[presented by Penny Parker, Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights]
27 July 2005
COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS
Sub-Commission on the Promotion and
Protection of Human Rights
Fifty seventh session
Item 2 of the provisional agenda
Thank you Mr. Chairperson.
I make this intervention on behalf of the NGOs listed at the end of the written version of this statement.
1. We strongly encourage all countries, including all member states of the Commission on Human Rights to extend standing invitations of visit to the special mechanisms. We note that according to the latest records available, while 51 countries have now extended such invitations only 19 of the current 53 member states of the Commission have done so and 6 of the 10 members of the this yearŐs expanded bureau of the Commission have NOT extended standing invitations to these special procedures.
2. We encourage all countries to accept and accommodate the requests of any special rapporteur or expert of the Commission who requests to visit their country. We note there have been many refusals to grant access to such visits in the last round of reporting to the Commission.
3. We note that three of the four governments whose country was the subject of an item 9 mandate and report in this yearŐs Commission -- Belarus, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, and Myanmar -- all refused to give access to their country for a visit by the special rapporteur who had been appointed by the Commission to investigate allegations of serious human rights violations in their country. We urge all three governments to promote and protect human rights in accordance with their international human rights obligations, to invite such experts to their country, and to fully support all working methods necessary for such experts to effectively carry out their mandate.
4. We would like to strongly underscore the importance to NGOs of item 2 to the Sub-CommissionŐs agenda. Even though country specific resolutions are no longer possible, it is very important to the ongoing work of NGOs to be able to identify particular country situations through agenda item 2. It is useful to local field work of NGOs as part of an overall country campaign, and in establishing media and civil society attention to a particular human rights problem.
This statement is joined by:
Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights
Geneva for Human Rights
Worldwide Organization for Women
Pax Romana
Dominicans for Justice and Peace
Foundation for Aboriginal and Islander Research Action (FAIRA)