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