NGO Statement to the Last Session of the Commission on Human Rights

STATEMENT TO THE FINAL SESSION OF THE COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS BY 265 NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANISATIONS

This statement is made on behalf of 265 non-governmental organisations. It cannot be made on behalf of all non-governmental organisations because we have no authority to do so.

During the 60 years of the Commission on Human Rights, non-governmental organisations have played, in the words of the General Assembly, “an important role at the national, regional and international levels, in the promotion and protection of human rights”. Unfortunately the arrangement made for their participation in the final session of the Commission through a single statement does not allow this important role to be reflected.

Non-governmental organisations are very diverse, reflecting the variety and multiplicity of human experiences. They have brought to the Commission the voices of the voiceless and of victims of violations throughout the world. That diversity and those voices cannot be encapsulated in a single statement. With disappointment and a sense of loss, we note that they are missing from the final session of the Commission.

We have decided therefore not to make a single non-governmental statement to assess the work of the Commission. We cannot accept that this is an appropriate way to proceed now or in the future and we urge States to acknowledge this.

We look forward positively to the establishment of the Human Rights Council. We remind all States of the terms of the recent General Assembly resolution which committed the future Human Rights Council to “ensuring the most effective contribution” of non-governmental organisations to its work “based on arrangements … and practices observed by the Commission”.

Mr Chairman

We decided to end this statement by inviting all here today to join us in standing and observing a moment of silence for those who have suffered human rights violations during the life of this Commission, to mark with dignity its closing. I have now been informed that you yourself wish to lead the Commission in a minute's silence for victims before you close the Commission's work. Although I have not had an opportunity to consult other signatories to this statement, I defer to your wish, Mr Chairman, to lead us all in this dignified ending to the Commission.

