SEVENTEENTH ISSUE: APRIL– JUNE 2010 HIGHLIGHTS IN THIS ISSUE: HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL 14TH SESSION The Human Rights Council held its fourteenth regular session from Communications ...........................................................X 31 May to 18 June 2010 in Geneva, during which a number of man- Country visits .................................................................X date-holders presented reports and held inter-active dialogues. Positive developments .................................................X continued on p. 13. APPOINTMENTS OF NEW SPECIAL PROCEDURES Forthcoming visits ........................................................X MANDATE HOLDERS Requested and accepted visits ....................................X At the fourteenth regular session of the Human Rights Council, Highlights (continued) .................................................X eight new mandate-holders were appointed. Press releases .................................................................X continued on p. 14. The Special Procedures Bulletin provides a general 17TH ANNUAL MEETING OF SPECIAL PROCEDU- overview of the main activities of the 39 Special RES MANDATE HOLDERS Procedures mandates. The Bulletin is produced by the Information, Coordination and Management Unit of The seventeenth annual meeting of special procedures was held the Special Procedures Branch of the OHCHR. from 28 June to 2 July 2010. Mandate holders held exchanges with States, the President of the HRC and members of the Bureau, the former President of the HRC and the Deputy High Commissioner.. How to send information on alleged human rights Discussions were also held with participants in the eleventh Inter- violations to Special Procedures Committee Meeting of treaty bodies, and representatives of United Nations entities, OHCHR field presences, representatives of NGOs For further information on how to submit commu- and national human rights institutions. Participants elected a new nications, please visit the OHCHR website under Human Chair and members of the Coordination Committee. continued Rights Bodies/Special Procedures. Communications should contain a factual description of the alleged violation and be submitted by individuals or organizations acting in HOW TO FIND INFORMATION ON SPECIAL PRO- good faith with direct or reliable knowledge of the CEDURES violations they are reporting. They should not be politically motivated, abusive or based solely on media The OHCHR website (http://www.ohchr.org) provides informa- reports. Please specify which Special Procedure(s) tion on the system of Special Procedures under Human Rights Bo- mechanism the information is addressed to in the subject dies/ Special Procedures, including details on each mandate and line of the e-mail or fax, or on the envelope. the Coordination Committee. It also contains details of country vi- sits, links to reports and press statements. To learn more about Spe- OHCHR SPECIAL PROCEDURES BRANCH cial Procedures, consult Fact Sheet 27 and Seventeen Frequently c/o OHCHR-UNOG8-14 Avenue de la Paix Asked Questions about United Nations Special Rapporteurs, availa- 1211Geneva 10 Switzerland ble at: http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/FactSheet27en.pdf Fax : +41 22 917 90 06 E-mail : [email protected] or contact: Publications Unit http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/chr/special/index.htm c/o OHCHR-UNOG Tel: +4122 917 92 24 For general enquiries, or to submit information (other 8-14 Avenue de la Paix Fax: +4122 917 90 10 than specific information on alleged human rights 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland E-mail: [email protected] violations), please contact: [email protected] SPECIAL PROCEDURES BULLETIN—SEVENTEENTH ISSUE APRIL-JUNE 2010 COMMUNICATIONS Some Special Procedures mechanisms intervene directly establish, as well as the criteria laid out in the Code of with States on specific allegations of human rights Conduct. Criteria generally relate to the reliability of the violations that fall within their mandates. The intervention source and the credibility of information; the details can relate to a human rights violation that has already provided; and the scope of the mandate itself. Further occurred, is ongoing, or which has a high risk of occurring. information is frequently requested from sources. The process generally involves sending a letter to the Communications should not be politically motivated, concerned States requesting information and comments on abusive or based solely on media reports. Mandate holders the allegation and calling for preventive or investigative may send joint communications when the case falls within action. the scope of more than one mandate. The OHCHR‘s Special Procedures Branch Quick Response Desk coordinates The decision to intervene is at the discretion of the Special communications and keeps relevant databases updated Procedure mandate holder and depends on criteria they Between 1 April and 30 June 2010, 139 communications were sent. 71 % were joint communications. The communications concerned 230 individuals. 