Geneva: 20 NGOs adopt a statement on the Process of Strengthening the United Nations Human Rights Treaty Body System
Alkarama is pleased to announce that the NGO response to the Dublin Statement on the Process of Strengthening the UN human rights treaty body system has been adopted by a group of 20 international non-governmental human rights organisations, including Alkarama.
Background to the statement
The UN treaty body system is composed of committees, made up of independent human rights experts, who are tasked with monitoring the implementation of the 9 core international human rights treaties (relating to civil and political rights; economic, social and cultural rights; torture; the rights of women; the rights of children; racial discrimination; migrant workers; persons with disabilities; and disappearances as of 23 December 2010). Since 2008, efforts have been underway to strengthen this system, which has been growing in size and complexity in recent years. In November 2009, the Dublin Statement was adopted by current or past members of the treaty bodies with this objective, and has served as a catalyst for stake-holders to reflect on how the current treaty body system could be further enhanced.
In response, a group of 20 NGOs have decided, on the first anniversary of the adoption of the Dublin Statement to issue their own statement about treaty body reform. The NGO statement, adopted by the 20 NGOs listed below, presents initial comments on the parameters, methods and objectives of reform as contained in that document, and offer some proposals for strengthening the treaty bodies, including 30 recommendations to the treaty bodies, the OHCHR and States.
In light of this statement, Alkarama calls for all Arab states which have not yet done so to ratify the international human rights treaties and their protocols and to do so without entering reservations that limit their obligations. We urge States to accept the treaty bodies’ communications procedures and confidential inquiries procedures. Furthermore, we encourage all States to fulfil their obligations as parties to the international human rights treaties in good faith – by implementing, and keeping under review, laws, policies and practices which are in accordance with the treaties, by providing effective remedies when rights are violated, preparing timely and relevant reports for the treaty bodies after a process of thorough national consultations, and reflecting recommendations from treaty bodies in national implementation plans and other national human rights frameworks.
- Advocates for Human Rights
- Alkarama
- Amnesty International
- ARC International
- Association for the Prevention of Torture
- Centre for Civil and Political Rights
- Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales (CELS)
- Center on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE)
- Federation International de L’Acat (FIACAT)
- Human Rights House Foundation
- Human Rights Watch
- International Commission of Jurists
- International Disabilities Alliance, whose member organizations are: Disabled Peoples’ International, Inclusion International, Down Syndrome International, International Federation of Hard of Hearing people, Rehabilitation International, World Blind Union, World Federation of the Deaf, World Federation of the Deaf Blind, World Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry, Arab Organization of Disabled People, European Disability Forum, Pacific Disability Forum, Red Latinoamericana de Organizaciones no Gubernamentales de Personas con Disacpacidad y sus familias (RIADIS)
- International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT)
- International Service for Human Rights
- International Women’s Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific
- International Women’s Rights Action Watch
- Mental Disability Advocacy Centre
- NGO Group for the CRC
- World Organisation against Torture (OMCT)
For further information about the treaty bodies, please refer to Factsheet by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights “The United Nations Human Rights Treaty System”