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The Campaign for a UN Democracy Caucus has
effectively used appeals to members of the Community of Democracies
to promote the creation of a UN Democracy Caucus as well as
to urge members of the UN Democracy Caucus to vote in support
of democracy and human rights norms throughout the UN system.
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DCP Calls on UN Secretary-General to Select Top Officials According to the Very Highest Procedural Standard
In a joint letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, DCP and seven other nongovernmental organizations called for the adoption of more professional and transparent procedures to fill vacancies required by the imminent departure of three of the Under-Secretaries-General, High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs Nicolas Michel, and Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Marie Guehenno. The NGOs called for the following recommended practices when filling the vacancies at the UN:
• The vacant position is announced publicly, along with the qualifications sought, as well as the timeline and decision-making procedures to be used in filling the vacancy;
• Once candidatures have been gathered, a short-list should be made and circulated;
• Governments and other appropriate stakeholders should have adequate time to consider and comment on the short-listed candidates prior to the final decision
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OSI Launches Eyes on Zimbabwe Campaign
The Open Society Institute has launched Eyes
on Zimbabwe, a new campaign designed to raise awareness
of the humanitarian, democratic, and economic crisis in Zimbabwe.
As the human-rights situation deteriorates and election season
draws near, this project combining video, blog, and social
networking features is intended to inform and to encourage
the international community to turn its attention to the crisis
in Zimbabwe—and act.
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Global Coalition Urges International Bar
Association to Address Human Rights Problems in Singapore
The Democracy Coalition Project
joins international organisations across the world in endorsing
a resolution urging
the International Bar Association (IBA) to speak up on human
rights abuses in Singapore during its annual conference
scheduled to begin Sunday 14 October 2007 and last through
till 19 October. Organisations such as the World Movement
for Democracy, the Council for the Community of Democracies,
Liberal International and the Club of Madrid as well prominent
lawmakers and democracy advocates are signatories to the resolution,
putting Singapore firmly on the radar of the global democracy
movement. The resolution calls for the IBA to "express
its concern at the lack of respect for the rule of law in
Singapore" and to "urge the Singapore government
to practice the rule of law and not the rule by law by signing
and ratifying the ICCPR (international Covenant of Civil and
Political Rights)." The IBA will organise a one-day Rule
of Law Symposium on 19 October. Singaporeans are encouraged
to attend the Symposium to see how Singapore can better adhere
to the rule of law.
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DCP Joins Other Human Rights Organizations
in Identifying 20 Critical Issues For a Successful Outcome
of the Human Rights Council's Institution Building Process
On June 4, 2007 the President of the UN Human
Rights Council presented his final text on the institution-building
process. The text is the outcome of the work done by all stakeholders
in the Council's first year of operation and will serve as
the basis for the final negotiations to be concluded on June
18, 2007. In a document entitled 20
Critical Issues for a Successful Outcome of the Human Rights
Council's Institution Building Process, the Democracy
Coalition Project and thirteen other human rights organizations
from around the world have identified 20 key points with which
to assess the President's text.
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Standards Upheld by UN General Assembly on
Human Rights Council Elections
The Democracy Coalition Project
welcomed the defeat of Belarus in today’s UN General
Assembly election of 14 members of the UN Human Rights Council
as an important precedent for upholding basic standards for
human rights. Belarus, a highly controversial candidate opposed
by Belarusian human rights defenders as well as the Democracy
Coalition Project (DCP) and an international coalition of
over 40 groups for its appalling human rights record, was
defeated by Slovenia and Bosnia-Herzegovina in a hotly contested
race for the two seats from Eastern Europe.
"Today’s result sends a clear message
to Belarus that it must substantially improve its human rights
record if it is to be considered a worthy candidate for Council
membership in the future. It also is a testament to our collective
work over the past two years to hold governments accountable
to basic international human rights standards they themselves
have adopted. We hope all governments, including the government
in Minsk, will view this process as a force for change and
progress on human rights both globally and nationally,”
said Ted Piccone, Executive Director of the Democracy Coalition
Project.
Read
full statement here.
