IFOR at the 46th session of the UN Human Rights Council: "immediate and unconditional release of all imprisoned conscientious objectors"

International Fellowship of Reconciliation - IFOR has delivered an oral statement on conscientious objection to military service at the 46th session of the UN Human Rights Council during the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of religion or belief which was held on March 4th 2021.

The statement, delivered by the Main representative of IFOR at the UN Z. Zafarana, refers to the need of immediate and unconditional release of all imprisoned conscientious objectors.
You can download the original version of the statement here.

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Human Rights Council, 46th Session

Geneva, 4th March 2021 

Item 2: Interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the freedom of religion or belief 

Oral statement delivered by the International Fellowship of Reconciliation.

Madam President,

IFOR thanks the Special Rapporteur for his thematic report[1].

The right to Conscientious objection to military service is inherent to the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. 

However, conscientious objectors continue to be imprisoned in various countries, such as Turkmenistan[2], Singapore[3], Eritrea[4], Tajikistan[5], Israel[6], for instance, and this constitutes a violation of international human rights law.

We encourage and support the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief in his long-standing efforts for the immediate and unconditional release of all imprisoned conscientious objectors.

IFOR urges the respect of international standards for the exercise of the right to conscientious objection.

In Colombia, for instance, the competence to recognise the right to conscientious objection lies with the same authority that carries out military recruitment, which denotes a lack of objectivity and impartiality that delegitimizes its exercise through a process that prioritises evidence over substance. This procedural treatment generates gaps of inequality and discrimination between those who can provide evidence backed by an ecclesiastical authority and those who do not have this possibility. An example is given by the response[7] to the conscientious objector Sergio Sáenz[8], who based his declaration on non-religious beliefs.

Thank you.

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1. Report on Countering Islamophobia/Anti-Muslim Hatred to Eliminate Discrimination and Intolerance Based on Religion or Belief. https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/FreedomReligion/Pages/HatredAndDiscrimination.aspx.

2. https://www.ecoi.net/en/document/2025552.html.

3. https://www.jw.org/en/news/legal/by-region/singapore/jehovahs-witnesses-in-prison/.

4. ttps://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/Pages/NewsDetail.aspxNewsID=26439&LangID=E.

5. https://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=2629.

6. https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-conscientious-objector-released-from-militaryprison/.

7. Response to File No. 531228 dated 26 January 2021. “A través del cual le exigen (i) número de resolución de la entidad emitida por el Ministerio del Interior. (ii) certificado de existencia y representación de la Institución a la que pertenece; (iii) certificado de vinculación del líder religioso que emite certificación, (iv) no se indica fecha ni certificados de sacramentos recibidos en el marco de la religión católica;  (v) sede donde regularmente se congrega, actividades específicas que realiza, horarios, programa de estudios, (vi) números telefónicos de feligreses que indiquen bajo la gravedad de juramento que han sido testigos de sus actividades religiosas (iv)  demás documentos y elementos de prueba (fotos, videos etc..) que acrediten la sinceridad de sus convicciones; es decir, que sean claras, profundas, fijas y sinceras en que fundamenta su solicitud.”

8. His request was not processed because he had to belong to a legally constituted church that would certify it, and he had to have the testimony of two or more members of the congregation who, under oath, would certify his status as a conscientious objector within the church."

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You can watch here the UN interactive dialogue referred to above. IFOR statement is at 02:04:17 [insert the hyperlink http://webtv.un.org/.../id-sr-on-religion.../6237146868001

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IFOR has recently submitted a report on the issue of conscientious objection in Singapore for the 38th UN UPR. You can find it here.

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IFOR follows closely the issue of conscientious objection in Colombia and collaborates with ACOOC - Colombian Collective Action of Conscientious Objectors.

ACOOC works in the field of accompaniment of conscientious objectors; it supports conscientious objectors in their struggle against discrimination and to achieve recognition by the Colombian government, advises young people who are victims of illegal recruitment practices by the military and is working towards the full implementation of the right to conscientious objection by the Colombian government.

IFOR joins in a call to the UN member States to "MOVE THE MONEY OUT OF MILITARY, TO FOOD"

IFOR co-sponsored, together with other 13 NGOs, an oral statement on the Right to Food which was delivered by Associazione Papa Giovanni XXIII during the 46th session of the UN Human Rights Council.

The statement refers as well to the last encyclical of Pope Francis "Fratelli tutti" ("All brothers"), on Fraternity and Social Friendship, and reinforces the call to

"convert the money spent on weapons and other military expenditures in a global fund that can finally put an end to hunger and favour development in the most impoverished countries".

