Monthly News Updates: Human Rights Mechanisms - April 2021
By: Irene Aparicio García, Junior Research Associate, PILPG-NL
The following post summarizes and highlights some of the updates on the work of regional and international human rights mechanisms around the world in the month of April.
EUROPE
European Court of Human Rights | Protocol No. 15 to the European Convention on Human Rights will enter into force following Italy’s ratification
Protocol No. 15 to the European Convention on Human Rights will enter into force on August 1, 2021, following Italy’s ratification. The Protocol includes amendments to the Convention, such as the reduction of the time period during which applicants may submit complaints to the Court, which will change from six months to four. [April 22, 2021]
European Court of Human Rights | The ECHR notifies Russia of Aleksey Navalnyy’s application regarding ill-treatment during his imprisonment
The ECHR has notified Russia of the submission of an application by Aleksey Navalny against the Russian state. In January, Navalny, a well-known member of the Russian political opposition, complained that the ill-treatment he is suffering during his imprisonment threatens his right to life. The notification includes several questions from the ECHR to Russia. [April 19, 2021]
European Court of Human Rights | Final judgment on the case of the unvaccinated children of the Czech Republic
The Court decided there was no violation of the right to respect for private life in a case concerning Czech children who were refused admission to nursery schools because they missed certain vaccinations. The Court considered the request for medical reports proving that the applicants’ children were vaccinated as a valid measure aimed at protecting the health of the population. The victims alleged that the Czech state violated their right to privacy after they were rejected from the schools. [April 8, 2021]
ASIA
ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights | AICHR suggests that ASEAN members take in refugees from Myanmar
The AICHR claimed that ASEAN members may take in refugees from Myanmar who are fleeing from the current political situation. The representative of Malaysia to the AICHR first suggested this during a UN webinar on Myanmar’s crisis.
The chief of the military junta, Min Aung Hlaing, attended the ASEAN Leaders Meeting on the crisis in Myanmar held in Jakarta on April 24. Following the meeting, ASEAN has published a statement calling for the violence to stop and for a peaceful negotiation process. [April 24, 2021]
ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights | The AICHR discusses the situation in Myanmar and COVID-19 during its Annual Meeting
The AICHR held its annual meeting between April 6 and 8. The Representatives discussed the human rights situation in Myanmar and called on all parties to stop the violence. The Representative of the Philippines called on Myanmar to respect the principles of the ASEAN Charter and the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration. During the meeting, the Representatives also discussed the implementation of the ASEAN strategy to mitigate the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. [April 9, 2021]
AFRICA
African Commission on Human and People’s Rights | Human Rights Watch urges the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights to protect human rights advocates in Chad
Human Rights Watch calls on the African Union and on the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights to monitor the situation in Chad after the death of President Idriss Déby on April 20. The death of the President followed the detention of protesters and members of the opposition before the April 19 national elections, allegedly won by Déby. Human Rights Watch addressed the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights to prevent escalation of the situation. [April 20, 2021]
African Commission on Human and People’s Rights | Biannual meeting with the Inter-American Court of Human Rights held on April 14
The Registry Staff of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the Inter-American Court for Human Rights held their biannual meeting on April 14. Both parties discussed the progress and challenges in the compliance of their decisions given and the monitoring of their implementations. [April 14, 2021]
African Commission on Human and People’s Rights | Concern of the ACHPR over attacks by armed rebels in Mozambique
The ACHPR expressed concern over the violent attacks by armed rebels that took place in Palma, northern Mozambique, on March 24. The ACHPR reminded Mozambique of its obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and has urged the state to respect the rights of the victims. [March 30, 2021]
THE AMERICAS
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights | The IACH welcomes the entry into force of the Escazú Agreement
The IACH welcomed the Escazú Agreement and its entry into force on April 22, the International Mother Earth Day. The agreement, properly named the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean, aims at protecting the human rights of environmentalist activists, including advocates of territory and land property rights. [April 21, 2021]
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights | The IACHR and the IACtHR publish their 2020 Annual Reports
The IACHR has published its 2020 Annual Report. The report includes the results and recommendations given throughout the past year and monitors the compliance with human rights and with the IACHR’s decisions in the Americas. The report recognizes the challenge to the protection of human rights caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and also the progress made in prosecution processes. Moreover, the IACtHR has also published its 2020 Annual Report, which includes a summary of the sessions held in 2021 and monitors compliance with its judgments. [April 16, 2021]
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights | IACHR issues a resolution on COVID-19 vaccines
The IACHR has published a resolution calling for the fair distribution of COVID-19 vaccines in the Americas. The resolution includes recommendations and calls for respecting human rights in the distribution and administration of the vaccine. [April 7, 2021]
UN MECHANISM
Human Rights Council (Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons) | UN experts welcomes the Iraqi’s Law on Yazidi [Female] Survivors
The Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons has welcomed the adoption of Iraq’s Law on Yazidi Female Survivors. The law recognizes ISIS crimes against several minorities in Iraq, including Yazidis and Christians, as genocide and crimes against humanity. Nevertheless, the Special Rapporteur also expressed concern over the children of Yazidi women who were conceived from rape by ISIS members. As such, the women are frequently forced to abandon them and the law continues to not encompass this. [April 21, 2021]
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights | Statement on the conviction of Derek Chauvin in George Floyd’s case
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights issued a statement on the conviction of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd. The High Commissioner stressed the significance of the verdict and also highlighted the long journey ahead in ending impunity for racial crimes. She also called for continuing efforts to mitigate structural discrimination and encouraging equality even after the media coverage of this case fades. [April 21, 2021]
Human Rights Committee | Publication of the findings on Finland and Kenya
The UN Human Rights Committee has published its findings on Kenya and Finland regarding their compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The Committee recalled Finland of women’s inequality following the COVID-19 pandemic, while Kenya was reminded to address the electoral violence in the state. [April 14, 2021]
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights | Continued violence in Myanmar risks to amount to a humanitarian disaster similar to that of Syria in 2011
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights urges all states to take effective measures against the human rights violations committed by Myanmar’s military, following yet another violent week. The Commissioner has compared the Myanmar situation to that of Syria and has alerted the international community of the increasing possibility that the conflict may turn into a civil war. As such, the Commissioner recalled the international community of their responsibility to not repeat the mistakes they made in Syria. [April 13, 2021]
Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women | Decision against Libya regarding the detention of a women’s rights activist
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women published its decision on an individual complaint against Lybia. The case concerns the illegal detention and torture of a woman that advocated for women’s rights in Lybia. The woman was detained by members of a militia, and the Lybian state failed to investigate and punish the crime. This is the first time that the CEDAW issues a decision on an individual complaint against a North African state. [April 7, 2021]
Human Rights Council (UN experts from Working Groups and Special Rapporteurs) | Concern over police abuses against protesters and journalists in Belarus
Following detentions during the protests surrounding Freedom Day in Belarus, several UN experts expressed their concern over arbitrary detentions and excessive force used by the police. The experts call for an end to the abuses towards protesters and journalists. [April 1, 2021]