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DCP joins six major human rights organizations
in an appeal to UN member states on the UN Human Rights Council
elections
On May 3, 2007 the Democracy Coalition Project
and six other human rights organizations sent a joint
letter to all UN member states calling on them to ensure
a competitive election process for the UN Human Rights Council.
The appeal stated that "we are extremely concerned to
note that, with one exception, members of the General Assembly
will not be able to choose amongst competing declared candidates
on a comparative basis, since four out of five electoral regions
had only the number of candidates declared as seats available
for those regions." The NGOs called on states to reject
selection on the basis of rotation or reciprocal vote trading
agreements and to be guided by a comparative assessment of
human rights records and pledges intended by resolution 60/251.
It further called on states to honor membership standards
of the Council by withholding votes from an unqualified candidate,
even by casting a blank ballot, if necessary. Other signatories
of the letter were Amensty International, Human Rights Watch,
the Carter Center, Institute for Global Policy, the International
Service for Human Rights, the Open Society Institute, and
the World Federation of United Nations Association.
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Democracy Coalition Project co-sponsors global
petition to demand the independence of the "Special Procedures"
The Democracy Coalition Project has joined 16
other international and regional human rights organizations
from around the world to sponsor a Global
Petition calling on the United Nations to maintain the
independence of the Special Procedures. On May 9, 2007, the
petition, signed by over 12,000 citizens from 147 countries,
was handed over to President Luis Alfonso de Alba of the UN
Human Rights Council in Geneva by the Secretary General of
Amnesty International’s Canadian Section, Alex Neve.
The petition was delivered while negotiations are still underway
in the Human Rights Council to review – and potentially
reduce the effectiveness of - the system of “Special
Procedures”, the term used to refer to the UN’s
independent human rights experts that monitor human rights
situations around the world. Among the supporters of the initiative
are Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi; Senator Dick Marty (member
of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe); Thomas
Hammarberg (Commissioner for Human Rights, Council of Europe),
Anders Johnsson (Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary
Union); Sonia Picado (President, Inter-American Institute
of Human Rights) and several former Special Procedure mandate-holders,
including Diego Garcia Sayan, Sir Nigel Rodley, Peter Leuprecht
and Theo van Boven. The review is due to be completed by 18
June 2007.
Read
full statement
See testimnonials and sponsor
See the petition
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Forty-six NGOs from around the world call
on UN member states to defeat Belarus in Human Rights Council
elections
The Democracy Coalition Project has joined civil
society organizations from every region of the world to urge
UN member states to defeat Belarus in the upcoming UN Human
Rights Council elections on May 17. The groups argue that
Belarus fails to meet the standards of membership set by Resolution
60/251 establishing the Council, including the requirements
to 1) "fully cooperate with the Council," and 2)
"uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection
of human rights." The groups remind states that according
to the resolution, "member States shall take into account
the contribution of candidates to the promotion and protection
of human rights and their voluntary pledges and commitments
made thereto" when electing new members. They further
write "election of Belarus to the Council would render
these standards meaningless, and severely damage the Council's
credibility." No country can be elected to the Human
Rights Council unless an absolute majority of the UN General
Assembly--97 members--affirmatively writes in the name of
the that candidate on the ballot.
Read joint
letter sent to UN member states.
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DCP joins major human rights organizations
from around the world calling on the Democracy Caucus to support
strong reforms at the UN Human Rights Council in June
On May 1, 2007, the Democracy Coalition Project,
in a joint statement with other human rights organizations
around the world, called on the members of the UN Democracy
Caucus to support strong reforms at the UN Human Rights Council
in its Fifth and final session of its inaugural year from
June 11-18. The statement urges democratic countries to work
together in the next two months to ensure the UN Human Rights
Council adopts mechanisms that will strengthen its ability
to address human rights violations around the world. The groups
write "Specifically, the Council must preserve the independence
and flexibility of the system of 'special procedures' that
monitor human rights worldwide" and "establish a
universal periodic review that involves independent experts
and non-governmental stakeholders at all stages." Finally,
the groups urge the Council to "demonstrate an increased
willingness to act on urgent human rights situations in a
balanced and proactive way." The statement was joined
by the Open Society Institute, the Commonwealth Human Rights
Initiative, the International Helsinki Federation for Human
Rights, Conectas Direitos Humanos, and the Cairo Institute
for Human Rights Studies.
