David Yambio is a community advocate and spokesperson at the NGO Refugees in Libya. His own experiences of forced exile inspired him to fight for the human rights and well-being of migrants and refugees on both sides of the Mediterranean.
During the Interactive Dialogue with the Fact-Finding Mission on Libya under agenda item 10, ISHR and Refugees in Libya delivered a joint statement highlighting the human rights violations faced by refugees and migrants in the country.
In a landmark decision, the UN CEDAW committee found that Libya violated the rights of a woman human rights defender and issued recommendations to better respect, protect and support the work of women defenders.
Civil society organisations welcomed significant outcomes of the Human Rights Council's 40th session, including the consensus adoption of a resolution on environmental human rights defenders, continued Council scrutiny over Sri Lanka, Myanmar, South Sudan, Syria and Iran, as well as initiation of Council action on Nicaragua and several joint statements on Saudi Arabia, Chechnya and Cameroon.
ISHR and Amnesty International have called on the Human Rights Council President to push for responses where States have failed to reply to UN experts' requests for information on alleged human rights violations, including reprisals.
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Every year, the NGO Forum takes place ahead of the African Commission session. For its 35th edition, the NGO Forum was organised and facilitated by the African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies (ACDHR) in collaboration with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Commission) and the NGO Forum Steering Committee. Among the high number of participants, various stakeholders took part in the forum including civil society organisations (CSOs), national human rights institutions (NHRI) representatives as well as Commissioners of the African Commission.
Worlwide we are simultaneously witnessing a democratic recession on the part of governments and an increasing appetite for democracy on the part of ordinary people. We must respond with an increased commitment to the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, association and expression, writes UN expert Maina Kiai.
(Geneva) - Libya is scheduled to be reviewed at the 22nd session of the Universal Periodic Review in April 2015. In the past two years, Libya has seen an increase in the number of NGOs and media activities. However, vague and restrictive legislation continues to stifle the work of human rights defenders, whilst ongoing insecurity, armed militia activity and challenges to the rule of law imply elevated risks for activists, journalists and legal professionals, thus threatening Libya’s democratic transition.
The 51st Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights was held from 18 April to 2 May 2012. ISHR's 'Kumulika' report analyses developments at the Commission and preceding NGO Forum sessions, for those seeing to build stronger systems for promoting and protecting human rights.
