27 June 2006 - CRINMAIL 792
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- SMALL ARMS: UN Review Conference Opens in New York [event]
- JAMAICA: Sexual Violence Against Women and Girls [publication]
- UNITED STATES: Unaccompanied and Separated Children and Refugee Protection [publication]
- INTERNATIONAL LAW: Inter-American and Universal Human Rights Protection Systems [course]
- EMPLOYMENT: Committee on the Rights of the Child - Save the Children
**NEWS IN BRIEF**
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Your submissions are welcome if you are working in the area of child rights. To contribute, email us at [email protected]. Adobe Acrobat is required for viewing some of the documents, and if required can be downloaded from http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html If you do not receive this email in html format, you will not be able to see some hyperlinks in the text. At the end of each item we have therefore provided a full URL linking to a web page where further information is available.
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SMALL ARMS: UN Review Conference Opens in New York [event]
[NEW YORK, 26 June 2006] – Describing the world as being “awash with small arms,” United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said today that every year an estimated $1 billion worth of these weapons are traded illicitly worldwide, exacerbating conflict, sparking refugee flows, undermining the rule of law and spawning a “culture of violence and impunity.”
In his opening address to the UN Small Arms Review Conference, which runs from 26 June until 7 July, Mr. Annan said that “significant progress” had been made in dealing with the problem of illegal guns since a Programme of Action was endorsed by all Member States in 2001 – but important challenges remain.
“The problem remains grave. In a world awash with small arms, a quarter of the estimated $4 billion annual global gun trade is believed to be illicit. Small arms are easy to buy, easy to use, easy to transport and easy to conceal.
“The majority of people who die directly from conflicts worldwide – tens of thousands of lives lost each year – and hundreds of daily crime-related deaths can be traced to illicit small arms and light weapons. These weapons may be small, but they cause mass destruction.”
Since the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons was adopted five years ago, nearly 140 countries have reported on its implementation, while a third of all States have made efforts to collect weapons from those not legally entitled to hold them, Mr. Annan said. Other progress included increased cooperation among and within regions to stem the flow of illicit weapons across national borders.
“Clearly, much has been accomplished, and much is currently being done. Yet important challenges remain,” he said, highlighting in particular the urgent need for Member States to introduce or update legislation meeting the standards outlined in the Programme of Action.
“Countries also require better stockpile management and security procedures to reduce weapons pilferage. And we must reach agreement on a realistic and effective approach to end-user certification. Without such certification, any effort to regulate the trade and brokering in small arms and light weapons will be found lacking.”
General Assembly President Jan Eliasson, who also spoke at the opening of the Conference, echoed the Secretary-General’s remarks, calling for “much more” to be done to curb the illicit trade that also “hinders efforts to promote reconciliation in post-conflict areas.”
“The importance of this Review Conference cannot be overstated. We must maintain the momentum generated by the 2001 Conference. We must ensure that the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons remains high on the agenda of the United Nations.”
He voiced hope that participants would agree on measures to strengthen the implementation of the Programme of Action. “It is only through our joint, tangible and effective efforts on the ground, that we will be able to combat the scourge of illicit trafficking of small arms,” he said.
The Conference opened with the election of its President, Sri Lankan Ambassador Prasad Kariyawasam. This was followed by several addresses at the ministerial level, including by Austria on behalf of the European Union, Iran, Mozambique and several other countries. More than 2,000 representatives from governments, international and regional organizations and civil society will take part in the two-week event.
Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infodetail.asp?id=8952
More information
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JAMAICA: Sexual Violence Against Women and Girls [publication]
In a new report published last week, Sexual Violence Against Women and Girls in Jamaica: "Just a Little Sex", Amnesty International urges the Jamaican authorities to prioritise the implementation of a 15-point Action Plan developed by women's organisations across the country to fight discrimination and sexual violence against women and adolescent girls.
The Action Plan includes recommendations such as the development of a public education programme aimed at preventing rape and sexual crimes, the introduction of a national campaign against discrimination and sexual violence and the establishment of a series of shelters to provide support and refuge for victims of sexual violence.
"Only decisive action will put an end to discrimination and sexual violence against women in Jamaica. Most of the recommendations of the Action Plan do not require extensive investment, only determination and political will,” said Kerrie Howard, Deputy Director of Amnesty International’s Americas Programme.
According to Amnesty International's findings, widespread discrimination against women in Jamaica makes them targets of sexual violence and exposes them to serious health risks – including sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV and AIDS.
Amnesty International also found that girls are particular targets of sexual violence and that the Jamaican government has consistently failed to deal with the issue effectively.