Read joint
statement on reforms at the UN Human Rights Council.
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Democracy Coalition Project helps organize
an intervention at the UN Human Rights Council on the situation
in Darfur
On March 22, 2007, The Democracy Coalition Project,
the Open Society Institute, and the Cairo Institute for Human
Rights Studies organized an intervention at the UN Human Rights
Council signed by 26 human rights organizations representing
every region of the world calling on the Council to take strong
action on the human rights situation in Darfur. The intervention
was delivered in Geneva during the Fourth Session of the Council
held from March 12-March 30, 2007. At the session, the Council
heard from the High-level Mission mandated by a Special Session
of the Council in December to go to Darfur and investigate
the human rights situation there. The mission, led by U.S.
Nobel Laureate Jody Williams, was prohibited from visiting
Darfur, and conducted the investigation from neighboring Chad.
A resolution introduced by the EU and the African Group was
adopted by the Council that takes note of the High-level mission
report and forms a group headed by the UN Special Rapporteur
on the Human Rights Situation in Darfur to continue monitoring
the situation and working to implement UN recommendations.
Read intervention
on Darfur signed by 26 human rights organizations.
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Democracy Coalition Project joins Amnesty
International to sponsor a Global Petition in support of an
independent and expert system of Special Procedures at the
Human Rights Council
In March 2007 Democracy
Coalition Project joined a petition to reiterate the need
to keep the system of expert Special Procedures at the Human
Rights Council independent and strong. Over the forty years
of their existence, the Special Procedures have made urgent
interventions and are crucial for an effective human rights
system. The current review of the Special Procedures undertaken
by the new Human Rights Council is being used by some states
to weaken the Special Procedures by curtailing their independence.
Support this valuable petition by clicking here.
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Former US Ambassadors to the UN Commission
of Human Rights urge Secretary Rice to appoint a US Ambassador
to the UN Human Rights Council
On January 26th 2007,
three former US Ambassadors to the UN Commission on Human
Rights sent a letter
to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urging her to appoint
a US Ambassador to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
In the letter, Ambassadors Geraldine A. Ferraro, Nancy Rubin
and Richard S. Williamson express their belief that appointing
an ambassador would be crucial to ensure the necessary level
of US engagement in the newly established UN body, as the
Human Rights Council works to strengthen international human
rights standards.
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International Steering Committee of the CD
NGO process addresses meeting of CD Ministers of Foreign Affairs
in New York
On September 20th 2006,
Executive Director of the South African NGO IDASA and member
of the International Steering Committee (ISC) of the NGO Process
of the Community of Democracies, Mr. Paul Graham, read a statement
on behalf of the ISC at the meeting of CD Ministers of Foreign
Affairs. Mr. Graham informed CD countries gathered in New
York of the progress achieved at setting up an Executive Secretariat
of the CD NGO process in Bamako. He also described ISC efforts
to facilitate NGO participation at the next CD Ministerial,
to be held in the Malian capital in the Fall of 2007. In his
statement, Mr. Graham also urged CD members to replenish the
United Nations Democracy Fund and lead the functioning of
the newly established United Nations Human Rights Council,
making sure that the Council develops the right mechanisms
and tools to defend human rights, address specific human rights
violations, facilitate NGO participation, and condemn recent
assaults on democracy assistance.
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Democracy Caucus urged to lead UN actions
on Human Rights and Democracy
On the eve of the meeting
of Community of Democracies Foreign Ministers in New York
on September 20, and the second regular session of the UN
Human Rights Council in Geneva, the Democracy Coalition Project
and other 40 human rights and democracy organizations from
around the world called on the United Nations Democracy Caucus
to take urgent action this fall to strengthen the world body's
record on democracy and human rights. NGO groups issued a
statement
on September 11 calling on Democracy Caucus members to ensure
the UN Human Rights Council addresses the most serious human
rights crises and establishes a credible universal periodic
review mechanism to scrutinize government's adherence to basic
international human rights standards. The statement also urged
the UN Democracy Caucus to speak out against the alarming
trend of assaults against democracy and human rights defenders,
and encouraged members to replenish the new UN Democracy Fund.
