The ECtHR's key case-law issues

For all of those of you that are dealing with the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), I recommend you to visit the web site of the Court and review the very useful Key case-law issues prepared by the secretariat with the aim to provide information to persons intending to make an application to the Court.

I hope you will find it very profitable. You will find the web side at the following link:

Key case-law issues

HROW

UNDP Latin-America & Caribbean Countries 2010 Report

United Nations Developing Programme has launched its new 2010 Regional Report concerning Latin-American and Caribbean Countries.

This report mainly focus on the intergenerational transmission of inequality among Latin-American and Caribbean societies, emphasizing the fact that this region is the most unequal region in the world in term of the distribution of the incomes, and offering recommendation in order to break down those mechanisms that perpetuate and reinforce the reproduction of inequalities among the members of the society.

If you want to read more about this topic, or download the report, please click at the following link:

Informe Regional sobre desarrrollo Humano para América Latina y el Caribe 2010: Actuar sobre el futuro: romper la transmisiçon intergeneracional de la desigualdad.

Good readings!

HROW.

United Nations Rule of Law Website

United Nations Rule of Law Unit launched a new web site entire dedicated to this key aspect national and international law and governance. In fact Rule of Law is one of the truly pillars of the United Nations, together with Democracy, Human Rights and Security.

A key aspect of this new website is its accessibility and utility for all practitioners around the world. Until now it has been difficult for them to have access to UN best practices, lessons learned and the various tools developed by the UN on rule of law, elements that now are available in this new website. In addition, practitioners will find extensive list of and links to partner organizations in order to build a strong global rule of community.

If you want to visit this new website, just click on the title above. Good reading!

Access to safe and legal abortion in Europe - PACE Report

HROW would like to draw you attention to a Council of Europe Report, called "Access to safe and legal abortion in Europe", elaborated by the Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men of the Council of Europe Parliamentarian Assembly (PACE).

In this report, the PACE recall that "Abortion is legal in the vast majority of the Council of Europe member states. The Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men considers that a ban on abortions does not result in fewer abortions, but mainly leads to clandestine abortions, which are more traumatic and more dangerous. By the same token, the Committee notes that in many of the states where abortion is legal, numerous conditions are imposed which restrict the effective access to safe abortion."

For these reasons, the PACE invited the member states of Council of Europe to:

1. decriminalise abortion, if they have not already done so;
2. guarantee women's effective exercise of their right to abortion and lift restrictions which hinder, de jure or de facto, access to safe abortion;
3. adopt appropriate sexual and reproductive health strategies, including access of women and men to contraception at a reasonable cost and of a suitable nature for them as well as compulsory relationships and sex education for young people.

This is a 2008 Report (8 April 2008), nevertheless, the background situation in Europe, that is analysed here, it is still the current situation in most of the member states countries. Therefore, this report can be consider as an up-date report.

You will find this report in the following link:

Access to safe and legal abortion in Europe

The 2008 UNADIS Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic

UNAIDS (Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS) has published its new "Report on the global AIDS epidemic". The Report draws upon and publishes the best available data from countries and provides an overview and commentary on the epidemic and the international response.

The 2008 Report on the global AIDS epidemic emerges at the halfway mark between the 2001

Declaration of Commitment and the 2015 target of the Millennium Development Goals to reverse the epidemic by 2015.

The report documents considerable progress in many countries in addressing their national epidemics. Nevertheless, progress remains uneven and the epidemic’s future is still uncertain, underscoring the need for intensified action to move towards universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.

If you would like to know more about the current situation in the faith against this epidemic, you will find the 2008 Report at the following link:

2008 Report on the global AIDS epidemic

CEDAW and the Human Rights Based Approach to Programming: A UNIFEM Guide

For all of you that are currently working with human rights-based approach (HRBA) I would recommend you to read the publication made by UNIFEM (United Nations Development Fond for Women) called: CEDAW and the Human Rights Based Approach to Programming: A UNIFEM Guide.

This publication is a practical guide to the human rights-based approach to programming for UNIFEM staff as well as partners, with a particular focus on the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

Starting with an overview of why it is important to understand gender equality as a human rights issue, the guide explains the "UN Common Understanding of the human-rights-based approach" and how this is reflected in UNIFEM's Multi-Year Funding Framework (MYFF).

It discusses the concrete implications for programming of applying the HRBA and highlights requirements of human rights-based programming in the context of Results-Based Management, a central concept in the work of UN development agencies.

This guide is available at the following link:

CEDAW and the Human Rights Based Approach to Programming: A UNIFEM Guide.

New Guide to Electronic Resources for IHRL

The American Society of International Law (ASIL) launched a new guide to electronic resources for International Human Rights Law (IHRL).

This guide provides a useful overview of electronic sources available for international human rights, regardless of the format. It includes general tips for doing research as well as for locating necessary documents and materials. It provides pointers on where to start: Bibliographic Databases and Online Catalogs, Research Guides and Bibliographies and Periodical Indexes.

The scope encompasses both primary sources on human rights instruments and jurisprudence, and secondary sources (including documents from non-governmental organizations and country reports) and concludes with links to other relevant websites.

The emphasis is on English-language materials, but the availability of resources in other languages is noted.

If you want to know more, visit the ASIL web site at the following link and enjoy it!

ASIL Guide to Electronic Resources for International Law

Public Schools and Crocifix... a wrong partnership!

HROW congratulates the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) for its decision on Wednesday 3th November 2009 in the Case of Lautsi v. Italy (Case n. 30814/06), in which the Strasbourg Court declared that the presence of the crucifix in the public schools' rooms is in violation of Art. 2 of Protocol 1 to the Convention (the right of parents to ensure education in conformity with their religious convictions), together with Art 9 of the Convention (the children's right of freedom of religion).

The Court not only based its decision on the need of religion neutrality of the State, in a democratic state, in connection with the education in public schools, but as well in the fact that the presence of this religious symbol is not in line with the pluralistic education, that is essential for the preservation of a democratic society.

This is a great step in a construction of a more inclusive and respectful Europe, where everybody, regardless its own conviction or belief, can be part of the common and pluralistic society.

You will find the judgement at the following link:

AFFAIRE LAUTSI c. ITALIE (Requête n^o 30814/06)