International Commission of Jurists facts for kids
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| Abbreviation | ICJ |
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| Formation | 1952 |
| Type | NGO with Consultative Status |
| Headquarters | Geneva, Switzerland |
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Official language
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English, French, Spanish |
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Acting President
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Robert Goldman (since 2017) |
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Secretary-General
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Saman Zia-Zarifi |
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Staff
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60 |
| Website | www.icj.org |
The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) is a global group that works to protect human rights. It is made up of 60 important legal experts, like judges, lawyers, and university professors. These experts help create and improve human rights rules around the world.
The people who are part of the ICJ are chosen for their experience and strong belief in human rights. They come from different parts of the world and various legal systems. This helps the group understand different ways of thinking about law.
The ICJ has an office called the International Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland. Lawyers from many countries work there. Together, the Secretariat and the Commission try to make sure lawyers and judges can protect and promote human rights. They also work to strengthen the idea of the rule of law. This means everyone, including governments, must follow the law.
The ICJ also has local groups in over 70 countries. Most members of these local groups are also lawyers.
In April 2013, the ICJ received the Light of Truth Award. This award was given by the Dalai Lama and the International Campaign for Tibet. It honors groups that have done great things for the people of Tibet.
The current President of the ICJ is Professor Robert Goldman. Past Presidents include Sir Nigel Rodley, Professor Pedro Nikken, and Mary Robinson. Mary Robinson was also a former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and President of Ireland.
Contents
What the ICJ Does Now
The ICJ actively promotes human rights and the rule of law. They work at different levels:
- International: With groups like the United Nations.
- Regional: With groups like the EU and Council of Europe.
- Local: Through their national groups, like JUSTICE in the UK.
The ICJ has a special program called the International Law and Protection Programme. This program helps apply international laws when human rights are violated. It focuses on how countries must protect human rights through the rule of law. They also work to make sure victims of human rights violations are protected. And they hold countries and other groups responsible for their actions.
Today, some of their main areas of work include:
- Supporting the independence of judges and lawyers.
- Working on Economic, social and cultural rights.
- Looking at how businesses affect human rights.
- Protecting rights related to Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.
- Promoting Women's Human Rights.
- Working with United Nations human rights groups.
- Connecting global safety with the rule of law.
The ICJ also has programs in different regions of the world. These include Africa, Asia Pacific, Central America, Europe, and the Middle East and North Africa. These programs focus on helping judges be independent. They also work on the rule of law and human rights issues specific to each region. To help with this, the ICJ has offices in Thailand, South Africa, Guatemala, Nepal, and North Africa.
How the ICJ Started
The ICJ began in 1952 in West Berlin, Germany. This was after World War II, when Berlin was divided. It started after a meeting called the 'International Congress of Jurists'. This meeting was organized by a German group called the 'Investigating Committee of Free Jurists (ICJF)'. This group was looking into human rights problems in the Soviet part of Germany.
At the meeting, the legal experts decided to expand their work. They wanted to investigate human rights issues in other parts of the world too. So, they created the "International Commission of Jurists (ICJ)" in 1953. It became a permanent group dedicated to defending human rights through the rule of law.
An important event around that time involved Dr. Walter Linse. He was a West German lawyer and a leader of the ICJF. Just before the 1952 meeting, he was taken by East German agents. This was likely to scare the people attending the meeting. Dr. Linse was later executed in Moscow.
The ICJ was once partly funded by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Most members of the ICJ did not know about this at the time. The CIA saw the ICJ as a way to counter other legal groups. In 1967, the CIA's funding became public. The organization managed to survive this. It reformed under its Secretary-General, Seán MacBride, and received funding from the Ford Foundation.
From 1970 to 1990, Niall MacDermot was the Secretary-General. He helped the ICJ move away from its past connections. He made it a leading group in the international human rights movement.
In 1978, the ICJ created the Centre for the Independence of Judges and Lawyers (CIJL). This center helped create important UN rules about how independent judges and lawyers should be. Its job is to make sure these rules are followed.
