Dear Friends,
I am pleased to share with you, below and in the attached file, the news about our global activities at UN in Geneva, New York and Vienna that have taken place for the last few months. The crisis in Iraq has been a huge challenge to all peace-loving Christians as well as to human rights community throughout the world. This challenge continues to spread beyond the Iraqi border and we are increasingly challenged to face this ongoing crisis of global governance. More prayerful discernment is really needed than ever to read the signss of the times for our reflexive global action.
I would like to take this opportunity to inform you that the European Conference which was originally scheduled to take place in Vilnius, Lithuania (May 30 to June 1) was postponed to Warsaw, Poland (June 27 to 29). More detailed news about the Warsaw meeting and other regional meetings will be brought to you in the next E-Update soon.
Our deep condolence go to thousands of victims of flood in Sri Lanka, Earthquakes in Algeria, and terrorists bombs attacks in several parts of the world, armed conflicts in D.R. Congo and Aceh, Indonesia and also the SARS in East Asia and elsewhere.
Best wishes,
Seonghoon LEE (Anselmo)
Main News
ICMICA Global Activities at UN
- UN in Geneva 59th Session of Commssion on Human Rights
(March 10 to April 25, 2003) - UN in New York Study Session on Peace and Development (Mar.
18-20) - UN in Vienna 46th session of the Commission on Narcotic
Drugs (April 8 to 17, 2003)
UN in Geneva
59th Session of UN Commission on Human Rights (Geneva,Switzerland,
March 10 to April 25, 2003)
The Commisson on Human Rights concluded its six-week session for 2003, having left some serious challenges to all human rights communities. It adopted 86 resolutions, 18 decisions and three Chairperson's statements. As you know, the issues that dominated the session were the invasion of Iraq by USA/UK and its impact on international human rights law and principle, and the question on the extent of which anti- terrorism measures after the 11 September 2001 attacks in the USA that infringed on human rights standards and had amounted to religious or racial discrimination. Details of the outcome of the CHR can be found at www.unhchr.ch
In response to the crisis in Iraq, Pax Romana Working Group on Human
Rights together with more than 20 NGOs in consultative status with the
ECOSOC and hundreds of civil society organizations, have initiated a
joint statement on Iraq and had presented it to Chairperson of the CHR.
However to our regret, a ¡ì special sitting on Iraq ¡í could
not take
place as the proposal was rejected by the CHR (in favor 18, against 25
abstention 7).
At the Commission, we have made five oral interventions, on the right to self-determination, racism and racial discrimination (Dalits), economic, social and cultural rights, civil and political rights (disappearances and summary execution in Thailand) and migrant rights (immigration in Spain). You can get the full texts at our website [Advocacy at UN 59th Session of CHR 2003]
The second human rights internship program will be in Geneva from July 21 to Aug. 16, 2003 (four weeks) in conjunction with the 55th Session of the UN Sub-Commission on Human Rights (July 28 to Aug. 15, 2003). About 15 to 20 human rights defenders and young students from Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe are expected to join the program.
UN in New York
Kevin Ahern, nreha@aol.com, Pax Romana main representative at UN in New York has co-sponsored the Study Session of NCSC (National Catholic Student Coalition), IMCS-USA on peace and development - students transforming the world with solidarity in New York from March 18 to 20, 2003. The Final Statement adopted at the end of the session called for an end to the war in Iraq, greater support for the UN and an end to the use of weapons of mass destruction by the United States.
Pax Romana Team to UN in New York has regularly published newsletter. Those who want to receive it directly are requested to contact Mr Kevin Ahern.
UN in Vienna
Elisabeth Pomber, kavoe@ed-wien.or.at Pax Romana main representative to UN in Vienna attended the 46th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs from April 8 to 17, 2003. she participated in two NGO fora ;
- Alternative Methods in Treatment of Addictions,
- UNODC (Un Office of Drug Control) Operational Pirorities: Guidelines for Medium Term - How can NGOs help.
She also attended the reception of the 20th anniversary of the Vienna NGO-Committee on Narcotic Drugs and the opening of the exhibition of the Vienna Committee, the committee in which she had been the vice- chair for two terms. She also contributed to the NGO oral statement. Two NGOs, the International Council on Alcohol and Addictions and Pax Romana were invited to sit in the ministerial round table on drug demand reduction.
Congratulations !
Archbishop Daimuid Martin, Holy See Permanent Representative to UN in Geneva was appointed Coadjutor of archdiocese of Dublin in Ireland on early May. He as a patron and friend of ICMICA has been supportive of our human rights internship program in Geneva for the last several years. We all have good memory of his hospitality and appreciate his pastoral accompaniment for our young interns. Once again heart-felt congratulations and we wish him all the best for his new mission in his home country