Highlights of activities, 2009
Highlights of activities of OMCT’s project on Addressing the Economic, Social and Cultural Root Causes of Torture and other forms of Violence
Action to prevent and end torture and other forms of violence by addressing their economic, social and cultural root causes
Strengthening NGO capacity to
act on the economic, social and cultural root causes of violence
Latin American Regional
Seminar on addressing the economic, social and cultural
root causes of violence aimed organised in Buenos Aires, May 2009
to enable 18 NGOs from Latin America to prepare cases together with
recommendations for action addressing the root causes to
governments, the UN system (Special Procedures, Treaty Bodies),
international financial and development institutions and private
sector actors.
Third Special Procedures
Seminar organised in Geneva June 2009 to enable 15 national
NGOs to understand the UN Special Procedures system, meet with
mandate holders and prepare cases relating to the economic, social
and cultural root causes of violence for submission to mandate
holders, governments and others together with practical
recommendations for action. Mandate holders dealing with safe water
and sanitation, violence against women, violence against children,
human rights and extreme poverty and human rights defenders and the
former chair of the working group on arbitrary detention met and
discussed with the participants who also attended a session of the
annual meeting of mandate holders. OMCT presented to that meeting a
position paper based on contributions from participants.
Asian Regional Seminar
on addressing the economic, social and cultural root causes of
torture and other forms of violence held in Manila, the Philippines
from 26-30 October. The seminar was organised by the World
Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the Philippines Alliance of
Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA), in cooperation with the Commission
on Human Rights of the Philippines (CHRP); the country’s
independent national human rights institution. It was attended by
20 participants from 10 countries from across Asia. Substantive
presentations were made by the Head of Delegation of the European
Union, the Chairperson of the CHRP and on behalf of the United
Nations Resident Coordinator. 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. Each participant presented
a short country report analyzing the links between violations of
economic, social and cultural rights and violence in that country
which were discussed with a view to preparing action files or other
forms of interventions. The participants also drafted the Manila
Declaration on Addressing the Economic, Social and Cultural Root
Causes of Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment
or Punishment a companion to the Maputo Declaration adopted by the
African Regional Seminar in 2008.
Functioning of the network
support group made up on seminar participants enabling an
exchange of information and suggestions for action between members.
In connection with the creation
of OMCT’s economic, social and cultural rights database of
a questionnaire to members of the economic, social and cultural
network and the SOS-Torture network surveying their needs.
Bringing about change through
Alternative reports, action files and other forms of intervention
Preparatory
missions to Brazil and the Philippines were organised to
gather with national partners information for alternative reports
to be submitted to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights and the Committee against Torture. During these
missions, OMCT staff met in forums with persons directly affected
by the violence caused by violations of economic, social and
cultural rights.
Drafting and
submission of an alternative report on the Philippines
to the UN Committee against Torture and the oral presentation to
the Committee of the report by national partners (April - May
2009). This was a companion report to that submitted in 2008 to the
Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. A press release
was issues in this connection.
Drafting and
submission of an alternative report on Brazil (“The
Criminalisation of Poverty”) to the UN Committee on Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights and oral presentation to the Committee
of the report by national partners (May 2009).
Three month
follow-up field presence in Kenya to assist and
catalyse national partners in promoting with the Government the
implementation of the recommendations of the UN Committee on
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Committee Against
Torture, in particular relating to the economic, social and
cultural root causes of violence (April - June 2009). English and
Kiswahili versions of both reports published and distributed.
Follow-up
mission to the Philippines headed by the President of OMCT
to examine the progress made in the implementation of the
recommendations of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights and the Committee Against Torture relating to the economic,
social and cultural root cause of torture and violence. The
recommendations of both committees were dealt with together in
order to encourage the cross-cutting and mutually reinforcing
action necessary to effectively address to root causes of violence.
Working closely with the Commission on Human Rights of the
Philippines, the team met with representatives of a wide range of
civil society organisations from the Manila area and elsewhere,
with the Philippine National Economic Development Agency (NEDA),
with the staff of the Philippine Senate Committee on Justice and
Human Rights, the UN Resident Coordinator/UNDP Resident
Representative, the Asian Development Bank and the Chair and senior
staff of the CHRP.
Drafting and
sending of 2 Action Files and one
follow-up (Bangladesh and India) and five appeals
and one follow-up (Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico)
asking government action in relation to violence connected with
failures to respect economic, social and cultural rights. These are
submitted to governments, UN special procedures mandates and others
and circulated to OMCT’s SOS-Torture Network asking for members
interventions. The actions of 2009 related to killings, torture and
severe brutality committed against peasant farmers, indigenous
people and others by military and private forces in connection with
the forced occupation of indigenous land by non-indigenous people,
threatened eviction of some 5000 indigenous people in violation of
international standards when violence had been used in the past
(the eviction was suspended), demonstrations against the
authorisation of mining activities threatening the water and
environment, opposition to high energy prices and the violent
expulsion of small farmers from their land in connection with the
concentration of their land for agribusiness.
Submission to
the Special Rapporteur onextrajudicial,
summary or arbitrary executions prior to his visit
to Kenya of the two alternative reports and relevant action files
dealing with the root causes of violence in Kenya.
Advocacy and
outreach
OHCHR Seminar
on the Draft Guiding Principles on “Extreme Poverty and Human
Rights: The Rights of the Poor (January 2009). OMCT
presented the conclusions of the October 2008 NGO consultation on
the subject.
Organisation in
Geneva of the launch of the first issue of the publication “Right
to Food and Nutrition Watch” prepared by FIAN
International in cooperation with a number of international NGOs
including OMCT. That issue contains the alternative report on
Brazil to the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
entitled “The Criminalisation of Poverty” prepared by OMCT and
its national partners.
OMCT also
encouraged ratification of the Optional Protocol to the United
Nations International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights.
Working with the
European Parliament
Preparation and
submission to the European Parliament of a report on
the economic, social and cultural root causes of violence in the
Philippines along with recommendations for action (January 2009)
with presentation to the European Union (EU) Parliament
Subcommittee on Human Rights and subsequent adoption of a
resolution reflecting issues and recommendations contained in
OMCT’s submission. A press release was issues in this connection.