Advocacy at the UN and much more, July till October 2024
Reporting on Bolivia, Greece, Turkey, Kyrgysztan and other countries
(06.11.2024) Zaira Zafarana, international advocacy coordinator of Connection e.V. raised the issue of conscientious objection to military service in different countries during the 57th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. She took the floor in the plenary of the Council on several occasions. Furthermore, she submitted country-based reports to UN mechanisms for upcoming reviews and reporting to the council.
“The right to refuse to kill and to participate in armed conflicts is a human right,” Zaira Zafarana is emphasizing. “Thus it is universal and non-derogable. Although it is violated in several countries it is still a human right that individual should be able to exercise. In the ongoing increasing war system where thousands of human beings lose their life, those who object to war are actively implementing the human right to life from which no derogation should be permitted, as declared by the UN Human Rights Committee.”
Here is an overview of the statements (in English and German) and submissions. The dedicated links lead to a webpage with the full statement and additional details such as the recording of the concerned UN working session.
18 July 2024, on Bolivia: Connection e.V. prepared and submitted to the UN a country based report in preparation of the upcoming 48th session of the Universal Periodic Review of the State of Bolivia. The formal session will take place at the UN in Geneva in November 2024. https://en.connection-ev.org/article-4209
26 August 2024 on Ukraine: Connection e.V. together with War Resisters’ International and Ukrainian Pacifist Movement, submitted a written statement to the UN ahead of the 57th session of the Human Rights Council on Human Rights Violations Concerning Mobilization in the Ukrainian Territory highlighting serious concerns about the violation of the human right to conscientious objection to military service and the persecutions of conscientious objectors in Ukraine. The submission expresses concerns about the ongoing war of aggression of the Russian Federation in Ukraine and the forced mobilization in the occupied territories. https://en.connection-ev.org/article-4233
20 September 2024 on the human right of conscientious objection to military service: Oral statement delivered in plenary of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, on behalf of WRI and Connection e.V during the General Debate on Item 3: Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. Zaira Zafarana referred to the OHCHR thematic report on conscientious objection presented in the last session of the Council, and she mentioned specifically the UNHCR Guidelines on International protection which clarifies that conscientious objectors who are at risk of persecutions in their country of origin qualify for refugee status. https://en.connection-ev.org/article-4254
23 September 2024, on Belarus: Oral statement delivered in the plenary of the Council on the occasion of the Interactive Dialogue with the Group of Independent Experts on Belarus. The statement addressed the repressions of grass-roots civil society organisations and the stigmatisation and humiliation of conscientious objectors to military service. Connection e.V. and War Resisters’ International urged Belarus to respect the human right to conscientious objection to military service and called on the other Member states to grant asylum to those seeking protection abroad. https://en.connection-ev.org/article-4256
24 September 2024 on Russia: Oral statement delivered in the plenary during the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation. Zaira Zafarana referred to the concerning situation of conscientious objectors, the issue of forced recruitment and the employment of conscripts in the war. Connection e.V. and War Resisters’ International reinforced the Special Rapporteur’s recommendation to the international community to “consider granting protection and asylum to conscientious objectors". https://en.connection-ev.org/article-4262
25 September 2024 on Greece and Turkey: Connection e.V. submitted two reports on conscientious objection to military service about the situation in Greece and in Turkey ahead of their review this coming October by the group of experts of the UN Human Rights Committee during the 142nd session. https://en.connection-ev.org/article-4260
8 October 2024, on Ukraine: Oral statement delivered in the plenary of the Council in Geneva during the Interactive Dialogue on the situation of human rights in Ukraine. On this occasion, Zaira Zafarana presented the situation of conscientious objectors in the territory and the prosecution of the human rights defender Yurii Sheliazhenko. https://en.connection-ev.org/article-4277
11 October 2024, on Turkey and Kyrgysztan: Connection e.V. prepared and submitted two country based reports concerning the situation of the right to conscientious objection to military service in Turkey and Kyrgyzstan, in preparation of the UN Universal Periodic Review of these countries which will take place in April 2025. https://en.connection-ev.org/article-4288
18 October 2024, on the right to conscientious objection to military service: Connection e.V. prepared and submitted a contribution to the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief in preparation of her reporting to the 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council in March 2025. That report will be on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. https://en.connection-ev.org/article-4294
21 October 2024, on Greece: Connection e.V. delivered an oral statement on the situation of the violations of the right to conscientious objection to military service in Greece during the formal briefing at the UN human rights committee in Geneva. https://en.connection-ev.org/article-4293
We regularly report on the work of Connection e.V. regarding international advocacy on our dedicated project webpage: https://en.connection-ev.org/OHCHR
Connection e.V.: Press release, November 6, 2024
Keywords: ⇒ Belarus ⇒ Bolivia ⇒ Greece ⇒ International ⇒ Kirghizia ⇒ Russia ⇒ Turkey ⇒ Ukraine