Signed by,

• Action Canada for Population and Development, Canada
• Adalah, the Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, Israel
• Adivasi Unnayan Kendra (Centre for Indigenous Peoples Development), Bangladesh
• Agir Ensemble pour les Droits de l’Homme, France
• AIN O SALISH KENDRA (ASK), Bangladesh
• Al Haq, Palestine
• All Nepal Peasants' Association, Nepal
• Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), Indonesia
• Alliance Rights Nigeria, Nigeria
• Amnesty International, United Kingdom
• Anglican Consultative Council, Switzerland
• Anti-Racism Information Service, Switzerland
• Arab Commission for Human Rights, France
• ARC International, Switzerland/Canada
• Asian Legal Resource Centre, China
• Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD), Thailand
• Asia Partnership for Human Development (APHD), Thailand
• Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), Thailand
• Asociación Pro Derechos Humanos de España, Spain
• Association for Prevention of Torture, Switzerland
• Association for World Education, Switzerland
• Association of Humanitarian Lawyers, Switzerland
• Association of World Citizens, Switzerland
• Australian Council for International Development, Australia
• Australian Lawyers for Human Rights, Australia
• Bahá’ì International Community, Switzerland
• Banader Community Council, Somali, Germany
• Bureau of International Solidarity (BIS) of Marist Brothers, Italy
• Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, Canada
• Canadian Voice of Women for Peace, Canada
• Casa Alianza, Honduras
• Center for Women's Global Leadership, USA
• Centre de conseils et d'appui pour les jeunes en matière de droits de l'Homme, Switzerland
• Centre for Conflict Studies, Nepal
• Centre for Human Rights and Development (CHRD), Mongolia
• Centre for Organisation Research & Education, India
• Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE), Switzerland
• Centre québécois de formation pour les jeunes en matière de droit humain, Canada
• Centro de Derechos Humanos "Miguel Agustín Pro Juárez", Mexico
• Centro de Derechos Humanos Agustin Pro-Juarez, Mexico
• Centro de Derechos Humanos Fray Bartoloméde Las Casas, Brazil
• Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales (CELS), Argentina
• Centro para la Defensa del Consumidor, El Salvador
• Christian Life Community of the Philippines, Philippines
• CLAT-Nederland Solidarity with trade unions in Latin-America, Netherlands
• Collectif Inter - Associatif pour la Réalisation des Activités Scientifiques et Techniques Jeunes au Cameroun,
• Cameroon
• Colombian Commission of Jurists, Colombia
• Combined Legal Services Group, Australia
• Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, India
• Comunidad Homosexual Argentina (CHA), Argentina
• Conectas Direitos Humanos, Brazil
• Conference of Non-Government Organisations, Switzerland
• Consejo Indio de Sud America (Indian Council of South America), Peru
• Consultative Council of Jewish Organisations, United Kingdom
• Coordinadora Nacional de Derechos Humanos, Peru
• Corporación Humanas - Centro Regional de Derechos Humanos y Justicia de Género,Chile
• CRD (The Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders), China
• Creating Resources for Empowerment in Action, India
• CRIN, Child Rights Information Network, United Kingdom
• Dana and Qadisiyah Local Community Cooperative, Jordan
• Defence of Children International, Palestine Section, Jerusalem
• Derechos Humanos del Centro de Asesoria Laboral del Perú, Peru
• Dominicans for Justice and Peace, Switzerland
• Earth Peoples - Indigenous Peoples Information sharing circle, USA
• Earthjustice, Switzerland
• ECPAT International, Thailand
• Egale Canada, Canada
• Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, Egypt
• EIP- Association mondiale pour l'école instrument de paix, Switzerland
• El Centro de Derechos Humanos Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas de Chiapas, Mexico
• El Colectivo de Abogados "Jose Alvear Restrepo" de Colombia, Colombia
• European Pride Organisers Association (EPOA), Germany
• Europe-Third World Center (CETIM), Switzerland
• FEDEFAM, Argentina
• Federation Internationale des Ligues des Droits de l’Homme, France
• Federation of American Women's Clubs Overseas Inc. (FAWCO), Netherlands
• Federation of Associations of Former International Civil Servants, Switzerland
• Femmes Africa Solidarité, Senegal
• Fisheries Union of Bengkulu, Indonesia
• Fondation Daniel Mitterrand, France
• Foodfirst Information and Action Network (FIAN), Germany
• Foro Ciudadano de Participación por la Justicia y los Derechos Humanos, Argentina
• Forum for Indigenous Perspectives and Action, India
• Forum Human Rights, Germany
• Foundation for Aboriginal and Islander Research Action, Australia
• Foundation Solidarity in Partnership for One World in Diversity, Germany
• Franciscans International, Switzerland
• Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Germany
• Georgian Association of Women in Business, Georgia
• Global Alternate Information Applications, India
• Global Network for the Prevention of Torture, Bangladesh
• Global Rights, USA
• Global Welfare Association (GLOWA), Cameroon
• Greek Helsinki Monitor, Greece
• Haut Commissariat d'Intervention Générale, Cameroon
• Homosexuelle Initiative (HOSI), Austria
• Human Development and Peace Campaign, Nepal
• Human Rights Advocates, USA
