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ESCR / Statements / 2009 / November

Asian Regional Seminar Addressing the economic, social and cultural root causes of torture and other forms of violence

MANILA, the Philippines 26 to 30 October 2009
 
 
Fighting torture and other forms of ill-treatment
by addressing their economic, social and
cultural root causes
 
From 26-30 October, 20 participants from 10 countries throughout Asia met in Manila to attend the Asian Regional Seminar on addressing the economic, social and cultural root causes of torture and other forms of violence. The seminar was organised by the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA), in cooperation with the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines (CHRP).
 
The opening ceremony on 26 October was addressed by Atty. Leila De Lima, the Chair of the CHRP and Ambassador Alistair MacDonald, Head of the Delegation of the European Commission in Manila. Both guest speakers underlined the commitment of their organisations to fighting against torture, recognizing that the majority of those who are subjected to torture are the marginalised and vulnerable sectors of society, or those involved in defending their rights.
 
The aim of the seminar was to explore the ways in which violations of economic, social and cultural rights are linked to violence and how acting on those root causes can in turn reduce levels of violence. In order to provide a substantive framework for the seminar’s discussions, presentations based on OMCT’s research and experience were made on how disrespect for economic, social and cultural rights can lead to violence (Mr. Tom McCarthy, Special Adviser), how the United Nations human rights system can be used to address those root causes and how to bring about change by action files and other forms of intervention (Ms. Jastine Barrett, Human Rights Consultant). Representatives from the Filipino NGOs, PAHRA and Karapatan (Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights), also shared their experiences on working with OMCT in addressing the root causes at the international level.
 
In addition, an overview of the European Union’s (EU) policy on the eradication of torture with a particular focus on the EU’s activities in the area of human rights and governance at the country level was given by Ambassador MacDonald, and a guest speaker from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) gave a substantive presentation on the role of the UNDP in addressing the economic, social and cultural root causes of torture and other forms of violence. Ms. Karen Gomez Dumpit shared the CHRP’s experiences in addressing these root causes, providing the participants with a comprehensive insight into the role of national human rights institutions in this area.
 
All the presentations were followed by lively discussions with participants, and the participants expressed appreciation for having been able to deepen their understanding of the economic, social and cultural root causes of violence.
 
During the seminar, the participants presented and discussed case-studies examining the economic, social and cultural root causes of torture in their countries. The cases presented by the participants indicated that, time and time again, the principal victims of violence come from the most vulnerable segments of society such as the poor, indigenous peoples, women, minorities, as well as economic, social and cultural rights defenders. Additionally, the participants identified a number of issues that they considered to be applicable across the Asian region. These included environmental degradation and human rights violations resulting from the exploitation of natural resources, unequal land distribution, trafficking of women and children, exploitation of migrant workers, corruption, extra-judicial killings and the targeting of human rights defenders. They also expressed a desire to establish an “early warning system” to reduce the potential of human rights violations and the resultant possible violence. 
 
More specifically, the papers that were prepared by participants in advance of the seminar and that were analysed in the course of the seminar included the following:
 
- Harassment of, discrimination and violence against women [frequently on religious grounds];
- Slavery like conditions of labourers in the agricultural, manufacturing and mining sectors, who, because of their weak economic position and marginalisation, are subjected to bonded labour and denied most economic, social and cultural rights;
- Unequal treatment of, discrimination and violence against tribal communities, religious minorities and lower caste peoples;
- Omission by the State to correct gross inequalities and uneven distribution of resources;
- Criminalisation of poverty, leading to the imprisonment of the poor, criminalisation of social protests, false charges against the poor, and impunity for police violence against the poor;
- Widespread poverty and environmental damage caused by extractive industry, accompanied by the denial to use the revenues of the extractions to benefit the local populations (and the links with corruption) who are subjected to violence when they call for respect for their rights;
- Indigenous communities subjected to gross human rights violations including forced evictions and violence linked to development projects;
 -Conflict over land allocation leading to protest by farming communities and resulting in violent repression by government forces; and
- Extra-judicial killings and a culture of impunity resulting in a climate of fear amongst defenders of economic, social and cultural rights.
 
These and other cases were analysed in working groups where they were enriched through an enthusiastic exchange of experience and ideas. The participants developed concrete recommendations on the type of action needed to effectively address these root causes. They also focused on lists of key national and international actors to whom to address their concerns and recommendations. The proposals for action that resulted are being further refined by participants in their own countries and, in cooperation with OMCT, may be presented to governments, international bodies and private sector actors.
 
At the end of the seminar, Mr. Yves Berthelot, President of OMCT and former Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, provided a thoughtful summing up of the proceedings, encouraging participants to continue in their fight against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment in Asia and underlining OMCT’s support for their work. 
 
This seminar was part of a larger OMCT project aimed at addressing the economic, social and cultural root causes of torture and other forms of violence which has received substantial support from the European Union.
 
 
Manila, 6 November 2009

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Date: November 6, 2009
Activity: Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
Type: Statements

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