The 59th Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights
\n(Geneva, March 17 to April 25, 2003)<\/p>\n
NGO Joint Statement (Final version)<\/p>\n
Geneva, March 25, 2003<\/p>\n
1. We, the undersigned Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in consultative status with the UN Economic Social Council (ECOSOC), condemn the illegal invasion of Iraq by the United States of America and United Kingdom which began on March 20, 2003 without the clear mandate of the UN Security Council and against the vast majority of global public opinion.<\/p>\n
2. We call for the immediate cessation of the act of aggression launched in the name of a \u2018pre-emptive war\u2019 which is a grave threat to international peace and security. We call for the resumption of the UN arms inspection, in order to complete its task as mandated by the UN Security Council.<\/p>\n
3. We fully agree with the UN Secretary General, Mr Kofi Annan, that “any unilateral military action without the approval of the UN Security Council is a violation of UN Charter” and we urge the Security Council to address this issue as a matter of grave concern.<\/p>\n
4. The international human rights community has consistently denounced the human rights violations committed by the Iraqi regime over the years, but it is also deeply concerned about the plight and suffering of Iraqi people caused by twelve years of severe and unjust sanctions imposed on their country. The question of human rights violations in Iraq will be considered by the 59th session of the Commission under the relevant item of its agenda.<\/p>\n
5. We firmly believe that military action cannot be a solution to such violations and cannot be justified under the pretext of protecting human rights or restoring democracy. Military action necessarily imperils all other human rights, specially the right to life. This is not acceptable. Human rights should be implemented by just and peaceful means based on principles of rule of law, universal jurisdiction, non-violence, universality and indivisibility and interdependence of human rights.<\/p>\n
6. We call for a universal ratification of the Rome Statutes of the International Criminal Court (ICC) as an appropriate way to address gross human rights violations. This would have a much stronger deterrent effect and would more effectively ensure the protection of victims of human rights violations.<\/p>\n
7. We are convinced that we have to look for ways to increase the effectiveness of human rights mechanisms at the national and global levels that would have prevented this catastrophic event. Only genuine democracy built on the principles of human rights can only safeguard peace and security. Peace without human rights, and human rights without peace are both empty illusion.<\/p>\n
8. We are deeply concerned that the ongoing military action has used up resources that are desperately needed to meet the global challenges facing humanity, such as poverty eradication as outlined in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) adopted by all members States at the Millennium Summit in September 2000.<\/p>\n
9. The UN Commission on Human Rights (CHR), as a UN Charter-based body, has a duty to uphold the human rights principles enshrined in the UN Charter and Universal Declaration of Human Rights, especially in this emergency situation. In this context, the CHR is challenged to deal with the human rights and humanitarian dimensions of the current crisis in Iraq. In doing so, the principle of interdependence between peace, democracy, development and human rights needs to be taken into account.<\/p>\n
10. We strongly support the efforts currently under way by many governments to call an emergency session of the UN General Assembly on the Iraq based on the resolution 377(A) (1950) entitled “Uniting for Peace” since the UN Security Council was unable to agree on a course of action.<\/p>\n
11. We, the undersigned NGOs in consultative status with ECOSOC under Article 71 of the UN Charter, also have an obligation to uphold the human rights principles enshrined in the UN Charter as well as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.<\/p>\n
12. In view of the above statement, we urge the Commission on Human Rights<\/p>\n
i) to condemn the invasion of Iraq as a violation of the UN Charter,<\/p>\n
ii) to hold a special sitting within the 59th session of the CHR as soon as possible to address the current crisis from the human rights and humanitarian perspective, (if it has not been agreed)<\/p>\n
iii) to formulate preventive measures based on human rights principles with a view to preventing similar occurrence in the future and<\/p>\n
iv) to ask the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to undertake all other necessary measures including independent enquiry about the human rights situation in Iraq since the invasion.<\/p>\n
List of singatories \u2013 both ECOSOC NGOs and civil society organisations – as of 12:00 pm (Geneva time) on 28 March 2003<\/p>\n
1. International Peace Bureau (IPB), Geneva
\n2. International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR), Geneva
\n3. International League for the Rights and Liberation of Peoples, Geneva
\n4. Pax Romana ICMICA, Geneva
\n5. Women International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), Geneva