• Human Rights Center "Citizens against Corruption", Kyrgyzstan
• KAREK, Kyrgyzstan
• Law and People, Kyrgyzstan
• Human Rights Center of Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan
• Human Rights Council of Australia, Australia
• Human Rights Monitoring Institute, Lithuania
• Human Rights Watch, USA
• Human Rights Without Frontiers, Nepal
• Humanity for Orphans, Youth and Widows Initiatives, Kenya
• ILGA Europe, Europe/Belgium
• IMPARSIAL, the Indonesian Human Rights Monitor, Indonesia
• Indonesia Legal Aid and Human Rights Association, Indonesia
• Indonesian Legal Aid Society Association, Indonesia
• Indonesia's NGO Coalition for International Human Rights Advocacy, Indonesia
• Information Monitor (INFORM), Sri Lanka
• Institute for Planetary Synthesis, Switzerland
• Inter-American Center for Human Rights, United States
• Inter-American Center for Human Rights, USA
• International Alliance of Women, Austria
• International Alliance of Women, Switzerland
• International Association for Religious Freedom, United Kingdom
• International Association for the Defense of Religious Liberty, Switzerland
• International Association Initiatives of Change, Switzerland
• International Association of Charities, Belgium
• International Association of Democratic Lawyers, France
• International Association of Schools of Social Work, Ethiopia
• International Association of the Universities of the Third Age, France
• International Campaign for Tibet Europe, Netherlands
• International Commission of Jurists – Danish section, Denmark
• International Commission of Jurists, Switzerland
• International Council of Women, Switzerland
• International Educational Development, Switzerland
• International Federation for the Protection of the Rights of Ethnic, Religious, Linguistic and Other Minorities
• (IFPRERLOM), USA
• International Federation of Action by Christians for the Abolition of Torture, France
• International Federation of Business and Professional Women, Thailand
• International Federation of Social Workers, Switzerland
• International Federation of University Women, Switzerland
• International Federation of Women Lawyers, Finland
• International Fellowship of Reconciliation, Netherlands
• International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights, Austria
• International Humanist and Ethical Union, United Kingdom
• International Initiative for Visibility of Queer Muslims, Bosnia and Herzegovina
• International Institute for Non-Aligned Studies, Switzerland
• International League for the Rights and Liberation of Peoples, Switzerland
• International Lesbian and Gay Association, Belgium
• International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR), Japan
• International NGO Forum On Indonesian Development, Indonesia
• International Organization for the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, Switzerland
• International Presentation Association of the Sisters of the Presentation, USA
• International Progress Organization, Austria
• International Protection Center, Russia
• International Rehabilitation Council for Torture (IRCT), Denmark
• International Save the Children Alliance, Switzerland
• International Service for Human Rights, Switzerland
• International Volunteerism Organization for Women Education and Development (VIDES), Italy
• International Women’s Rights Action Watch (IWRAW) Asia Pacific, Malaysia
• International Working Group on Sexuality and Social Policy, Brazil
• International Youth and Student Movement for the United Nations, Switzerland
• Inter-religious International Federation for World Peace, Switzerland
• Iqra Foundation, India
• Japan Fellowship of Reconciliation, Japan
• Justiça Global, Brazil
• Kingsford Legal Centre, Australia
• Korean Sexual-Minority Culture and Rights Center, Republic of Korea
• La Coordinadora Nacional de Derechos Humanos, Peru
• La Junta Directiva Regional del Foro de Mujeres del Mercosur, Paraguay
• L'Association Mondiale pour l'Ecole Instrument de Paix, Switzerland
• Law Association of Zambia, Zambia
• Law, Human Rights and Justice (HAK) Association, Timor Leste
• Legal Advisory Office for Popular Organisations (GAJOP), Brazil
• Legal Aid Office of Bengkulu, Indonesia
• Legal Aid Society of Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan
• Lesbian and Gay Federation in Germany (LSVD), Germany
• Liberty Victoria (Victorian Council for Civil Liberties), Australia
• Ligue internationale contre le racisme et l’antisemitisme, France
• Lutheran World Federation, Switzerland
• Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, USA
• Maryknoll Sisters of St. Dominic, Inc, USA
• Medical Women's International Association (MWIA), Germany
• Mercy International Association, USA
• MINBYUN-Lawyers for a Democratic Society, Republic of Korea
• Minority Rights Group, Greece
• Mouvement contre le racisme et pour l’amitie entre le peuples (MRAP), France
• Mouvement Lao pour les Droits de l'Homme, France
• Movimiento Nacional por los Derechos Humanos de Guatemala, Guatemala
• National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services Secretariat, Australia
• National Association of Community Legal Centres, Australia
• National Women's Lobby & Rights Group, Malawi
• Nederlands Juristen Comité voor de Mensenrechten, Netherlands
• Nepal Bar Association, Human Rights Committee, Nepal
• Nepal International Consumers Union, Nepal
• NSW Aboriginal Lands Council, Australia
