On March 7th the new UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mr. Volker Türk presented at the 52nd session of the UN Human Rights Council the annual report and specific reports on Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras and Cyprus.
Following the Member and Observer Member States statements, on March 8th IFOR took the floor as 10th NGO speaker and addressed issues related to Colombia and Tibet, where IFOR's affiliates are engaging for peace and human rights. The statement listed several concerning issues including "people on the move" whose death we constantly witness in all migration routes from the Mediterranean to Central America. IFOR also spoke up on Western Sahara and Occupied Palestinian Territories.
The statement highlighted also the issue of justice and peace and of war and the human right to conscientious objection to military service. IFOR denounced the imprisonment of Ukrainian conscientious objector Vitaly Alekseenko and mentioned the Object War Campaigned launched last September.
Human Rights Council, 52nd Session
7 th March 2023
GD Item 2: Annual report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and reports of the OHCHR
Oral statement delivered by the International Fellowship of Reconciliation.
Mr. President, High Commissioner,
IFOR recognizes the current efforts of the government of Colombia to end the armed conflicts [in Colombia] and implement the peace accords and total peace policies. The implementation of comprehensive protection policies for communities and leaders remain urgent [as well as the fight against corruption at all levels and against any complicity with organised crime to ensure a comprehensive peace with human rights guarantees].
International support and solidarity is crucial to overcome global challenges. Vice President Francia Marquez suggests an international debt cut as an "exchange" for the slave labour of Afro-Colombians for centuries, [President Gustavo Petro a swap of oxygen production by rain forest protection with foreign debts. Foreign debts pressure the Colombian government and tighten the budget for a full implementation of the peace agreement, “total peace policies” and accompanying human rights protection strategies].
There is no Peace without Justice.
Dramatically, around the world war is still the preferred tool to address international conflicts. We express our solidarity to all victims of war.
We stand with all those who refuse to kill. [The right to conscientious objection to military service is a human right inherent to the right to freedom of thought conscience and religion.] This human right is constantly undermined and conscientious objectors jailed just as Vitaly Alekseenko some days ago in Ukraine.
In September 2021 IFOR launched the Object War Campaign together with its partners [War Resisters’ International, European Bureau for Conscientious Objection (EBCO) and Connection e.V] to appeal for protection for conscientious objectors fleeing their countries [because their life is at risk for their refusal to bear weapons].
IFOR is also deeply concerned about OPT (Occupied Palestinian Territories) and the continuing systematic violations of human rights in the Non-Self-Governing Territory of Western Sahara, [occupied by the Kingdom of Morocco,] where independent human rights mechanism access is blocked.
Occupants and occupied cannot be considered on the same level. In the Tibet region, the [Tibetan] political prisoners and detainees continue to die or remain missing with impunity and no accountability.
One sentence about people on the move: their death is our responsibility in too many ways.
IFOR reminds this Council of the impact of its work on the life of human beings worldwide.
Thank you.
Click here to download the full statement.
Click here to watch IFOR Main representative to the UN, Ms. Z. Zafarana, delivering the statement in the plenary.
INSIGHTS
Read here more about the new UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Read here about High Commissioner report on Colombia, Guatemale, Honduras, Cyprus
Read here the full report of the HCHR on Colombia.
Read here about the High Commissioner annual report
Here you can find all reports presented at the 52nd session of the UN Human Rights Council.