To view the Press Release
issued by Freedom House, Democracy Coalition Project and Transnational
Radical Party, click
here.
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Campaign for a UN Democracy Caucus calls
on democratic states to seize the initiative as new Human
Rights Council begins sessions
On 25th May, coordinators of the Campaign for
a UN Democracy Caucus (Freedom House, Democracy Coalition
Project and Transnational Radical Party) issued a statement
calling on democratic states to fulfill their promise to actively
work to make the new UN Human Rights Council a credible body.
The statement reminds democratic states that the new Human
Rights Council has the potential to strengthening the international
human rights regime only if democratic governments seize the
initiative in this inaugural year.
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DCP endorses statement by Global Rights calling
for NGOs to become full partners in the new Human Rights Council
DCP has joined other 31 organizations and individuals
from more than 20 different countries in signing a statement
issued by Global Rights calling for non-governmental organizations
to be granted full participation in the new Human Rights Council.
The statement highlights the unique position enjoyed by NGOs
to provide the council information on country situations,
urgent issues, and violations of human rights. According to
the signatory organizations, the Council should view the arrangements
for NGO participation in the UN Economic and Social Council
and in the previous Human Rights Commission as the minimum
standard form which to further develop NGO participation in
the new Council.
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Community of Democracies Convening Group
urged to take action on restrictive NGO laws
On 7th June, the Steering Committee of the
World Movement for Democracy (WMD) issued a statement
urging members of the UN Democracy Caucus meeting in New York
on September 2006 to adopt a resolution condemning legislation
restricting the activity of NGOs in a growing number of countries.
The statement also calls all participants in the Community
of Democracies to provide material and technical assistance
to support NGO efforts to promote and consolidate democracy
throughout the world. WMD's statement builds on a request
for urgent action on this issue the Nongovernmental International
Steering Committee of the Community of Democracies elevated
to the Convening Group of the Community of Democracies.
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Campaign for a UN Democracy Caucus urges
Community of Democracies to support democracies in next elections
to the new Human Rights Council
On 11th April, members of the Campaign for a
UN Democracy Caucus sent a letter
Community of Democracies countries urging them to support
only countries that respect and promote human rights in the
elections to the new UN Human Rights Council to be held on
May 9th. The letter, endorsed by more than fifty organizations
from around the world, called upon democratic governments
to cooperate within their regional groupings and within the
UN Democracy Caucus at the UN General Assembly to oppose candidacies
of countries with a poor human rights record.
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Human Rights organizations urge Secretary
Rice to support latest proposal for new UN Human Rights Council
A group of prominent U.S. human rights and democracy
organizations, including the Democracy Coalition Project,
urged Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to support a new
proposal to establish an effective and credible UN Human Rights
Council in a joint letter issued on February 23. The letter
points out that the new proposal released by the President
of the UN General Assembly, Jan Eliasson, includes criteria
that would potentially improve the body's membership and effectiveness,
representing a concrete step in the right direction to creative
an effective Council."
To view the complete Press Release, click
here
To view the Letter to Secretary Rice, click
here
To view an Associated Press Article, click
here
To view a Boston Globe Article, click
here
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Campaign for a UN Democracy Caucus urges
Convening Group of the Community of Democracies to lead final
stage of negotitations on new Human Rights Council
On 14th February, coordinators of the Campaign
for a UN Democracy Caucus (Freedom House, Democracy Coalition
Project and Transnational Radical Party) sent a joint letter
to the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and UN Permanent Representatives
of members of the Convening Group of the Community of Democracies
urging them to play a more active role in the final stage
of the negotiations to establish the new Human Rights Council.