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46th Regular Session of the Human Rights Council, 22 February – 23 March 2021

Item 3: ID with Special Rapporteur on the right to food

Joint oral statement delivered by: Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII (APG23)

Check against delivery

Madam President,

APG23 and 14 co-signing NGOs welcome the report of the Special Rapporteur on the right to food in which he highlights the issues that will inform his future thematic reports.1

According to the UN Policy Brief on the Impact of COVID-19 on Food Security and Nutrition from June 2020 “Prior to the onset of this pandemic, more than 820 million people were already identified as chronically food insecure.” 2 We expect that the pandemic will push more children and adults into food insecurity and hunger around the world, undermining the efforts to achieve SDG2 and, more worryingly, increasing malnutrition-related deaths.

In his speech for the last World Food Day in October 2020, Pope Francis remarked: “Hunger is not only a tragedy for humanity, but also a shame. It is caused largely by an unequal distribution of the fruits of the earth, compounded by a lack of investment in the agricultural sector, the consequences of climate change and the increase in conflicts in various areas of the planet.”3

In view of the incoming Food Systems Summit, we hope that the discussion on food systems will focus on putting human rights at their core, addressing inequalities, promoting accountability and ensuring that markets serve social needs above profits.

We concur with the proposal of Pope Francis in the last encyclical “On Fraternity and Social Friendship” to convert the money spent on weapons and other military expenditures in a global fund that can finally put an end to hunger and favour development in the most impoverished countries.

In this regard, we urge the Member States to make concrete actions that are needed now more than ever. The future of the next generations is in our hands, we must do our part. Thank you!

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1. A/HRC/46/33

2. The Impact of COVID-19 on Food Security and Nutrition

3. MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS FOR THE WORLD FOOD DAY 2020

• You can download the original statement here.

• You can watch the related UN session here.

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Fratelli tutti (All Brothers) is the third encyclical of Pope Francis , subtitled "on fraternity and social friendship". In the document, Francis states that the way theCOVID-19 pandemic was managed by world countries has shown a failure in global cooperation. The encyclical calls for more human fraternity and solidarity, and is a plea to reject wars.

The document was signed on October 3rd 2020, on the occasion of Pope Francis's visit to the tomb of his namesake, Saint Francis of Assisi, and was published the following day on the saint's feast day. You can download the encyclical here.

IFOR joins a statement on the violation of human rights of migrants and refugees in the Balkan Route: 46th UN HRC

IFOR has joined a statement, at the ongoing 46th session of the UN Human Rights Council, on the continued systematic and institutionalized violation of the rights of migrants crossing the Balkan route to Europe.

The statement has been delivered during the General Debate with the High Commissioner on human rights Michelle Bachelet on March 1st, by Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII, following the presentation of reports by the High Commissioner.

"Madam President,

APG23 and 10 co-signing NGOs are concerned about the continued systematic and institutionalised violation of the rights of migrants crossing the Balkan route to Europe.
We refer to thousands of persons who are spending the freezing Balkan and Greek winters in camps, often lacking the fundamental rights. According to reports of NGOs directly monitoring the situation, including some co-signatories of this statement, people in camps live in dreadful conditions lacking heating, electricity and proper sanitation. This causes the insurgence of illness and degradation of living, and exposes several persons to inhuman and degrading treatments. Indeed, there are remarkably high cases of self-harm and suicide attempts inside the camps, even among children.

Furthermore, the current COVID19 health crisis has often been used as an instrument of pressure by the host countries against both migrants and NGOs, creating a strong criminalisation of those who denounce the current situation. Permissions to leave the camps are often denied even if migrants present evidence of serious proven health problems. At the same time, it is increasingly difficult for NGOs to support migrants. The current law of some host countries foresees heavy fines for helping migrants and some NGOs have even been accused by the authorities of abetting illegal immigration after reporting pushbacks by the coast guard.

Finally, other illegal practices continue to be carried out, such as the violent pushbacks of migrants on land and sea, as well as the registration of people as adults even if they are minors, to reduce the State's reception costs.

We believe that time has come to put an end to these human rights violations, which have taken place for too long and that risk becoming even more systematic trends perpetrated with impunity. It is critical to find long-term solutions and reflect on the underlying reasons and policies that have triggered the situation.
Thank you!"

The statement is available here.

You can watch the reporting of the High Commissioner on the situation of human rights at this link.

IFOR takes the floor at 46th UN HRC during the general debate with the High Commissioner for Human Rights Ms. Michelle Bachelet

IFOR is currently participating in the 46th session of the UN Human Rights Council which is in remote modality due to the pandemic. Today program of work included the general debate with the High Commissioner for Human Rights and following the States representatives, NGOs with Consultative Status have been able to take the floor.