\n6. World YWCA, Geneva,
\n7. World Alliance of YMCAs, Geneva
\n8. World Federation of Methodist and Uniting Church Women, Geneva
\n9. Soka Gakkai International (SGI), Geneva
\n10. Taiwan Association for Human Rights, Taiwan
\n11. National Commission of Justice and Peace, Pakistan
\n12. Task Force Detainees of the Philippines
\n13. Peace Camp, Philippines
\n14. WALHI \/ Friends of the Earth Indonesia
\n15. Think Centre, Singapore
\n16. Dhaka Ahsania Mission, Bangladesh
\n17. Korea Women’s Associations United, Korea
\n18. Sarangbang Group for Human Rights, Korea
\n19. Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD), Thailand
\n20. Peoples\u2019 Watch \u2013 Tamilnadu, India
\n21. International Young Catholic Students Asia, Philippines
\n22. International Young Christian Workers Asia\/Pacific, Hong Kong
\n23. Association for Life Learning in Taiwan
\n24. Jingpo Nationalities Studies Association, China
\n25. Leaders and Organizers of Community Organization in Asia (LOCOA), Philippines
\n26. Korean NGOs Asia Center, Manila, Philippines
\n27. Women’s Rights Action Network Australia
\n28. American Association of Jurists, New York, USA
\n29. MINBYUN-Lawyers for a Democratic Society, Korea
\n30. Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
\n31. Ulsan Solidarity for Human Rights, Korea
\n32. People’s Movement for Human Rights Education (PDHRE), USA
\n33. International Young Christian Student (IYCS), Africa, Kenya
\n34. International Movement of Catholic Student (IMCS), Africa, Kenya
\n35. World Young Christian Students (WSCF) Asia\/Pacific, Hong Kong
\n36. Centre for Organisation, Research & Education (CORE) MANIPUR, India
\n37. Cardijn Center for Development, Philippines
\n38. International Movement of Catholic Student (IMCS), Africa, Kenya
\n39. CETIM – Centre Europe-Tiers Monde
\n40. Public Service International (PSI)
\n41. International Young Catholic Students (IYCS), France
\n42. Centre tricontinental (CETRI), Belgium
\n43. German Forum on Human Rights
\n44. Joint Committee for Migrant Workers in Korea
\n45. Korean Lesbians Gays Bisexuals Trangenders’ Coalition for Human Rights
\n46. People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, Korea
\n47. Solidarity For Peace and Human Rights, Korea
\n48. Citizens’ Solidarity for Human Rights, Korea
\n49. Solidarity for New Society, Korea
\n50. Centre for Human Rights and Development, Mongolia
\n51. International Movement for Fraternal Union Among Races and Peoples (UFER)
\n52. Friends of Asia, Korea
\n53. Internatioanl Association of Democratic Lawyers
\n54. Centro Bartolom\u00e9 de Las Casas, Peru
\n55. Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearance (FIND), Philippines
\n56. National Campaign On Dalit Human Rights (Ncdhr).India
\n57. People’s Education For Action And Liberation (Peal) – Tamilnadu, India.
\n58. Development Solutions,Caada
\n59. Human Rights Forum for Dalit Liberation (HRFDL-TN), India
\n60. Tamilnadu Women’s Collective, India.
\n61. Asian Center for the Progress of Peoples, Hong Kong
\n62. Social Work Student South Australia
\n63. Catholic human rights committee, Korea
\n64. Peace Trust, India
\n65. Sri Lanka Association of Professional Social Workers, Sri Lanka
\n66. Human Rights WAtch – Andhra Pradesh , India
\n67. International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW)
\n68. International Alliance of Women
\n69. Australian Association of Social Workers
\n70. Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, India
\n71. Johor-Melaka Dioces Campus Ministry Team, Malaysia
\n72. Penang Diocese Campus Ministry Team, Malaysia
\n73. National Federation of Social Educators in Denmark
\n74. Afghanistan Commission for Human Rights, Afghanistan
\n75. Centre for Dalit Human Rights, Jaipur, India
\n76. Catholic Professionals of Kenya, Kenya
\n77. Chang Fo-chun Center for the Study of Human Rights, Soochow University, Taipei
\n78. Rights and Democracy – International Center for Human Rights and Democratic Development (ICHRDD), Canada
\n79. Seongdong Community Center For Health And Welfare, Korea
\n80. Suwon Migrant Workers Center, Korea
\n81. Dasan Humanrights Center, Korea
\n82. Paul-\u00c9mile Charland o.m.i.
\n83. Cape Town Justice and Peace Commission, South Africa
\n84. Karoo Centre for Human Rights, South Africa
\n85. Rape Crisis Cape Town Trust, South Africa
\n86. Teresian Association
\n87. Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (Forum-Asia), Thailand
\n88. Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP)
\n89. Conselho Federal de Servico Social (Federal Board of Social Service), Brazil<\/p>\n
plus Austrian Association of Social Workers, Vienna, Austria
\nand Association of Social Workers in Turkey<\/p>\n
More to be added\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The 59th Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights (Geneva, March 17 to April 25, 2003) NGO Joint Statement (Final version) Geneva, March 25, 2003 1. We, the undersigned […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2152,2157,2151,2153],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-107","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-submissions-to-the-un","category-press-release-statements","category-minbyun-voice","category-other-ngo-voices"],"yoast_head":"\n