Summary: Youth Forum Preparatory Session on Peace

Training on Human Rights with a special focus on minorities and indigenous people

In the first session of the training, an introduction to the UN was given in order to help NGOs use the UN's mechanisms and instruments for the protection of human rights and cooperate with the UN in this particular field.

70 youth representatives gathered to discuss sustainable development, human rights and peace.

General Summary
Jong-Gil Woo of the Indigenous and Minorities Team of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights started the training session with an introduction to the UN and its main mechanisms for the promotion and protection of human rights. He briefly illustrated the main purposes of the UN, gave a clear definition of the concept of human rights and presented both the UN Charter-based and treaty-based procedures for their implementation and protection (Commission and Sub-Commission for Human Rights, 1235 and 1503 Procedure, thematic and country specific Rapporteurs, International Bill of Human Rights, Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Convention Against Torture, Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, Convention on the Rights of the Child).

James Heenan of the Sub-Commission and Commission on Human Rights team then further explained the role and function of the UN bodies with a special focus on the practicalities regarding NGO involvement and participation in the Commission and Sub-Commission for Human Rights. He explained that, to participate, NGOs must be accredited to the ECOSOC and need to submit written and oral statements.

Ugo Cedrangelo described in more detail how the 1503 individual complaints procedure works and how it has recently been revised.

Interesting questions
Most questions focused on the problem of the implementation and enforcement of human rights and on which mechanisms the UN has to verify that governments comply with recommendations, how effective the Commission’s resolutions are and how treaties can be implemented. Often one imagines that international law works like national law, and expects both systems to have similar enforcement mechanisms, but the two cannot be compared. In fact, the main implementation mechanism for human rights is presently found in the capacity of the UN to put pressure on governments, as having a special Rapporteur appointed or a Commission resolution issued has negative consequences on a country’s image and international relations.

Another debate centered on the question of the political interests of the UN bodies working in the field of human rights, with many questions on how the subordination of human rights to political interests can be avoided. Ms. Fiona Blyth-Kubota clearly explained that the UN human rights regime is an instrument for the protection of human rights in the international community, created by states and which can benefit from lobbying by NGOs. The Commission is a body composed of representatives of UN member states, and every decision, resolution, or treaty is the result of a discussion and a compromise. Therefore the decisions of the Commission must be politically motivated to an extent, but they also reflect consensus of states on human rights issues.

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