IFOR referred to some concerning local situations such as Colombia, Eritrea and Western Sahara and then addressed the issues of criminalization of solidarity and nuclear disarmament

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Human Rights Council, 46th Session

Geneva, 26th February 2021 

Item 2: General Debate

Oral statement delivered by the International Fellowship of Reconciliation.

Madam High Commissioner,

IFOR thanks you and your office for the reports.

We are particularly concerned by the situation in Eritrea and in the region and by the lack of collaboration as also highlighted, yesterday, by the new Special Rapporteur[1] and share a deep concern for the risk and danger faced by young people who refuse to serve in the National Service.

We welcome the recommendations which have been listed in your report on Colombia[2] and highlight the importance to guarantee a comprehensive intervention by the State to reduce the violence and not just an increase in the military presence.

 We are alarmed by the increasing cases of criminalization of solidarity[3] with individual cases of people being charged with aiding and abetting illegal immigration because they provide first assistance to migrants or rescue them, whether at sea, in the mountains or in the middle of forests.

 Western Sahara, the last colony in Africa[4], continues to be a pending decolonization case. International Law needs to be implemented.

IFOR restate the call made a few months ago “on the governments in the region and around the world to contribute to a peaceful  solution of the conflict and the implementation of the fundamental rights of the Saharawi people”[5].

We would like to conclude with a positive note: nuclear weapons are finally banned!

We welcome the enter into force of the UN Treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons (TPNW)[6], on January 22nd 2021[7].

Thank you.

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1. Oral update of Mohamed Abdelsalam Babiker, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea, at the 46th HRC on February 24th 2021. https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=26795&LangID=E

2. A/HRC/46/76.

3. In 2019 the Red Cross EU Office released a statement regarding the soaring of the criminalisation of solidarity in Europe. https://redcross.eu/latest-news/the-eu-must-stop-the-criminalisation-of-solidarity-with-migrants-and-refugees 

   Some recent individual cases:
   Gian Andrea Franchi and Lorena Fornasir: https://www.avvenire.it/attualita/pagine/si-preso-cura-dei-migranti-sotto-accusa-nonno-andrea

   Carola Rackete: https://theconversation.com/sea-watch-3-captain-arrested-eu-complicit-in-criminalising-search-and-rescue-in-the-mediterranean-119670

   Sean Binder and Anouk Van Gestel: https://www.ceps.eu/ceps-events/criminalisation-of-solidarity-how-to-protect-the-right-to-help-migrants-and-refugees/

4. It is on the UN list of Non-Self-Governing Territories since 1963.

5. IFOR has released a statement on the situation in Western Sahara on November 13th 2020 http://www.ifor.org/news/2020/11/13/ifor-statement-on-the-current-situation-in-western-sahara. Another one was released on December 14th 2020 http://www.ifor.org/news/2020/12/14/smlf3m85b4eq2r7kexpxd76zzgvoi5.

6. https://www.un.org/disarmament/wmd/nuclear/tpnw/

7. https://www.icanw.org/tpnw_enters_into_force

• You can download the original statement here.

• You can watch the recording of the session here. IFOR statements is at 00:46:36.

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IFOR has released a public statement regarding Western Sahara on November 13th 2020, the day before the truce was broken in the region. You can read the original statement here.

A second statement has been published December 14th 2020 on the U.S. recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara and on the primacy of fundamental rights and international law. You can read the original statement here.

IFOR has a long standing engagement for nuclear disarmament and on January 22nd 2021 has organized a new Day of Action to join activists worldwide to celebrate the entering into force of the UN nuclear ban Treaty adopted on July 7th 2017 by the UN General Assembly. The Treaty reached its 50th ratification on October 24th 2020, International UN Day.

You can watch here, the video message of the president of IFOR which has been released for the occasion.

You can read more about the Day of Action here and discover some actions from IFOR members published on our Facebook page.

IFOR speaks on the tragedy of the Eritrean refugees in the Tigray region and to the Eritrean indefinite National Service; 46th session of the UN Human Rights Council.

International Fellowship of Reconciliation - IFOR is participating in the 46th session of the UN Human Rights Council which started on February 22nd.

Today, February 24th, IFOR Main representative to the UN in Geneva delivered a statement in the plenary of the Council, during the interactive dialogue with the new Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea, Mohamed Abdelsalam Babiker, who has been appointed in September 2020.

Dr. Mohammed Abdelsalam Babiker, originally from Sudan, is an Associate Professor of International Law, Dean of the School of Law at the University of Khartoum, and founding Director of its Human Rights Centre. He teaches human rights law, refugee law, international humanitarian law, and international criminal law among others. Dr. Babiker is also a practicing lawyer and conducted international investigations in many countries in the Horn of Africa in the areas of human rights and international humanitarian law.

