Ending violence and other human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity: A joint dialogue of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and United Nations

About the publication Over the years, the African, Inter-American and United Nations human rights systems have forged important partnerships on a wide-range of human rights issues and approaches. Grounded in the universality of human rights, the three systems have collaborated through actions ranging from joint statements to joint meetings and country visits, the exchange of information on country situations, individual cases and thematic issues, as well as relying on each other’s case law, decisions and procedural developments. This collaboration has been anchored in frameworks such as the 1993 Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, the regular dialogue between global and regional human rights mechanisms mandated by the Human Rights Council, the 2009 Memorandum of Understanding between the Organisation of American States and the African Union, the 2012 Addis Ababa Roadmap between the special procedures of the UN Human Rights Council and those of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the 2010 and 2014 Memorandums of Understanding between the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the African Union Commission and Inter- American Commission on Human Rights, respectively. The joint dialogue held on 3 November 2015 in Banjul was firmly located within these frameworks. This timely dialogue enabled each institution to exchange information and experiences, to review approaches, challenges and good practices within each system, and to reaffirm our common resolve to address the serious human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity that take place in all regions. This report and the accompanying background papers capture the content and outcomes of the joint dialogue. We hope that it can provide a basis for further collaboration in future and that States and other stakeholders will find it useful to inform their efforts to combat violence, discrimination and other human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Editor: Centre for Human Rights Table of Contents Key concepts List of acronyms Message of support Foreword Final report: Joint thematic dialogue on sexual orientation and gender identity Annex 1: List of participants Annex 2: Agenda of joint dialogue Annex 3: Resolution 275 Annex 4: Norms, case law and practices of sexual orientation and gender identity in the African human rights system Annex 5: Norms, cases and practices relevant to sexual orientation and gender identity in the Inter-American human rights system Annex 6: Norms, case law and practices on sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex status in the United Nations system Annex 7: HIV, human rights and sexual orientation and gender identityPublishe

Submission to the United Nations Universal Periodic Review of Yemen

Mwatana for Human Rights (Mwatana), the Columbia Law School Human Rights Clinic (the clinic), Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS), International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), and the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) submit this report to inform the examination of Yemen during its third Universal Periodic Review (UPR). This submission focuses on international human rights and humanitarian law violations by the Government of Yemen and by the armed group Ansar Allah (the Houthis)

Racism and hate crime in Ireland: is the legislative and policy framework adequate? Conference summary

Hosted by Nasc, the Irish Immigrant Support Centre and the Centre for Criminal Justice and Human Rights, UCC, this conference aimed to promote an open dialogue on Racism and Hate Crime in Ireland. Expert speakers and practitioners from a variety of fields were invited to explore the effectiveness of our current legislative and policy framework and to discuss the impact of hate crime, racism and discrimination of minority groups in Ireland. A number of key issues, and further points for consideration and recommendations were highlighted throughout the day by each of the speakers. This summary aims to highlight the emerging issues and themes, and to draw on these to suggest the next steps to take to respond effectively to racism and hate crime in Ireland

Beyond McMahon – the future of asylum reception in Ireland: Conference summary

The conference ‘Beyond McMahon – the Future of Asylum Reception in Ireland’ took place on Wednesday 25th April 2018 in the Western Gateway Building in University College Cork (UCC). Organised jointly by Nasc, the Migrant and Refugee Support Centre, and UCC’s Centre for Criminal Justice and Human Rights (CCJHR), the conference was generously funded by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC). The conference aimed to assess developments in the Irish asylum reception system (‘direct provision’) since the establishment of a Working Group on the Protection Process and Direct Provision, and its report,the ‘McMahon Report’(2015). Using the Report and its recommendations as a starting point, this conference aimed to examine the future of, and possible alternatives to, direct provision in Ireland. To this end, the conference gathered experts from other European jurisdictions and individuals with experience of Ireland’s current reception system, including – importantly – input from asylum seekers. Fiona Finn, CEO of Nasc, introduced the conference’s goal succinctly: it aimed to catalyse a change in the current Irish reception system. This summary hopes to record some of the main ideas and concerns related by speakers and audience members at the conference, so that they may be used for future reference

Monetary Compensation for Survivors of Torture: Some Lessons from Nepal

The Nepali Compensation Relating to Torture Act (1996) is one of the earliest pieces of specific anti-torture legislation adopted in the global South. Despite a number of important limitations, scores of Nepalis have successfully litigated for monetary compensation under the Act, on a scale relatively rare on the global human rights scene. Using a qualitative case study approach, this article examines the conditions under which survivors of torture are awarded compensation in Nepal, and asks what lessons does this have for broader struggles to win monetary compensation for torture survivors? We end by suggesting that there can be practical tensions between providing individual financial compensation and addressing wider issues of accountability

An overview of the sport-related impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on children

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the lives of children around the world in a variety of domains. A total of 188 countries have closed their schools in response to the pandemic which is estimated to have resulted in over 1.5 billion children missing a significant period of education (United Nations 2020a). Further, it is estimated that an additional 42-66 million children will be in extreme poverty as a result of the pandemic (United Nations 2020a). This paper focuses on the potential impacts of COVID-19 on children associated with sport. It was compiled based on the input of 37 experts and practitioners in the fields of child rights, protection, and safeguarding in sport. In addition to facilitating an exchange of information on the topic, it brings together observations and concerns for the consideration of decision makers and others with influence over policies, resource allocations and programming related to children and sport as the world builds back from the pandemic. This includes those in sports organisations, national and local governments, inter-governmental entities, international agencies, donor agencies, civil society organisations and community based organisations.The key impacts are discussed in four main areas: (1) on-going sport, (2) the absence of sport, (3) children in vulnerable and special situations, and (4) future impacts and concerns. The paper further considers perspectives of children, opportunities, and provides a call for action. It is important to emphasise that empirical evidence regarding potential on-going and future impacts is limited and that further investigation and research is required on a range of topics addressed in this paper.</div

Sexual Violence by Educators in South African Schools: Gaps in Accountability

In many South African schools, educators have sexually harassed and abused the learners in their care. This serious human rights violation is widespread and well known. However, its actual incidence is difficult to determine as many cases of educator-learner abuse are never reported. Such harassment and abuse – which occurs with frequency not only in South Africa but also worldwide – has devastating consequences for the health and education of the learners, mainly girls, who experience it. Over the past decade, South Africa has adopted important laws and policies to address this grave human rights problem, yet sexual violence persists in South African schools with disquieting regularity. This report examines the gaps in accountability that exist for educator abuse of learners in Gauteng Province, South Africa. Drawing upon desk research and interviews with government officials, NGOs, police, community members, and affected individuals, it identifies and discusses the problems that contribute to the government’s failure to hold abusive educators responsible for their actions and to protect and provide redress to the learners they have abused. It also situates these issues within a framework of South Africa’s international, regional, and domestic legal obligations, and provides recommendations aimed at filling these gaps