The letter emphasized that the final resolution establishing
the new Council should include the following essential elements:
improved membership mechanism, including election by two-thirds
of the General Assembly and preventing human rights violator
from becoming members of the Council; procedures to suspend
the privileges of countries that are found to be involved
in human rights violations; and annual sessions of no fewer
than six meetings per year for a total duration of no less
than twelve weeks.
To view the Press Release issued by Freedom
House, Democracy Coalition Project and Transnational Radical
Party, click
here.
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Members of the Campaign for a UN Democracy
Caucus sign a letter urging the Convening Group of the Community
of Democracies to lead the Democracy Caucus to work actively
in the negotiations for a strong and effective Human Rights
Council
On 24th January, members of the Campaign for
a UN Democracy Caucus sent a joint letter
to the UN Permanent Representatives of members of the Convening
Group of the Community of Democracies. As negotiations on
the new Human Rights Council entered into a final phase, the
letter urged members of the Convening Group to fulfill the
pledge made at the Santiago Ministerial Meeting of the Community
of Democracies to strengthening the UN's capacity to implement
the principles and practices of democracy. The letter encouraged
Convening Group members to create a strong and effective Human
Rights Council by promoting the objectives set in a previous
letter sent to all UN permanent Representatives in early January.
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Members of the Campaign for a UN Democracy
Caucus sign a letter to UN member states underscoring essential
elements to create a new Human Rights Council
On 6th January, members of the Campaign for
a UN Democracy Caucus sent a joint letter to Foreign Ministers
and Permanent Representatives of UN member states. As negotiations
on the new Human Rights Council resume between 11-16 January,
the letter welcomes some of the provisions reflected in the
draft resolution dated 19 December 2005, but also outlines
certain elements still missing from the text that NGOs believe
are absolutely essential to create a new credible Council.
English
Version
French
Version
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Members of the Campaign for a UN Democracy
Caucus sign a letter to the Permanent Representatives of UN
Member States expressing the urgency of completing negotiations
for a new Human Rights Council before the end of the year
On 6th December, members
of the Campaign for a UN Democracy Caucus sent a new letter
to the Permament Representatives of UN member states urging
them to complete before the end of 2005 negotiations on a
resolution creating a new Human Rights Council. The letter
asks UN Representatives to increase their efforts within the
next two weeks of final negotiations, in order to create an
effective, credible body consistent with the principles outlined
in the November 1st letter sent to the President of the UN
General Assembly.
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Members of the Campaign for a UN Democracy
Caucus sign a letter to the President of the UN General Assembly
urging the establishment of an effective, credible and authoritative
Human Rights Council
On 1st November, members of the Campaign for
a UN Democracy Caucus signed a letter
addressed to the President of the UN General Assembly, Mr.
Jan Eliasson, encouraging him to support the establishment
of a strong Human Rights Council. The letter, endorsed by
more than forty leaders of NGOs and civic groups, detailed
a series of recommendations regarding the status, mandate,
composition, voting, working methods, special procedures and
NGO participation that could help make the Human Rights Council
an effective and credible body, fulfilling the reform promises
made at the UN World Summit.
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DCP Executive Director urges Community of
Democracies to make the new UN Human Rights Council a credible
body
On 19th September, the Executive Director of
the Democracy Coalition Project, Ted Piccone, addressed the
Ministerial Meeting of the Community of Democracies in New
York. Representing the Campagin for a UN Democracy Caucus,
Mr. Piccone's statement
urged CD members to play a central role at creating the new
UN Human Rights Council and making it a more credible body
than its predecessor, the Human Rights Committee.
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NGO Leaders Applaud the Creation of a UN
Democracy Fund
On July 27th the members of the NGO Coalition
sent an open letter
to members of Community of Democracies urging them to support
and contribute to the UN
Democracy Fund, whose creation was announced by Kofi Annan
in June 2005. The creation of a UN Democracy Fund represents
an important opportunity to strengthen the role of the United
Nations in democracy promotion and generous financial contributions
from the Community of Democracies governments would help ensure
that the Fund would be able to sustain, support and defend
democracy when it is necessary.