19.6 % concerned women. 56 countries received communications. COUNTRY VISITS Ms. Sekaggya reiterated the request made to the Prime ARMENIA Minister to acknowledge publicly the role and importance of human rights defenders in achieving a flourishing, UN Expert urges Government to address ongoing obstacles pluralistic and democratic society. faced by human rights defenders The Special Rapporteur also drew attention to ―the On 18 June 2010, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of significant constraints imposed on the exercise of freedom human rights defenders, Ms. Margaret Sekaggya, urged the of assembly in Armenia,‖ noting that ―in a democratic Armenian authorities to acknowledge publicly the role and society, the right to hold peaceful, open and public importance of human rights defenders, and to address the demonstrations, including indoor assemblies, should be ongoing obstacles. available to all individuals without undue restrictions.‖ The Special Rapporteur welcomed Armenia‘s commitment Ms. Sekaggya also added her voice to ―those who have to promoting respect for human rights, as demonstrated by already expressed serious concerns about the amendments its ratification of a wide number of international human to the Law on Television and Radio. If signed into law they rights instruments, and acknowledged the challenges faced will further restrict and seriously hamper the plurality of by the Government and its law enforcement officials. voices and opinions available to Armenian society‖. At the end of a five-day fact-finding visit, the Special Ms. Sekaggya recommended to the Government ―to Rapporteur expressed concern at documented cases of ongoing violence, assaults, intimidation, harassment and OHCHR WEBSITE PAGE ON SPECIAL PROCEDURES stigmatization of defenders, in particular journalists. COUNTRY VISITS http://www.ohchr.org/english/bodies/chr/special/ Ms. Sekaggya noted that ―these cases would seem to visits.htm illustrate an apparent culture of impunity in Armenia which impinges upon the work of human rights defenders and Links to alphabetical tables of country visits by Special appears to be closely related to the deep-rooted problems Procedures mandate holders since 1998 are available at within the police system and the shortcomings of the justice this link as well as a list of all countries having extended system.‖ standing invitations to all the thematic procedures. As of June 2010, 65 countries had extended standing invitations. The Special Rapporteur urged the authorities ―to undertake prompt, thorough and transparent investigations, in An annual compilation of recommendations of Special particular attacks against journalists, in order to create a Procedures by country is also available on the Special Pro- safe and enabling environment in which human rights cedures webpage. defenders can carry out their activities.‖ 2 SPECIAL PROCEDURES BULLETIN—SEVENTEENTH ISSUE APRIL-JUNE 2010 implement a comprehensive programme of reform within elderly, and attention to conditions that may place them at the police service, to immediately take steps to address the increased risk, is necessary to ensure that their human shortcomings of the justice system.‖ In her view, ―this rights are protected. Mr. Kaelin added that ―the should be carried out in conjunction with the contributions that internally displaced persons can make to implementation of an extensive anti-corruption strategy in this country are many and important, and it is vital that order to ensure accountability within government they fully participate in decisions that affect their day to day structures.‖ lives as well as their futures‖. The Special Rapporteur emphasized the need to fully With regard to the right to education, Mr. Kaelin consult, include and incorporate the views of civil society recommended undertaking an assessment of the quality and human rights defenders in decision-making processes; and educational needs of internally displaced persons with as well as addressing the specific needs of human rights a view to ensuring that they benefit from the same quality defenders, including women defenders and lesbian, gay, of education as other children, and from the social bisexual and transgender defenders within the National integration and employment opportunities that schooling Action Plan on Human Rights. should offer. The Special Rapporteur will present her report to the The RSG noted that access to healthcare continues to be Human Rights
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