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UN system: Mechanism to remedy human rights violations

Justice and Peace, June 2002 (Newsletter of Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (Thailand)

The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) of Thailand hosted and co-organised, with ACPP-Hotline Asia, a training on an 'Introduction to the UN System: Mechanisms to Remedy Human Rights Violation' on 9-13 June 2002 at the Assumption Personnel Development Center, Bangkok, Thailand. This training was organised in response to a request made at the 2001 Justice and Peace Worker's networking meeting in Manila.

There were 13 participants from 7 countries; four from the Justice and Peace Commissions of Hong Kong, India, Pakistan; two from the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation in Taiwan and Hong Kong; and one each from SEDEC/Caritas-Sri Lanka; Justice and Peace Committee of Association of Major Religious Superiors-Taiwan; Korean Catholic Human Rights Commission; the International Movement of Catholic Students; Christian Solidarity Worldwide-Hong Kong; All Karen Development Association-Burma; and Hotline Pakistan. According to the resource persons, a majority of the participants were well prepared and very conscientious during the training.

The two resource persons, Mr. Ravi Nair and Ms. Andrea Coomber, were from the South Asia Human Rights Documentation Center (SAHRDC), India. The five-day training gave a basic understanding on the UN Charter and Treaty Based Mechanisms, especially the Special Procedures under the Human Rights Commission. The participants learned how the Special Procedures work and how to communicate effectively using them.

The organisers also suggested that more concrete collaboration with Church organisations working at the UN level needs to be explored. If the Church wants to contribute to the setting of standards on human rights and strengthen the human rights monitoring role, the Justice and Peace Commissions (JPCs) are one of the possible means.     

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