The International Secretariat is pleased to present a summary of IFOR's recent involvement at the UN, in particular at the Human Rights Council.
The Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations system responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe and for addressing situations of human rights violations and make recommendations on them. The Council is made up of 47 United Nations Member States which are elected by the UN General Assembly and meets three times a year at the UN Office in Geneva.
The 49th session of the UN Human Rights Council has just concluded its working meetings. The session started on February 28th and ended on April 1st and the participation of the member States and civil society representatives has been hybrid mode.
The session was characterized by an urgent debate on the situation in Ukraine; the issue of the war moved by Russia on Ukraine has been part of the following working session debates.
What follows is a list of the oral statements delivered or co-sponsored by IFOR during the session. At this session IFOR addressed issues such as the resistance to war, the right to conscientious objection, nuclear disarmament, peace negotiations, nonviolent action and presented cases referring to the specific issues in Ukraine, Eritrea, Colombia, Greece, Turkey, Western Sahara… IFOR has also taken the floor to speak about the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó on its 25th anniversary, highlighting specific struggles and violations of human rights it is currently facing.
*On April 7th 2022 the UN General Assembly has voted to suspend Russian UN HRC membership as a response to Russia invasion of and alleged rights abuses in Ukraine
IFOR joins "Appeal for Peace in Ukraine" at the UN
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IFOR takes the floor at the UN Human Rights Council on war resisters and nuclear threat
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IFOR joins statement at the UN on Western Sahara
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IFOR addresses the UN Human Rights Council on the right to refuse to kill
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IFOR speaks at the UN about the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó on its 25th anniversary
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IFOR raises concern at the UN over forced conscription in Eritrea
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IFOR speaks at the UN calling on Greece to comply with conscientious objection international standards
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"WAR SHOULD BE ABOLISHED!" IFOR speaks up at the UN on the right to conscientious objection in wartime
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IFOR speaks at the UN on the fundamental rights of the people of Western Sahara
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IFOR has also submitted a written statement to the 49th UN Human Rights Council concerning the Peace Community of San Joseé de Apartado and human rights violations.
You can read here this report "Colombia: New Threats Against The Peace Community Of San Jose De Apartado On Its 25th Anniversary", which has been received by the Secretary-General and has been circulated in accordance with Economic and Social Council resolution 1996/31, and registered officially on the UN website as A/HRC/49/NGO/239 .
You can read more about the 25th anniversary of the Peace Community here.
For information on IFOR's work at the UN you can contact its coordinator at zaira.zafarana@ifor.org