According to one study published by UNICEF in 2004 alone, 70 per cent of all reported sexual assaults were against girls.
"Discrimination against women and girls is so entrenched in Jamaican society that many Jamaicans and government officials are failing to see it as a problem, even when it’s killing hundreds of women every year," said Kerrie Howard.
In a survey carried out last year, 2005, 66 per cent of men and 49 per cent of women agreed with the statement “women and girls sometimes bring rape upon themselves.” Certain guidance issued by judges to juries states that "... experience has shown that women and young girls often tell lies...".
“Jamaican women frequently do not feel safe. They know that whether at home, on the street or even at school they risk being beaten, raped or even killed,” said Kerrie Howard.
Women also face discrimination and strong barriers when they decide to report sexual violence. The sexual assault investigations unit in Jamaica estimates that only 25 per cent of sexual violence is reported.
"I didn't tell anyone for six months then I told my parents. I asked dad not to do anything about it; that's one thing I insisted on. I didn't want anyone to know because even at that age I knew they would say it was my fault [and] I thought no one would believe me. I blamed myself and I thought I was foolish and so naive," said Mary (not her real name), who was raped when she was 13.
“Women have good reason to think that they will not be believed – the evidence is all around them, in their societies and communities. Juries, the police, families, and sometimes women themselves, believe that they are partially responsible for their attacks,” said Kerrie Howard.
Bringing cases of sexual violence to court is extremely difficult. One problem is that witnesses or victims are often threatened even killed. Enid Gordon was 15 when she was raped by two men. She and her family filed a complaint against the men, who were arrested, charged, and released on bail. On 12th October 2005, one week before she was due to testify against the two men in court, Enid was found dead in the same place that she had been raped a year earlier. She had been strangled with her school tie. Results of the investigation are pending.
Amnesty International is also calling for legislative reforms – particularly to the Offences against the Person Act, the Sexual Harassment Bill, and the Incest (Punishment) Act – for improvement of investigation techniques and for the establishment of gender-based training for police and judicial officials dealing with cases of sexual violence against women.
“Jamaican society as a whole is paying the price of discrimination against women and girls. They pay a high price when their mothers, sisters and friends are injured, when diseases such as HIV and AIDS are spread, and when poverty increases. It isn’t an impossible or expensive task to end violence against women in Jamaica. It only takes determination and respect for the human rights of women.”
Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=8841&flag=report
For more information, contact:
Amnesty International - International Secretariat
99-119 Rosebery Avenue, London, EC1R 4RE, United Kingdom
Tel: + 44 (0) 20 7814 6200
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.amnesty.org
More information
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UNITED STATES: Unaccompanied and Separated Children and Refugee Protection [publication]
Every year thousands of children fleeing persecution arrive in the United States alone in search of protection. A report was recently published on theis issue. Seeking Asylum Alone: Unaccompanied and Separated Children and Refugee Protection in the US.
The report describes the nature and scale of migration by children entering the US without parents, drawing upon government data and statements, advocates’ accounts, court proceedings, and interviews with key participants, including migrant children themselves. It is part of an international comparative research project on children and asylum conducted in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. Reports describing the findings in the other countries, and an overall analysis comparing policies and practices in all three countries, will be published later this year. All four reports will be accessible on-line at: http://www.humanrights.harvard.edu for both download and purchase.
The report acknowledges the efforts being made by several government agencies to improve the access to protection for unaccompanied and separated children. However, it expresses concern about the many shortcomings in policy and in practice regarding children seeking asylum alone.
Among the key findings of the report are that many unaccompanied and separated children have a stronger claim to asylum than has been recognised or acknowledged so far. It further suggests that many existing problems can be solved relatively easily, without jeopardising United States’ migration management programmes, instituting open door immigration policies or establishing reckless incentives to use children as migration anchors or investment commodities. The report calls for a transformation of the current system to recognise the obligation to take unaccompanied and separated children’s best interests seriously.
Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=8866&flag=report
For more information, contact:
Susan Frick, Programme Manager
University Committee on Human Rights Studies
Harvard University, David Rubenstein Room 112, 79 John F. Kennedy Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, United States
Tel: +1 (617) 496 4950; Fax: +1 (617) 495 4297
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.humanrights.harvard.edu
More information
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INTERNATIONAL LAW: Inter-American and Universal Human Rights Protection Systems [course]
Date: 16 - 27 October 2006
Location: Washington, D.C., United States of America
The International Service for Human Rights (ISHR), the American University Washington College of Law (AUWCL) and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), will organise the second course on the Inter-American and the Universal human rights protection systems, parallel to de 126th session of the IACHR in Washington DC.