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NGO Coalition Calls Issues Open Letter and
to Community of Democracies Countries in Support of UN Human
Rights Council
On June 28th the NGO Coalition sent an open
letter and scorecard
to the UN Secretary General and High Commissioner for Human
Rights, and to the Permanent Representatives to the UN of
Community of Democracies countries. The letter outlines recommendations
for several aspects of the UN reforms, including urging the
governments of the UN Democracy Caucus to support a transparent
electoral process for a new, smaller Human Rights Council
that would be elected by a two-thirds majority of the General
Assembly. The scorecard, prepared by the Democracy Coalition
Project, was with the appeal to further illustrate the need
for CD government support of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's
proposal to reform the UN Human Rights System.
For more information, please visit the UN Democracy
Caucus website.
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DCP and NGO Coalition Members Urge Foreign
Ministers Assembled for the Third Community of Democracies
to Strengthen Democracy
In advance of the Third Ministerial Meeting
of the Community of Democracies, Democracy Coalition Project
and NGO Coalition members Transnational Radical Party and
Freedom House issued a press
release to the all the Foreign Ministers assembled in
Santiago for the meeting. The three organizations uged the
members of the Community of Democracies to support UN Secretary
General Kofi Annan's reform package, in particular the idea
of a Human Rights Council. The group also urges the Community
of Democracies to uphold its own standards of membership as
outlined in the Warsaw Declaration,
the Seoul Plan of Action
and Convening Group's own participation
criteria.
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NGO Coalition Calls on the UNDC to Support
Annan's Human Rights Reforms
On March 31st, 2005 the NGO Coalition sent an
open
letter to Foreign Ministers of the Community of Democracies
Convening Group, Convening Group Ambassadors in Washington,
D.C., and Community of Democracies Permanent Representatives
in New York and Geneva calling on them to endorse the Secretary-General’s
proposal to replace the Commission on Human Rights with a
smaller Human Rights Council composed of states which undertake
to uphold the highest standards of human rights and suggests
guidelines for creation of the new body.
The Open Letter was also be distributed at the
March 31st, 2005 panel discussion on “The
UN Democracy Caucus: Its Role in Promoting and Protecting
Human Rights” held at the 61st UN Commission on Human
Rights in Geneva, as well to the heads of the major UN programmes
and agencies and the media.
The Center for American Progress has also released
a statement
signed by members of an alliance of progressive international
leaders encouraging heads of state to endorse Annan's proposal.
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NGO Coalition Issues Statement on UNGA Resolutions
and UN Reform
On December 16, 2004 the NGO coalition issued
an appeal
to members of the UN Democracy Caucus. The appeal calls on
the UN Democracy Caucus to support the country resolutions
on Burma (Myanmar), Turkmenistan and Iran. The appeal also
calls on the Democracy Caucus to work towards limiting membership
on the UN Commission on Human Rights to those states which
demonstrate a commitment to strengthening the UN human rights
system by, for example, cooperating with the Commission’s
investigators and rapporteurs.
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NGO Coalition Urges Action on Democracy Caucus
At This Fall’s UNGA
On September 13th the Democracy Coalition Project
and its partners issued a
letter to the Community of Democracies Convening Group Foreign
Ministers calling for the establishment of a permanent
UN Democracy Caucus. The signers urged that the Caucus meet
regularly at relevant UN bodies; coordinate common positions
on human rights resolutions; and endorse criteria for membership
on the UN Human Rights Commission.
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DCP and NGO Coalition Press Korean Government
To Stop The Suspension of The Transnational Radical Party’s
Consultative Status Within The UN
Democracy Coalition Project, along with other
members of the NGO Coalition, sent a letter to the Korean
Government requesting they join other democratic nations and
vote against a motion by Vietnam to suspend the Transnational
Radical Party NGO consultative status within UN. Human Rights
Watch also sent a letter to the UN’s Economic and Social
Council (ECOSOC) members urging them to vote in support of
TRP.
To read the full text of the DCP letter, click
here.
A full archive of appeals can be accessed here.
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