newsletter No Peace Without Justice, VII-2013
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Per la versione italiana clicca qui |
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July 2013 |
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Highlights |
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International Justice Day: Commitment and Action Needed |
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On this day on which the International Criminal Court (ICC) was born, through the adoption of its Statute, No Peace Without Justice and the Nonviolent Radical Party, Transnational and Transparty wish to commemorate this moment with our partners and with everyone involved with the fight against impunity, including the ICC itself.
For the fight against impunity to be won, two things need to happen: States need to “talk the talk” in terms of their commitment against impunity, wherever it threatens to occur, then they need to stand by those words and make accountability happen. In all this, the victims and populations affected by crimes need to be and to remain front and centre: they are not an “add-on” or a luxury, they are the very reason why it is important to fight impunity at all.
The ICC itself may not be the answer to accountability in every situation, but its existence as a threat, a promise and a last resort has created an expectation that silence and inaction in the face of atrocities is no longer an option, an expectation that is sorely needed in Syria. By contrast, there has been little mention of accountability in Bahrain, despite the calls for justice and redress for past and ongoing violations of basic human rights from Bahraini civil society.
In order to maintain and strengthen its relevance and impact, the ICC must have teeth. It must be sufficiently well resourced and supported, and sufficiently effective and efficient, to be a real threat, not merely a paper tiger. To give real teeth to the promise of justice, all States Parties should fulfil their obligations under the Rome Statute and cooperate fully with the ICC, notably by ensuring the enforcement of all its outstanding arrest warrants. By the same token, the ICC’s main challenges in maximising its impact lie in its outreach work and its field presence, two areas where important progress has been made but which remain woefully inadequate for the demands on the ICC and for the promise it can have. * Alison Smith is Legal Counsel and Director of the International Criminal Justice Program of No Peace Without Justice |
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NPWJ celebrates a decade of the Maputo Protocol on the rights of women in Africa and looks forward new Head of UN Women to bring its spirit across the world |
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Today marks the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the rights of Women in Africa, commonly referred to as The Maputo Protocol. This ground-breaking regional legal instrument enumerates specific measures for the elimination of discrimination against women and addresses a wide range of rights.
Crucially, and as a result of the tireless advocacy efforts of key activists working towards the elimination of female genital mutilation (FGM), the Maputo Protocol includes Article 5, which explicitly condemns FGM as a violation of women’s rights and calls on AU Member States to adopt specific legislative measures backed by sanctions to prohibit FGM in order to eradicate it. This breakthrough document also paved the way for the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly, on 20 December 2012, of the Resolution calling for a worldwide ban on female genital mutilation (A/RES/67/146), Article 4 of which owes a great deal to the text of the Maputo Protocol.
No Peace Without Justice and the Nonviolent Radical Party, Transnational and Transparty renew the appeal to all African States to ensure that the Maputo Protocol realises its full potential as a concrete tool for women’s empowerment in Africa. We also take this opportunity to congratulate former South African Deputy President, Ms Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, for her nomination as the Head of UN Women, and look forward to her determination and outstanding leadership in bringing the Maputo Protocol’s exemplary spirit to the entire world. * Alvilda Jablonko is FGM Program Coordinator of No Peace Without Justice |
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18th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide: NPWJ calls for justice and redress to be achieved |
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On this 18th anniversary of Srebrenica genocide, No Peace Without Justice and the Nonviolent Radical Party, Transnational and Transparty stand in solidarity with the victims and continue to call for justice for this horrific event, which stands out among the several horrors that were inflicted on civilians during the conflict in the former Yugoslavia.
While Serbia has acknowledged the crimes and finally sent Radovan Karadžić and Ratko Mladić to The Hague for trial, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) seems to have lost the plot entirely. At the end of last year, despite overwhelming evidence of murder, inhumane acts, forced displacement and persecution in Srebrenica by Republika Srpska forces he aided, supported and supplied, former Chief of the General Staff of the Yugoslav Army Momcilo Perisic was acquitted by the Appeals Chamber under some new and unlikely theory of liability that flies in the face of well established jurisprudence. At the end of May this year, the Trial Chamber followed suit and acquitted Jovica Stanisic and Franko Simatovic, despite overwhelming evidence that they had established, supported and controlled some of the most notorious criminal units that committed massive, widespre ad and systematic atrocities against civilians in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The time has come for common sense and legal reason to prevail in The Hague in order to prevent that the ICTY contrbute to achieve what the execution squads and excavators at Srebrenica and the snipers and artillery at Sarajevo were never able to do: to re-write and give judicial imprint to an odious revisionist version of history in which the crimes never happened and the victims simply do not matter. |
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NPWJ events |
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NPWJ contributes to the “Info Activism Camp 2013: Evidence & Influence” held in Italy |
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On 23-30 June 2013, No Peace Without Justice (NPWJ) contributed to the “Info Activism Camp 2013: Evidence & Influence”, organised by Tactical Technology Collective (TTC) at the Centro D'Ompio - Pettenasco, Italy. The event brought together 135 info-activists and practitioners from 46 countries around the world (including from Bahrain, Cambodia, Malaysia, Turkey, Egypt, Israel, Iran, Palestine and Syria) to discuss and debate, share and explore new ideas and solutions that will contribute to enhancing creative and technical practices for evidence-based advocacy.