In addition to Dr. Babiker’s academic qualifications, he has extensive experience working with international human rights organizations and institutions, including the United Nations (UN) and the African Union (AU).

In December 2017, he was appointed by the United Nations Secretary-General as Humanitarian Expert with the Somalia and Eritrea Monitoring Group. In December 2018, he was also appointed as the Humanitarian Expert with the Panel of Experts on Somalia. Dr. Babiker also worked as a Legal Advisor and a Human Rights Officer with UN and AU peacekeeping operations, as well as a number of UN agencies.

-Information available at the OHCHR website

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The Special Rapporteur presented to the Council his oral update on the situation of human rights in Eritrea which focused on the human rights of Eritrean refugees and asylum seekers in the context of the ongoing Tigray crisis in Ethiopia and the progress made in relation to the benchmarks set out in the reports of his predecessor. You can find the complete text of the oral update here.

IFOR took the floor after the States statements and referred to the humanitarian tragedy of the Eritrean refugees in the Tigray area and to the issue of the indefinite National Service.

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"Madam President,

 The International Fellowship of Reconciliation thanks the Special Rapporteur for his oral update.

The current situation in the region is dramatic, as reported also from our local partner organizations.

Refugee camps under international protection in the Tigray region, including schools, clinics and residential areas, have been systematically targeted and destroyed with the purpose of hindering their future usage[1]. In particular, the Hitsats and Shimelba refugee camps, which hosted refugees coming from Eritrea, have been under attack. The UNHCR acknowledges that 20,000 refugees are unaccounted for. Only around 3,000 refugees from Shimelba and Hitsats camps found their way to the other two refugee camps in the South of Tigray, Mai-Aini, and Adi-Harush, with an estimated 10.000 refouled to Eritrea. UNHCR warns that thousands of Eritrean refugees are still in need of urgent assistance[2]. 

We restate the concern regarding Eritrean migrants and refugees who often flee from the system of an indefinite National Service which presents practices that in many cases amount to forced labour.

We call on the international community to protect refugees and to withdraw from practices which reinforce such a system.

Thank you."

[1] https://www.vice.com/en/article/93wmbz/refugee-camps-in-ethiopia-appear-to-have-been-systematically-destroyed

[2] https://www.voanews.com/africa/un-eritrean-refugees-tigray-face-humanitarian-crisis
Statement attributable to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi on the situation of Eritrean refugees in Ethiopia’s Tigray region. https://www.unhcr.org/news/press/2021/1/600052064/statement-attributable-un-highcommissioner-refugees-filippo-grandi-situation.html"

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The statement can be downloaded here.

You can watch the Interactive Dialogue here.

The UN briefing on the Interactive Dialogue referred to in this article is available here.

Attack on the right to freedom of expression: the case of Ruslan Kotsaba, a Ukrainian anti-war pacifist journalist

On January 22nd 2021, pacifist journalist Ruslan Kotsaba was attacked near the Kolomyia City District Court of Ivano-Frankivsk Region, in Ukraine, as he was going to the hearing for the trial where he is charged for publications against the war. He published in 2015 a video titled “I refuse to mobilize”.

Read more about the case of this journalist by clicking here.

IFOR shares the deep concern expressed by EBCO - European Bureau for Conscientious Objection in its Press Release "UKRAINE: EBCO shocked by the continuation of prosecution and attacks against Ruslan Kotsaba. Criticism of the military is not a crime! Violence is a crime!", condemning the physical violence against the journalist who is under investigation for going public against the war. Read the Press Release by clicking here.

IFOR has already referred to this individual case in the statement delivered last December at the UN during a session of the Human Rights Council concerning the situation of human rights in Ukraine. Click here to read more.

We stand in solidarity with the victims of the violation of the right to freedom of expression in Ukraine and in any other country.

Reprisals and Violence against human rights defenders and peace activists should always be condemned.

Learn more by clicking here, about possible solidarity initiatives and to take action on this case.

CELEBRATE THE NUCLEAR BAN and continue to MAKE PEACE THE NEW NORMAL

Get active on January 22nd 2021 – everywhere!

“Es la hora de CELEBRAR LA PROHIBICIÓN NUCLEAR y seguir HACIENDO DE LA PAZ LA NUEVA NORMALIDAD” haz aquí para ver la versión en español

“Célébrer l'INTERDICTION DES ARMES NUCLEAIRESet continuer à FAIRE LA PAIX DU NOUVEAU NORMAL” cliquez ici.

