IFOR SPEAKS OUT AT THE U.N. ON REFUGEES EMERGENCY AT THE TURKEY-EU BORDER

On March 6th International Fellowship of Reconciliation - IFOR delivered an oral statement at the 43rd session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva concerning the situation at the Turkey-EU border, expressing deep concern for the violence registered against people on the move and for the suspension of asylum procedures which is against international law, as highlighted by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. Unfortunately, there is a severe retrogression of human rights in Greece, including the issue of the right to conscientious objection to military service.
IFOR referred to the Right to Life and, additionally, urged all member states to ratify the UN Treaty to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, adopted in 2017. 

IFOR is a member of International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and its branches engage to support the #nuclearban.

IFOR addresses UN Human Rights Council outlining the urgent need to take action to implement the Right to Life

On September 16th, International Fellowship of Reconciliation - IFOR addressed the UN Human Rights Council, outlining the urgent need to take action to implement the Right to Life which is “the supreme right from which no derogation is permitted”.
If the right to life is violated, no other rights can be exercised!
Right to Life should include as well the right to refuse to kill!
IFOR called upon States to ratify the UN Treaty on the abolition of nuclear weapons and referred to the 2nd World March for Peace and Nonviolence which will start in Madrid on October 2nd 2019.

You can read the whole statement here.

You can watch it here at 01:05:34 at http://webtv.un.org/…/item3-general-debate-…/6086710348001/…

IFOR Submits Joint Statement on the Illegal Occupation of Western Sahara

During the 38th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, IFOR joined a group of organizations calling attention to the repeated violations of international law through the ongoing occupation of Western Sahara by the Kingdom of Morocco. The coalition of nongovernmental organizations submitted a report calling for the following:   

• All High Contracting Parties to ensure that the Kingdom of Morocco respects the Fourth Geneva Convention in Western Sahara; 
• The Kingdom of Morocco to fully respect the Fourth Geneva Convention in Western Sahara; 
• The Kingdom of Morocco to fully respect the Human Rights of the Sahrawi people, including their right to self-determination and independence, in conformity with UNGA resolution 1514 (XV); 
• The Kingdom of Morocco to fully respect the Principles of International Law, including the Principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples and the principle that States shall fulfil in good faith the obligations assumed by them in accordance with the Charter; 
• The members of the Human Rights Council to create the mandate of Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights violations in the Occupied Territory of Western Sahara. 

Read the full written statement here.