In 1980, the ICJ received the European Human Rights Prize. This award came from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
In 1986, the ICJ brought together experts in international law. They discussed what countries should do to follow the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. This meeting led to the Limburg Principles. These principles still guide international law on economic, social, and cultural rights today.
In the 1990s, the ICJ helped with several important international changes. These included the UN Declaration on protecting people from forced disappearances. They also pushed for the creation of an International Criminal Court. This court would help stop people from getting away with serious crimes. In 2006, the ICJ held a meeting in Yogyakarta for LGBT rights. They published The Yogyakarta Principles in 2007.
The ICJ also started drafting rules for protecting human rights and fighting against people getting away with crimes. They also worked on rules for victims to get help and compensation for human rights violations. In 1993, the ICJ received the United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights.
ICJ Groups in Different Countries
As of 2015, there are 21 independent national groups of the ICJ. These groups work in their own countries. They include:
- Africa: ICJ Africa
- Australia: Australian Section of the ICJ
- Austria: Österreichische Juristen-Kommission
- Canada: ICJ Canada
- Chile: Comisión Chilena de Derechos Humanos
- Colombia: Comisión Colombina de Juristas
- Denmark: Danish Section of the ICJ
- Ecuador: Asociación Ecuatoriana de Juristas
- Germany: Deutsche Sektion der Internationalen Juristen-Kommission E.V.
- Hong Kong: Justice Hong Kong
- India: Karnataka State Commission of Jurists
- Italy: Jura Hominis
- Kenya: ICJ Kenya
- Nepal: Nepalese Section of the ICJ
- Netherlands: Nederlands Juristen Comité voor de Mensenrechten (NJCM)
- Norway: ICJ Norway
- Poland: Polish Section of the ICJ
- Slovenia: Slovenian Section of the ICJ
- Sweden: Svenska Avdelningen av Internationella Juristkommissionen
- Switzerland: Swiss section of the ICJ
- United Kingdom: JUSTICE
- United States: American Association for the ICJ
ICJ World Congresses
Every few years, the ICJ holds a World Congress. At these meetings, legal experts from all over the world come together. They discuss important human rights issues. They also agree on new rules and goals in a public statement called a Declaration. These Declarations are often used by international groups, like the United Nations. They are also used by lawyers, universities, and other human rights organizations. For example, the ICJ created the Declaration of Delhi in 1959. This Declaration explained the ICJ's idea of the rule of law as something that can change and grow.
The most recent Declaration was made at the ICJ's 17th World Congress in December 2012. It was about making sure people can get justice and help when their human rights are violated.
Here is a list of the ICJ Congresses:
- 2012 – Geneva, Switzerland – Access to Justice and Right to a Remedy in International Human Rights Systems
- 2008 – Geneva, Switzerland – Upholding the Rule of Law and the Role of Judges & Lawyers in times of crisis
- 2004 – Berlin, Germany – Upholding Human Rights and the Rule of Law in Combating Terrorism
- 2001 – Geneva, Switzerland
- 1998 – Cape Town, South Africa
- 1995 – Bangalore, India – Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Role of Lawyers
- 1992 – Cartigny, Switzerland
- 1989 – Caracas, Venezuela – The Independence of Judges and Lawyers
- 1985 – Nairobi, Kenya – Human and Peoples’ Rights in Africa
- 1981 – The Hague, Netherlands – Development and the Rule of Law
- 1977 – Vienna, Austria – Human Rights in an Undemocratic World
- 1971 – Aspen, USA – Justice and the Individual: The Rule of Law under Current Pressures
- 1966 – Geneva, Switzerland – The ICJ's Mandate, Policies and Activities
- 1962 – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Executive Action and the Rule of Law
- 1959 – New Delhi, India – The Rule of Law in a Free Society
- 1955 – Athens, Greece – The Rule of Law
- 1952 – Berlin, Germany – The International Congress of Jurists
See also
In Spanish: Comisión Internacional de Juristas para niños
- Vivian Bose
- Rule of law
- World Assembly of Youth
- Congress for Cultural Freedom
- International Confederation of Free Trade Unions
- International Federation of Journalists
- JUSTICE