Check out the facebook event here!!!

After the first call which launched #MPNN and highlighted the need for #compassion, #accountability and #change, we are now to call everyone to action for nuclear disarmament, to contribute to peace and justice, thus to #JustPeace.

On January 22nd we join worldwide celebrations for the entering into force of the UN nuclear ban Treaty which states that nuclear weapons, not only are immoral, but also unlawful according to international law.

We now invite everyone to join a new IFOR Global Day of Action on January 22nd 2021

About the Day of Action

The new Day of Action will celebrate the entering into force of the UN nuclear ban Treaty adopted on July 7th 2017 by the UN General Assembly. It reached its 50th ratification on October 24th 2020, International UN Day. Through actions big and small, we aim to raise awareness about nuclear disarmament and the many issues linked to it such as nuclear investment, nuclear waste, nuclear tests, production, nuclear weapons stationing, nuclear pending threat, humanitarian risks and environmental risks and damages.

We invite everyone, everywhere, to RING A BELL FOR PEACE AT NOON! Click here to read more about it and download the pdf version!!

We will publish thematic posts and also display on Facebook a video message by IFOR president at 12 am CET, together with the video “If you love this planet” by ICAN.

Whether you are in lockdown, moving about and physically distancing, there are things you can do and plan to do in the near future during this year.

We invite everyone to engage at any or all of following levels:

§ COMMUNITY ACTION: Share solidarity to victims of environmental disasters due to nuclear resources exploitation, testing and waste.

§ SPIRITUAL ACTION: Provide a point of spiritual focus and reflection.

§ POLITICAL ACTION: Engage politicians, policy makers and public opinion leaders and authorities about the need for disarmament; thank those who ratified the Treaty and call on those who didn’t yet. Call on City and Regional Councils to pass resolutions supporting the TPNW.

Please decide on the types of activity you intend to carry out. A list of activities is available on the IFOR website to spark your imagination. Click here to read or download the list.

One common theme is the need to make people aware that we are taking action. On social media, we will connect our efforts by using the hashtag #MPNN and #JustPeace.

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Ways to join the Day of Action

• Take action on social media, share on Jan 22nd the SAVE THE DATE IMAGE, RING THE BELL or take different actions!!! also via Email with your networks. (Don’t forget to use the Hashtag #MPNN and #JustPeace and to tag IFOR (Fb @InternationalFellowshipofReconciliation) And don’t forget to act on the posting on IFOR Fb page and share them on your own pages.

• Join the peace world at noon and RING A BELL FOR PEACE and record it by video or picture and share it on social media and make sure to send to IFOR Fb page or by email to iskra.ramirez@ifor.org  Click here for more details on this action.

• Join IFOR president Lotta Sjöström Becker video message which will be broadcasted on IFOR’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/InternationalFellowshipofReconciliation at 12 pm CET after the screening of “If You Love This Planet“ video by ICAN (or watch the video afterwards!)

• Support local initiatives regarding the entering into force of the UN Treaty and highlight issues such as 1. stop the money going into nuclear weapons, 2. end the political support and implement the Treaty, 3. environmental impact of nuclear weapons (production, testing, storage and use) and share the thematic graphics on social media, internet and by email. 

• Implement these actions in your community! (Don’t forget to share with us what you are doing by posting it under #MPNN #JustPeace and tagging IFOR, or sending it to iskra.ramirez@ifor.org)

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Highlight your initiatives

If you are doing something about nuclear disarmament and the entering into force of the UN Treaty, put it in the spotlight and make it known!

Post on social media! (Pictures, videos and short stories are all are great! Connect it to the larger movement by using the hashtag #MPNN and #JustPeace and tagging IFOR-International Fellowship of Reconciliation

Download our official graphics for the Day of Action available on IFOR website.

Send in your pictures, stories, and short descriptions of your projects to IFOR Communications Assistant iskra.ramirez@ifor.org and GET FEATURED on the IFOR Facebook Page!

Got Questions or Ideas?

Please contact us at iskra.ramirez@ifor.org for support with your ideas and images!

IFOR's last Newsletter for 2020, -Reconciled-

Dear IFOR Community,

A new year is upon us and while we look forward in hope of a better year, we can also reminisce about all the good work that was done during such a difficult year, as 2020 was.

Most of you may have already received our newsletter Reconciled.
It was sent out on the first week of December, however we decided to post it online as well, for all to be able to access.

From IFOR we wish you a happy and joyful 2021, and hope that this year unites us in the fight for non-violence and reconciliation.

You can download the newsletter by clicking here.
You can download the Spanish version by clicking here.
You can download the French version by clicking here.