Omct Annual Report05 Eng View
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Annual Report 2oo5 World Organisation Against Torture OMCT thanks P. O. Box 21 8, Rue du Vieux-Billard the following interns: CH-1211 - Geneva 8, Switzerland Inés Diaz de Atauri, Céline Füri, Lucie Lobao, Phone: 0041/22 809 49 39 Sarah Atchison, Carolina Garcia Fernandez, Georgina Mendoza Solorio, Fax: 0041/22 809 49 29 Anne-Sophie Aubineau, Nora Garidi, Jessica Pautsch, Email: [email protected] Christina Baglai, Giulia Grazioli, Alex Rautzhan, Website: http://www.omct.org Tania Beltraminelli, Estefanía Guallar Ariño, Julie Raneda, Froukje Boele, Gledis Gurabardhi, Sanne Rooseboom, Postal account Martin Borgeaud, Elena Guzman, Paula Marcela Saenz Camacho, Geneva 12-5500-1 Michelle Brülhart, Alice Gyemant-Selin, Anaïs Salvin, Bank account Mario Carraminana, Roberto Hanania, Roman Seitenfus, UBS, n° 279.C8106675.0, Geneva, Switzerland Ana Beatriz Chuquer, Sarah Jaquiéry, Roia Taie-Tehrani, Bank account Sandra Constantin, Rachel Kelleher, Yvonne Troya, Banque LODH, n° 88515, Geneva, Switzerland Camille Cosendai, Athina Kladis, Ksenia Vogel, Marie Daher Corthay, Fanny Krug, Karin Wendt. Eleonore Fell, Christiane Lehmann, as well as all those who cooperated temporarily with the organisation during 2005. europe Laetitia Sedou, European Coordinator OMCT-Europe thanks 19, Rue du Marteau B-1000 Brussels, Belgium the following people for their commitment in 2005 and without whom it could not Phone/fax: 0032/2 218 37 19 have carried out all of its work : Email: [email protected] Sara Brun, Raquel Rio, Website: http://www.omct.org Magdalena Castell, Nathalie Stanus, Charlotte Massin, Achille Tiem. Pamela Piras, List of OMCT donors Non-governmental grants Cantonal and municipal grants (Switzerland) Caritas (Switzerland) • Cantons Comité Catholique contre la Faim et pour le Geneva Développement (France) Schwyz Contents Diakonisches Werk (Germany) • Municipalities Fondation des Droits de l’Homme au Travail (France) Arlesheim Bienne 13 I OMCT’s Programmes Geneva International Academic Network - GIAN Bottmingen (Switzerland) Choulex 15 I Action oriented to the needs of victims Dardagny ICCO (The Netherlands) Ecublens 18 I Eric Sottas. Absolute prohibition of tor- Migros (Switzerland) Erlenbach ture: a fundamental rule in jeopardy Geneva Misereor (Germany) Hünenberg 14 I Leonor Vilas. Experience of the United OAK Foundation (Switzerland) Lancy Lausanne Nations Commission on Human Rights Meinier in the fight against torture and other Plan-les-Ouates cruel, inhuman or degrading treatments Grants from international or intergovernmental Pully organisations Sion 16 I Mariana Duarte. Fighting against European Commission St-Sulpice Gender-Based Violence with Due Troinex United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture Winterthur Diligence Zug 18 I OMCT-Europe Government grants 19 I Publications and reports in 2005 France 20 I Renewal within the Executive Council Finland I Liechtenstein 21 Executive Council Assembly of Delegates The Netherlands Consultative Council Sweden (SIDA) Organisation Committee Switzerland OMCT Foundation 22 I International Secretariat 23 I Annual Accounts SOS-Torture network membership fees 4 5 0 0 2 t r Chers Amis, je profite de cette occasion o p “ e pour cette prompte réponse et pour R pour vous remercier très chaleureusement “Merci beaucoup l a la solidarité que vous ne cessez de manifester envers mon humble u pour votre soutien, votre présence continue n n personne dans ce travail de défense des droits humains. ” A à mes côtés. Je vous en suis très Human Rights Defender, Democratic Republic of Congo, July 2005 reconnaissance. C’est grâce à tout votre support que j’ai pu participer à cette rencontre qui m’apporte beaucoup. Je “ I would like to express you big gratitude that you included in the report my situation and réitère ce que j’ai toujours dit ; vous faites the facts an attack on me in Azerbaijan. partie de ma famille.” Actually due to the international support of Member of OMCT’s Assembly of Delegates, our colleagues anyone the facts of infringement Tunisia, November 2005 of the rights (…) stops from governments. ” Human Rights Defender, Azerbaijan, August 2005 Por medio de la presente quiero agradecerle el apoyo y colaboración que me brindo para hacer posible la venida de mi familia a este país. Gracias a su ayuda y la del equipo de colaboradores de la OMCT hoy estamos reunidos iniciando una nueva etapa de nuestras vidas, con la nostalgia “After we were cut off from our colleagues on del nuestro país y lo que allí ocurre pero con la alegría de estar vivos, February One, we are struggling to bridge the gap sabemos que de nuestro desempeño y progreso como personas aquí, dependerá el apoyo que podamos seguir brindado a los millones de com- and silence. (…). Let me take this opportunity to patriotas que luchan incansablemente por un país mas justo arriesgán- thank OMCT for every effort they have taken to dolo todo en Colombia, además jamás renunciaremos a la esperanza de help the Nepali people in these difficult days. regresar a nuestra tierra