FYI - NEXT MEETING 1 OCTOBER TRADES HALL 5.30PM: Auckland Human Rights Network Minutes of meeting, Monday 2 September 2013, 5.30pm, Trades Hall, 147 Great North Road, Grey Lynn Present : Del Abcede(Philippines Migrants Centre), Asia Pacific Human Rights Coalition), Kevin McBride (Pax Christi) Nirupa George (Tamil Community), Beth Webster (SAGES), Julie Watson (Human Rights Commission) Rachel Banfield (Amnesty International), Joan Macdonald (WILPF, Tamaki Treaty Workers, NCW. Apologies : Helena Marsh, Jacqui Ryan, Beverley Turner, Richard Northey, Edwina Hughes. Minutes of meeting on 6 August approved. Amnesty International : Refugees and Asylum Seekers We released a public statement with recommendations to leaders in the region ahead of the meeting in Indonesia on the Irregular Movement of Persons, highlighting the need for the human rights protection of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees to be at the core of any regional solutions taken. (available online) We are currently preparing a set of papers which will outline Amnesty’s position on refugee and asylum seeker issues and provide an overview of our vision for an effective regional solution. MENA We have been keeping the government informed about the latest events in Egypt and Syria and are watching both situations. (statements available online) Amanda attended a Council for International Development (CID) panel discussion focusing on the current Syrian refugee crisis. Good to hear what other NGOs in New Zealand are doing on this issue and share Amnesty’s current work on Syria. Sri Lanka This is our priority campaign for the next few months. We are working to both highlight the human rights situation in Sri Lanka and outline how the New Zealand government and the delegation it sends to the meeting can effectively call for change. You’re all invited to come along to the Remuera screening of the Sri Lanka documentary No Fire Zone on October 19. It’s at St Heliers Community Centre and Vanushi Walters (previous member of the International Executive Committee for Amnesty International) is the guest speaker. UPR – New Zealand Our UPR report on New Zealand has been submitted and will be soon be available on our website. The Government recently released its draft report on the human rights situation in New Zealand. Advocacy Manager Amanda spoke to Radio New Zealand about the government’s report last week, mainly highlighting how the report leaves many questions unanswered, such as the lack of protection of economic, social and cultural rights, as well as issues around the government’s recent changes to refugee and asylum seeker law and policy. GCSB We outlined our position on our website, including our concerns around the lack of definition as to what constitutes information “incidentally obtained” or what is a “serious” crime. As you know, the Bill has now become law. MORL Our research intern Carsten is currently developing a framework of questions to systematically analyse social and economic human rights issues in New Zealand. These questions will help him to identify the most pressing issues which, in turn, form the basis of the cases studies of our campaign. Pacific Wrote to the Leaders of the PIF Countries to highlight the key HR’s concerns in the region and make recommendations to leaders ahead of the leaders meeting this week. Human Rights Commission : Information provided on Launch of Sigh Language enquiry. Books available in plain language and big print. The government draft UPR is now available for comment until 19 September. The HRC Review is underway. The organisational review is continuing. The Ministry of Justice has released a draft of the Government’s report to the Committee Against Torture and invited any comments by 27 September. justice.govt.nz/policy/constitutional-law-and-human-rights/human-rights/consultation The Govt report is being submitted to the CAT Committee by the end of this year. The estimated date of the presentation to the Committee is late 2014. There will be an opportunity to submit shadow reports prior to that. Members of the public are invited to have their say on New Zealand’s efforts to prevent torture and other similar acts. New Zealand is a party to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, one of the core international human rights treaties. New Zealand reports to the United Nations Committee Against Torture four years about what it has done to implement the convention domestically. As part of the process, New Zealand provides a written report to the committee.. Anyone who is interested can participate in this process by reading the report and commenting on the issues it covers. Submissions can be made by email to [email protected] APHRC : The formal launch will be held on Wednesday September 18, 6pm at WG Building, AUT,Room 8O8. The organisations that have indicated that they would like to be part of the coalition will be given the opportunity to provide information about their group. An extract from the new film about Sri Lanka “No Fire Zone” will be shown and this will be followed by a panel of speakers, including members of the Tamil community and Amnesty International, about the human rights issues in Sri Lanka and the implications of holding the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (CHOGM) to be held there in November. WILPF & NCW : are part of the organising group for the Living Wage Candidates Forum “Do Women Matter?” being held on 3 September. Next meeting : Tuesday 1 October, 5.30pm at the Trades Hall, 147 Great North Road, Grey Lynn
Posted on: Thu, 26 Sep 2013 04:42:43 +0000
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