IFOR briefs the UN Human Rights Committee on the right to conscientious objection in Russia.

On October 17th the International Fellowship of Reconciliation participated in the formal briefing at the 136th session of the UN Human Rights Committee.

During the ongoing session, after two postponements, the members of the Committee will review the Russian Federation and formulate Concluding Observations.

Members of the Civil Society have been invited to submit reports in advance and to participate in briefing meetings with the Committee to provide useful information.

IFOR took advantage of the 4 minutes speaking opportunity to report on illegal recruitment, cruel treatment of refusers to combat operations in Ukraine, human rights violations of those protesting against the war and other related issues.

Read the complete text of IFOR's statement here, with in-depth notes.

IFOR and PSPD address the meeting for the 2020 Review Conference of the NPT at the UN HQ

At the 3rd Preparatory Committee meeting for the 2020 Review Conference of the NPT at the UN HQ, the civil society was given an opportunity to address the meeting. On May 1, 2019, 16 speeches were delivered to the delegates by the civil society groups.

One of them was a joint statement on Korea from the PSPD (People's Solidarity for Partipatory Democracy), a prominent NGO in South Korea, and IFOR. Here is the statement, which has been endorsed by 40 civil society groups in the world, including the U.S., Canada, Japan, Germany, U.K., Bangladesh, etc