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September 10, 2015
in News EN

If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.- Mother TheresaIt has been four years, 4 million refugees, 7.6 million of internally displaced people, 23 million in need and 220 000 deaths since Syria’s civil war started.Desperate to flee the violence that has overran their country and their lives, Syrians are taking dangerous routes in the search for peace in nearby countries. One of this routes is the passage to Europe through the Mediterranean Sea, in which according to a UNHCR...

June 19, 2015
in News EN

On June 16, IIMA and VIDES attended the “Panel on Realizing the Equal Enjoyment of the Right to Education by Every Girl” to end the second full day of the 29th Session of the Human Rights Council (HRC). The President of the HRC, Joachim Rucker, introduced the panel, noting that still close to 62 million girls around the world are not in school, and many suffer attacks only because they wish to attend. Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, the High Commissioner, then gave his report, setting the scene for the panel by pointing out the barriers that girls worldwide...

June 18, 2015
in News EN

On May 27, 2015, IIMA and VIDES attended the Symposium “Religions Together for Humanitarian Action,” hosted by the Sovereign Order of Malta, at the United Nations. The morning panel discussed the present challenges for faith-based humanitarian institutions, while the afternoon panel tackled how to prepare for the future regarding better assistance and protection for civilian populations. There were many members of a variety of religious institutions in attendance (also reflected in the panel), along with many State representatives, and members of the general public. In his introductory remarks, His Excellency Ambassador...

June 17, 2015
in News EN

IIMA and VIDES attended the Convention on the Right of the Child (CRC) for Honduras on Wednesday, May 20, 2015. This Convention addresses all Human Rights associated with children, including the right to education, migration and the presence of unaccompanied minors, violence and insecurity, child labor, etc. At the request of the Committee, the Honduran delegation presented information about improvements to each of these human rights issues since the last CRC. The main concern raised by the Committee was how the government is addressing the root causes of major and interconnected issues such as gang participation and violence, lack of...

June 15, 2015
in News EN

On May 22, 2015, the Ethiopian delegation presented before the expert rapporteur members of the Committee on the Rights of the Child to discuss how they are promoting and protecting the rights of Ethiopian children within the borders and abroad, as well as other children living within Ethiopian borders. IIMA and VIDES were present as well. They spoke of the improvements since the last Convention, including the integration of child rights into every ministry of government. The annual budget for the Ministry of Women, Children, and Youth Affairs has also risen...

June 12, 2015
in News EN

IIMA and VIDES will be attending the 29th session of the Human Rights Council starting next week. It meets three times a year, in March, June, and September, and is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations system responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe and for addressing situations of human rights violations and make recommendations on them. It has the ability to discuss all thematic human rights issues and situations that require its attention throughout the year.The Council is made up of 47 United Nations Member States which are elected by...

June 11, 2015
in News EN

The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) is the body of independent experts that monitors implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights by its States parties. All States parties are obliged to submit regular reports to the Committee on how the rights are being implemented. The Committee examines each report and addresses its concerns and recommendations to the State party in the form of “concluding observations”. Wanchai Roujanavong, Director-General of the International Affairs Department said that the 2014 Interim Constitution guaranteed all human rights and...

May 8, 2015
in News EN

On Monday, May 4, IIMA and VIDES attended a training organized by the International Catholic Center of Geneva (CCIG) aimed at helping NGOs and other stakeholders optimize their efforts to make their voice heard during the Universal Periodic Reviews (UPR). Since NGOs are not given the opportunity to speak during the UPR session, the best chance to voice concerns over the present Human Rights situation is the option to lobby States to bring up the concerns on the NGO’s behalf. Jean-Claude Vignoli, the Programs Director at UPR-info, held the training. He...

May 7, 2015
in News EN

In Nepal, the commitment of IIMA toward the population affected by the earthquake continues through the provision of various forms of relief. In recent days, from dawn until late at night, braving all odds, the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians have managed to reach several interior villages in the districts of Kavre and Ramechap Manthali Bajar with material assistance. These are areas not yet reached by aid agencies, and the population is even now without food. The already poverty-stricken families have now lost the little they had in the earthquake....

May 2, 2015
in News EN

Last week, April 20-24, IIMA and VIDES participated in the third session of the intergovernmental working group on the Declaration of the Right to Peace. This is the last session before the text of the Declaration is presented before the Human Rights Council, so it was in everyone’s interest to come to a consensus by Friday night, though it is unclear what will actually be the final version until the Human Rights Council meets. Led by Chairperson Christian Guillermet-Fernandez, Ambassador of Costa Rica, the Working Group took various forms, sometimes formal debate, other times through informal negotiations and consultations. The...

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