The course on the Inter-American and the Universal Systems for the Protection of Human Rights has been designed to empower NGOs in defining and implementing their strategies in the use of the Inter-American and the UN human rights procedures by bringing active and experienced human rights defenders from the Americas to Washington during the sessions of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), one of the main organs of the inter-American system.
Aim
The main objective of the course is to empower organisations in the region by training a representative of their choice. The course is designed for human rights defenders and organisations that
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are using or have used the protection system and need more technical training and advice on the use of the system;
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want to use the inter-American or the universal system and need technical training on the use of them.
There are up to 20 trainees places. Applicants should be from the Americas.
The main themes of the training course are:
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Introduction to international human rights
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The Inter-American human rights system
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The Universal human rights system
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Comparative analyses of regional and universal systems
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Presenting cases before the UN: treaty bodies
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The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights: trends, agenda and methods of work
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The Inter-American Court on Human Rights
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Case system in the inter-American system, rules of procedure and evidence
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Hearings
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Jurisprudence. Most important decisions of the IACHR
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Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the IACHR
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The victims
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Follow up. Implementation of the decisions of the IACHR
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Using the case law as standard setting tool at national level
Closing date for applications: 20 July 2006
Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=8926&flag=event
For more information, contact:
International Service for Human Rights
Rue de Varembé 1, P.O. Box 16, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland
Tel: + 41 22 733 51 23
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.ishr.ch
More information
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EMPLOYMENT: Committee on the Rights of the Child - Save the Children
The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child is seeking an expert to assist in developing the General Comment on Indigenous Issues.
The Committee publishes its interpretation of human rights provisions contained in the Convention on the Rights of the Child in the form of 'General Comments' on thematic issues (see previous General Comments).
Contract Deliverables:
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Consult with the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and other relevant stakeholders the UNCRC may identify, to determine both the proper content and process for the development of the General Comment on Indigenous Children.
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Seek the input of members of the Sub Group on Indigenous Children and Youth regarding the content areas for the General Comment within 30 days of contract initiation.
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Assist with the development of a thorough literature review on Indigenous child rights in international law and customary law.
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Develop a draft General Comment reflecting the input of the UNCRC, ISG and the literature review for the review of the ISG members within 45 days of contract initiation.
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Integrate feedback of the ISG and submit to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child within 60 days of contract initiation.
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Integrate comments by the UN CRC on the draft document
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Seek second round of input from the ISG and other relevant stakeholders and integrate feedback.
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Submit final document to the UNCRC (time frame to be established but to be no later than January 31, 2007.
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Attend one meeting with the UNCRC to present and discuss the draft General Comment.
Application deadline: 8 July 2006
Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infodetail.asp?id=8857
For more information, contact:
Cindy Blackstock, Co Convenor
Sub Group on Indigenous Children and Youth
NGO Group on the CRC
Email: [email protected]
Read the "Contract Criteria for Expert Writer to Support the General Comment on Indigenous Issues"
All candidates meeting the qualifications will then be forwarded to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child who will make the final selection.
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Save the Children: Child Protection Trainee Scheme
The trainee scheme lasts for one year and gives candidates the chance to develop their professional ability as a humanitarian worker in the field of child protection in emergencies. This is a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience in international humanitarian programmes and to develop into a child protection in emergencies specialist with Save the Children.
Trainees will undertake two six-month placements in Save the Children country programmes currently undertaking emergency child protection projects. Participants will train with a child protection professional who will act as your coach and mentor to facilitate the development of a portfolio of the skills required for child protection work in emergencies. Trainees will also receive a 2-week scheme induction in London prior to departure and a 1-week learning programme review in between the placements.
On the successful completion of this training, successful applicants will be expected to commit to any suitable and available child protection posts in Save the Children. Such posts are normally between 3 and 24 months, dependent on funding.
For more information, visit: http://jobsearch.savethechildren.org.uk/viewvacancies.cfm?ID=153639
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**NEWS IN BRIEF**
Human Rights Council: Read Updates from CRIN on the First Session
http://www.crin.org/HRC/index.asp
Third Intergovernmental Conference on Making Europe and Central Asia Fit for Children: Speech by Thomas Hammarberg, High Commissioner for Human Rights (19 June 2006)
http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=8956&flag=report
ECPAT International: Situational Analysis Research Reports on Prostitution of Boys in South Asia (June 2006)
http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=8843&flag=report
Coming Soon: Special Edition of CRINMAIL on Torture
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