Urgent Appeals on cases of ESC rights violations and on cases involving economic actors

OMCT’s programme on ESC rights has been issuing urgent appeals since 2001, with an average of 45 cases per year dealing with around 30 different countries. The diffusion of such appeals triggers immediate intervention on a specific case, builds up solidarity around it, raise public awareness and creates global political pressure in order to prevent and redress the exposed violations. Today, OMCT is circulating urgent appeals specifically dealing with ESC rights and economic actors under three different headings. This threefold structure stems from an ongoing quest to maximise the effectiveness of interventions, to make an efficient use of existing international human rights law and jurisprudence, as well as to raise awareness on particular issues or problems that deserve special attention. ►Urgent appeals “Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Concern” The urgent appeals diffused under the heading “Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Concern” address cases related to the enjoyment of ESC rights such as the right to education, the right to work, the right to health, the right to strike, the right to join and form trade unions, as well as the right to adequate food. In doing so, OMCT does not aim to denounce all cases of ESC rights violations and focuses on those (1) that involve torture, summary executions, forced disappearances and other forms cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment or (2) that are likely to lead to torture, summary executions, forced disappearances and other forms cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. ►Urgent appeals “Economic Non-State Actors” The urgent appeals circulated under the heading “Economic Non-State Actors” cover cases of ESC rights violations, torture, summary executions, forced disappearances and other forms cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment involving economic and financial actors such as enterprises, the World Bank or the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In doing so, OMCT refers to existing commitments undertaken by such actors with regard to the promotion and protection of human rights, as well as to such instruments as the UN Global Compact and the UN Norms on the Responsibilities of Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises with Regard to Human Rights. Urgent appeals “Economic Non-State Actors”The urgent appeals circulated under the heading “Economic Non-State Actors” cover cases of ESC rights violations, torture, summary executions, forced disappearances and other forms cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment involving economic and financial actors such as enterprises, the World Bank or the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In doing so, OMCT refers to existing commitments undertaken by such actors with regard to the promotion and protection of human rights, as well as to such instruments as the UN Global Compact and the UN Norms on the Responsibilities of Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises with Regard to Human Rights. Global Compact ►Joint urgent appeals with the Coordination Office of the Housing and Land Rights Network of Habitat International Coalition (HIC-HLRN) OMCT and HIC-HLRN developed joint urgent appeals dedicated to the protection of the right to adequate housing and covering issues of house demolitions and forced evictions. The right to adequate housing, and in particular cases of forced evictions and house demolitions have been given a particular attention due to the existing jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), the UN Committee against Torture (CAT) and the UN Human Rights Committee, which acknowledged that house demolitions and forced evictions committed or tolerated by State agents can constitute a form of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. HIC-HLRN Web page These appeals, which are circulated to several thousands recipients all around the world are also a support for the UN human rights mechanisms, such as the Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing, the Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate food, the Special Rapporteur on the right to education, the Special Rapporteur on torture and the Independent Expert on Human Rights and Extreme Poverty. The UNHCHR page dealing with the Special Procedures set up by the UN Human Rights Commission The methodology used for urgent appeals dealing with ESC rights and economic actors follows the overall methodology set up by OMCT’s Appeals Programme. As such, it encompasses, among others, the following elements: responsiveness to the need of national human rights NGOs; reliability of the information; close cooperation with and among the SOS-Torture network; rapid circulation of information to international organisations, national, regional and international human rights mechanisms, institutions, governments, NGOs, individuals, etc. liable to take action and intervene in a situation; targeted lists of recipients according to the subject matter, the country in question, the region, etc.; use of a database enabling the drafting of cases, efficient follow-up, as well as the delivery of detailed statistical data. More information on the overall methodology