• Nord-Sud XXI, Switzerland
• Odhikar, Bangladesh
• Order of Discalced Carmelites, Italy
• Organisation for Non-patriarchal Inter-faith Dialogue Logos, Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Organisation Mondiale Contre La Torture, Switzerland
• Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), Palestine
• Pan Pacific and South East Asia Women’s Association International, Switzerland
• Pax Christi International, Belgium
• Pax Romana, Switzerland
• People Who, USA
• People’s Movement for Human Rights Learning, USA
• Philippine Coalition for the International Criminal Court, Philippines
• Physicians for Human Rights, USA
• Planetary Association for Clean Energy (PACE), Canada
• Prison Fellowship International, Switzerland
• ProGay Philippines, the Philippines
• Pusat Komas Community Communication Centre, Malaysia
• Rede Nacional Feminista de Saúde, Direitos Sexuais e Direitos Reprodutivos, Brazil
• Reporters Without Borders/Reporters sans frontières International, Switzerland
• Resources Aimed at the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect, South Africa
• Rights Australia, Australia
• Romanian Independent Society of Human Rights, Romania
• Rural Initiatives in Sustainability and Empowerment, Pakistan
• Russian Research Center for Human Rights, Russia
• Safe Water for Africa Community Initiative, Nigeria
• Save Bombay Committee and Prakruti, India
• School Sisters of Notre Dame, Italy
• Sekretariat Anak Merdeka Indonesia (SAMIN), Indonesia
• Shen Yang Ai Zhi Yuan Zhu Center for Health and Education, China
• Shimin Gaikou Centre (Citizens' Diplomatic Centre for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples), Japan
• Siberian Human Rights Network "Rights Society", Russia
• Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, USA
• Socialist International Women, United Kingdom
• Society for Human Assistance and Development, Pakistan
• Society for Threatened Peoples International, Luxemburg
• Soka Gakkai International, Japan
• Soroptimist International, United Kingdom
• Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM), Malaysia
• Sudan National Committee on Traditional Practices, Sudan
• Susila Dharma International, United Kingdom
• SVG-Human Rights Association, St. Vincent and the Grenadines
• Think Centre, Singapore
• Tibetan Women's Association of Ontario, Canada
• Transnational Radical Party, USA
• UN Watch, USA
• Unescocat - Unesco Centre of Catalonia, Spain
• Union Farmers of Bengkulu, Indonesia
• Union Internationale des Avocats, Belgium
• Universal Esperanto Association, Netherlands
• Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization, the Netherlands
• Women for Contemporary Society Association, Moldova
• Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, Switzerland
• Women’s International Zionist Organization, Israel
• Women’s UN Report Network, USA
• Women’s World Summit Foundation, Switzerland
• Women's Federation for World Peace International, Switzerland
• Women's Federation for World Peace International, USA
• Women's International League for Peace and Freedom - Australian Section, Australia
• World Blind Union, Spain
• World Council of Churches, Switzerland
• World Federation of Methodist and Uniting Church Women, USA
• World Federation of Occupational Therapists, Austria
• World Federation of the DeafBlind, Denmark
• World Federation of United Nations Associations, Switzerland
• World Forum of Civil Society Networks (UBUNTU), Spain
• World Movement of Mothers, France
• World Student Christian Federation. Switzerland
• World Union of Catholic Women's Organisations, France
• World Union of Progressive Judaism, Switzerland
• World Vision International, Switzerland
• World Young Women’s Christian Association, Switzerland
• Worldwide Organization for Women, USA
• Yayasan Tanpa Batas, Indonesia
• Zi Teng, Hong Kong SAR, China
• Zonta International, USA
• The statement was endorsed by the following NGOs who were not able to sign on before the deadline.
• 3HO Foundation, USA
• Afro-Asian Peoples' Solidarity Organization
• Arab Lawyers Union
• Association National pour les Jeunne Itutien, Democratic Peoples Republic of the Congo
• Australian Catholic and Migrant Refugee Office, Australia
• BRESILE PINES FOUNDATION, the Philippines
• Comité Permanente por la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos, Ecuador
• Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace, USA
• Disabled Peoples' International, Canada
• El Closet de Sor Juana
• Fundacion Arcoiris por la diversidad sexual
• General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church, USA
• International Bureau for Children's Rights, Canada
• International Convention on Human Rights, USA
• International Lesbian and Gay Law Association, USA
• International Movement for Peace and Sustainable Development, Nigeria
• International Women's Tribune Centre, USA
• Korea Women’s Associations United, Republic of Korea
• Krisoker Saar (Farmers' Voice), Bangladesh
• Libre Acceso A.C., Mexico
• Mouvement contre le racisme et pour l'amitié entre les peuples (MRAP)
• National Economic and Social Rights Initiative, USA
• PEN INTERNATIONAL
• Solar Cookers International, USA
• Taiwan NGOs Association for International Affairs, Taiwan
• Unescocat-Centre UNESCO de Catalunya, Spain
• Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office, USA

More information

Written statement 

Last CHR session