This initiative is significantly relevant, especially for human rights advocates and activists who struggle on a daily basis and through nonviolent and innovative means simply to express themselves freely, despite considerable resources dedicated by their countries’ regimes to silencing them through censorship, repressive legislation, arbitrary arrest and imprisonment, intimidation and violence. The ability for grassroots organisations and individual activists to collect and use evidence through new techniques and approaches presents an exciting threshold for political influence and campaigning. Through digital activism, democracy advocates and civil society organisations can increase their capacity to have a positive impact on political and democratic life, by proposing, initiating and sustaining actionable policy priorities and shared solutions in support of democratic values, respect for human rights and the rule of law. |
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Libya: NPWJ raises awareness about Transitional Justice and Human Rights in Yefren |
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On 27 June 2013, No Peace Without Justice, in partnership with the Libyan Centre for Strategic and Future Studies, organised a workshop on Transitional Justice and Human Rights in Yefren, a town in the Nafusa Mountains. Participants included local civil society organisations, as well as representatives from the Yefren Local Council and local branches of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Social Affairs. As stated by a representative from the newly established Libyan CSO 'Improving Human Rights', "we Libyans know there are many human rights abuses and injustices which need to be addressed, but currently we lack the tools to be able to create the necessary space for dialogue, redress and reconciliation." Therefore the aim of the workshop was to raise awareness about accountability, transitional justice mechanisms and the fundamental principles of human rights, with a view to building the capacity of local organisations to promote accountability, rule of law and reconciliation within their community, focusing on specific challenges within the Libyan context.
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NPWJ on Radio Radicale |
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Have Breakfast with No Peace Without Justice |
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No Peace Without Justice and Radio Radicale, the foremost Italian nationwide all-news radio, have an ongoing partnership to provide news and information on our activities to a broad Italian audience. This partnership features an in-depth weekly program on NPWJ’s current campaigns and activities. The program is broadcast in Italian every Friday morning immediately before the main news summary. |
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NPWJ press releases |
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International Justice Day: Commitment and Action Needed Cambodia: NRPTT and NPWJ welcome Royal Pardon for Sam Rainsy as a small step on the road to democracy NPWJ celebrates a decade of the Maputo Protocol on the rights of women in Africa and looks forward new Head of UN Women to bring its spirit across the world 18th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide: NPWJ calls for justice and redress to be achieved Cuba – Guillermo Fariňas: NPWJ congratulates with 2010 Sakharov prize’s laureate for being finally free to collect it NPWJ contributes to the “Info Activism Camp 2013: Evidence & Influence” held in Italy Libya: NPWJ raises awareness about Transitional Justice and Human Rights in Yefren Tunisia: NPWJ and KADEM issue report on accountability and Transitional Justice expectations and perceptions across the Country NPWJ and Freedom House convene Practitioners’ Dialogue on Transitional Justice in Istanbul |
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NPWJ in the news |
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ICTJ's SCSL Legacy Podcast Series: Alison Smith NPWJ celebrates a decade of the Maputo Protocol on the rights of women in Africa Gli “hacker buoni” a scuola di libertà nascosti nel Cusio. Dalla Siria all’Egitto, in prima fila per l’informazione contro i regimi La CPI, Cour internationale sous pression Justice transitionnelle et justice internationale dans le Monde arabe, thème d’une conférence à Tunis Tunisia: International Conference On Transitional Justice and International Justice in Arab World Tunisians, Libyans learn about transitional justice Liberia: Lawless Liberia - Legal Failure Renews International Calls for Female Genital Cut Law |
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Support NPWJ |
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Get involved, have your say and make a difference! |
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You have the power — by joining us, volunteering, and donating — to support our work for the protection and promotion of human rights, democracy, the rule of law and international justice around the world. Your contributions will make a real difference and help us in our endeavour to promote accountability and redress for the victims of crimes under international law, to support women’s rights advocates in their fight against Female Genital Mutilation as one of the most widespread and systematic violations of the human right to personal integrity, and to support the role of human rights and democracy activists in the Middle East and North Africa Region. For further information visit our website: www.npwj.org |
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This Newsletter is sent once a month to those who have expressed interest in the activities of No Peace Without Justice. If you would prefer not to receive these monthly Newsletters, or if would prefer us to send it to a different address, please let us know by e-mail at cancellami@npwj.org and we will remove (or change) your address immediately. |
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