cuando la condiciones mejoren. ” Human Rights Defender, Colombia, December 2005 Human Rights Defender, Nepal, May 2005 5 OMCT’s Programmes 5 0 0 2 Urgent campaigns Economic, Social and Cultural Rights t r o p Using cutting-edge communication technologies, the OMCT By setting up and operating this programme, OMCT intends to contribute to e Urgent Campaigns Programme aims to react as quickly as pos- the eradication of torture and any other form of violence by identifying and R l sible to cases of torture and other forms of violence occurring remedying the socio-economic obstacles that impede absolute protection a u n around the world by disseminating urgent appeals distributed to against these acts. A weakening of the regulatory capacity of States, resul- n carefully targeted recipients (intergovernmental bodies, specia- ting from excess liberalisation and the growing inequalities in the spread of A lised organisations, individuals, etc.). This programme is based revenues, along with the ever stronger influence of non-State actors on res- on the information submitted by member organisations of the pect for human rights, underscore the urgent need to take account of the SOS-Torture network and seeks, by means of international soli- current socio-economic context, while simultaneously supporting victims of darity campaigns, to help victims and to pursue those responsi- violations of economic, social and cultural rights. ble for human rights violations. Its main contacts within the United Nations system are the Special Rapporteurs and Representatives, and the Working Groups which are responsible Children’s Rights for ensuring swift reactions to reliable denunciations. Right from its inception, OMCT recorded a growing number of denuncia- tions of grave violations committed against children. The SOS-Torture net- Urgent Assistance to Victims of Torture work requested that a programme be set up to ensure reinforced protec- tion against torture and any other form of violence. Almost all States of the OMCT is currently the only international non-governmental orga- world have recognised this reality by ratifying the Convention on the Rights nisation (NGO) to provide indispensable, urgent legal, medical of the Child adopted on 20 November 1989. OMCT‘s Children’s Rights pro- and/or social assistance directly to women, men and children gramme aims to ensure that these rights are not only recognised in theory, who are victims of torture. Thanks to the SOS-Torture network, but also implemented in practice. OMCT is able to identify and to verify requests for urgent assis- tance and to grant the necessary assistance at the least possi- ble cost and within a very short timeframe. Violence against Women Torture and violence are often directed against women, particularly due to the inferior position they continue to occupy in many societies. Rape, ill- treatment and sexual humiliation – which are common practice in many detention centres and particularly during situations of internal conflict – mostly affect women and are often hushed up. The same goes for certain forms of domestic violence. OMCT’s programme on Violence against Women aims to raise awareness, both among members of the SOS-Torture network and within the United Nations mechanisms, of the problem of vio- lence against women, and to act on behalf of victims of this violence. 6 5 0 0 2 Human Rights Defenders Follow-up of States’ International t r Commitments o p Due to their commitment, human rights defenders – lawyers, e R non-governmental organisations, trade unions etc. – are a The programme dedicated to the follow-up of States’ interna- l favourite target for repression by many regimes. Since its cre- tional commitments complements the Urgent Campaigns a u n ation, OMCT has denounced acts committed against defenders. Programme by facilitating access for victims and local NGOs to n A In 1997, it joined forces with the International Federation for intergovernmental mechanisms fighting against torture. The Human Rights (FIDH) to create the Observatory for the objective of this programme is to provide legal and practical Protection of Human Rights Defenders. The Observatory inter- support to victims and to NGOs wishing to participate in the var- venes through a special alert system and by carrying out mis- ious procedures of the specialised bodies, such as the United sions to the field. Its work is based on cooperation with nation- Nations Committee Against Torture and the Human Rights al, regional and international non-governmental organisations. Committee. 7 5 0 0 Action oriented to the needs of victims 2 t r o p The fight against torture is developing at different levels based and their international commitments, and ensure that justice e on the actions and methods required to respond to the needs sanctions the perpetrators and recognises and sanctifies the R l of victims. Schematically, we can distinguish between the differ- rights of victims. Elsewhere, the intervention must also be a u ent urgent actions and interventions on a long-term basis. The adjusted to the specificities of the statute of the victim.