Where Is Human Rights?
Verbal Statement by the International Public Legal Service Association (IPLSA)(General Debate on Item 5 at the 58th Session of the Human Rights Council)
Mr. Chairman,
Mr. HO Kwan Yiu, Founder of the International Public Legal Service Association (IPLSA), addresses this Council with deep concern over the United States' increasing use of executive orders and national emergency declarations to impose unilateral sanctions. This raises serious doubts about whether the U.S. remains committed to a rules-based international order, upholding democratic principles, and fulfilling its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
In January of this year, the U.S. issued an administrative order imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC). This action undermines the ICC's ability to prosecute individuals guilty of war crimes and genocide, effectively granting impunity to such offenders. This move not only strikes a blow to justice but also emboldens the Israeli government to continue its genocidal acts against the Palestinian people.
If this dangerous precedent is allowed to stand, it will weaken governance and accountability mechanisms, ultimately eroding civil liberties. What is most disheartening is the silence of U.S. allies, who stand idly by as these injustices unfold. Their complicity is truly unforgivable.
In closing, Mr. HO Kwan Yiu solemnly asks: Where is human rights in this Council?
In Geneva - At the 32nd meeting of the 58th session of the Human Rights Council, Junius Ho, founder of the International Pro Bono Legal Services Association (IPLSA), made an urgent appeal for the civil and political rights of Hong Kong people who had moved to the UK under the British National (Overseas) visa scheme.
In his 90-second speech, Mr. Ho emphasized the significant challenges faced by over 100,000 Hong Kong people who had migrated to the UK through this scheme. Despite many of them having high skills and professional qualifications, most could not regain their previous positions and were relegated to low-skilled jobs, encountering major obstacles in employment and social integration.
Mr. Ho also pointed out that the UK government seemed to be using its historical connection with Hong Kong to attract this vulnerable community to the UK, exploiting them for financial gain to address the labor shortages and financial difficulties it faced after Brexit. He described this as a blatant exploitation of these Hong Kong people rather than a genuine concern for their welfare.
He stressed that the BNO immigration plan did not guarantee that these Hong Kong people would definitely obtain UK citizenship, ultimately leaving many of them in an unstable and uncertain situation. In contrast, countries like Australia and Canada have done better and more morally! Mr. Ho made a statement at the United Nations and urged the UK to immediately correct this, to protect Hong Kong people holding BNO passports, and to ensure that their rights and dignity are not violated!
Since the end of 2023, IPLSA has been an active advocate on this issue, submitting multiple reports to the Human Rights Council, including at the 140th session of the Human Rights Committee (CCPR) and the 77th session of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR). IPLSA is pleased to note that CESCR has included its recommendations in its concluding observations (reference E/C.12/GBR/CO/7) and will actively investigate the UK’s treatment of BNO migrants and hold the state accountable.
57th Session of the UN Human Rights Council
Ho Chun Yeow, founder of the International Pro Bono Legal Services Association, stated during the UN Human Rights Council meeting and side events in Geneva, Switzerland, that it is essential to fully utilize international discourse to discuss the harmful effects of unilateral sanctions on Hong Kong society, the international community, and other small and medium-sized enterprises, and to share opinions.
News Source: Point News
IPLSA attended the 57th session of the UN Human Rights Council on September 13
The International Probono Legal Services Association (with UN special consultative status) delegation attended the 57th session of the UN Human Rights Council on September 13, and reported to UN Special Rapporteur Prof Alena Douhan on the US unilateral sanctions violating international law; and held a UN balanced event "Human Rights and National Security Legislation" at 4 PM (10 PM Hong Kong time) on the 13th, to discuss and exchange with foreign experts.
The International Probono Legal Services Association sincerely invites you to watch our Geneva press conference and online discussion, details as follows:
Live: International Probono Legal Services Association Facebook page, Ho Chun Yeow Facebook page
Date: Thursday, September 12, 2024
Time: 4 PM Geneva time (10 PM Hong Kong time)
Venue: Geneva Press Club, Switzerland
The International Probono Legal Services Association (IPLSA), founded by Hong Kong Legislative Council Member Mr. Ho Chun Yeow, is delighted to receive notification from the United Nations (UN) that it has been granted Special Consultative Status by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) effective from December 7, 2022. The ECOSOC is the central organ of the UN system for advancing the three dimensions of sustainable development—economic, social, and environmental—and is the central platform for fostering debate and innovative thinking, building consensus on the way forward, and coordinating efforts to achieve internationally agreed goals. It is also responsible for the follow-up activities of all major UN conferences and summits. Established in 1945 under the UN Charter, ECOSOC is one of the six principal organs of the UN. There are three types of consultative status with the ECOSOC: General Consultative Status, Special Consultative Status, and Roster. Special Consultative Status is granted to NGOs concerned with some of the activities of the ECOSOC and having expertise in those areas. Having consultative status with ECOSOC is an important sign of international recognition for an NGO. The UN recognizes important international NGOs by granting consultative status through ECOSOC (as of April 202, there were 6,110 organizations) and encourages these organizations to play a role in international affairs. IPLSA was officially granted Special Consultative Status by ECOSOC on December 7, 2022, explicitly granting the association the right to station staff at the UN's offices in New York, Geneva, and Vienna, and to receive the UN's annual meeting schedule and attend meetings throughout the year. This provides a new platform for the association to actively participate in and cooperate with UN-related matters.
Secretariat of the International Probono Legal Services Association January 3, 2023
