Chair's 2008 Annual Report

ANNUAL REPORT for 2008

Chair’s Report

Another successful year for S.I.H.R.G.! With over 100 members (and many more involved in one way or another with the Group), we have had regular monthly Speaker Meetings which have attracted great interest. At the same time, and perhaps more important our subgroups have been working behind the scenes on important topics of the day, making representations, demonstrating and producing reports, opinions and Amicus Curiae briefs in support of the various human rights which are of concern to us. We have set up new subgroups on South Asia, on Social and Economic Rights, and on Women’s and Children’s Rights (and a Media law subgroup is currently being formed). These are doing valuable work, and members are urged to join them (details from our Administrator)

We had the invaluable help of Katie Gwynne as Administrator until the summer, when she was replaced by the equally enthusiastic and committed Naoimh Hughes, who is doing excellent work for us.

At the beginning of 2008 there was the crisis in Pakistan, and we made representations to the Pakistan High Commission and demonstrated both there and outside Downing Street when former President Musharraf visited. We sent a representative to Pakistan in support of our Amicus Curiae brief to the Supreme Court, and supported our Pakistani colleagues in their struggle. We also co-sponsored and attended meetings in London with UN Special Rapporteurs Hina Jilani and ……

Also in January we heard an excellent talk from Prof. Paul Hunt, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Right to the best Obtainable Standard of Health - which gave rise to a lively discussion.

At our A.G.M. in February we had reports from three of our younger members who had been on active missions to Colombia and Afghanistan, talking about the contributions they had been able to make to the human rights struggles in those countries.

In March our South Asia subgroup was again active co-sponsoring a meeting on Malaysia concerning discrimination faced by Hindu lawyers.

April saw our star evening in the large lecture theatre at South Bank University in celebration of 60 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, with addresses from Vanessa Redgrave, and from Souhayr Belhassen, first woman President of the FIDH (International Federation for Human Rights) on their various experiences over many years and in many countries. Vanessa spoke movingly of her many years activity in resistance movements; Ms. Belhassen (from Tunisia) spoke in French (with interpreting) about the worldwide involvement of the FIDH, instancing struggles in Iran, China and the Congo where human rights organisations have been able to contribute, and at least restrain some of the worst excesses.

In May, Amy Barrow spoke passionately about U.N. Security Council Resolution no. 1325 on women, peace and security, which has done so much to mainstream women’s issues; and in June, the first woman practising Solicitor to be appointed a QC, June Venters, spoke movingly about the changes in social justice and access to justice, and the impact on members of our society.

In July Nigel Fawkes, Director of Wateraid, told us about the many successes that this organisation has had in improving access to fresh water and sanitation, stressing our belief that lawyers must be involved in social and economic rights as well as civil and political ones.

In September Emily di Cesare organised a repeat of our excellent training session on the U.N. Human Rights Enforcement Machinery, this time in Manchester, where it excited considerable interest, which is being consolidated with the formation of a Manchester branch of SIHRG: it is important that SIHRG be active in the regions as well as in London.

At our monthly meeting in London, Margarette Macaulay spoke enthusiastically (and amusingly) about her work in Jamaica and more particularly in the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, where she is a judge – and we also had an additional speaker, M. Hashim Jalal from Sudan, who happened to be in London and told us of the political machinations behind dam-building in Sudan.

In October we had a fascinating talk from Michael Mansfield QC about some of the trials where he had appeared, and the international human rights aspect of them.

Finally in November Mark Stephens, the well-known media solicitor, spoke about the Media and Human Rights, giving rise to a lively discussion which is resulting in the formation of a Media sub-group, as mentioned above.

Members have been on missions to Colombia (several took part in the Caravana, organised by the Law Society in August) and Pakistan, and I have been to the Gambia on a training mission, and Mali on an investigation, which is resulting in a further mission in support of an anti-slavery campaign (incredibly there are nearly 500 000 slaves in Mali – and no law against slavery!).

We have also established excellent relations with the Law Society, which, after closing down its international human rights department, found itself obliged to re-form one, under the excellent leadership of Courtenay Barklem, who has been very supportive of us. We have an honorary place on the Society’s International Human Rights committee, and they have a similar place on our Committee, and we are able to complement each other – and run joint activities (like the meeting to follow our A.G.M.). We presented a tender jointly with them to the U.N.D.P. last summer to run a training course for Iraqi lawyers and judges (on which we are awaiting the result).

After four years as Chair I shall now be standing down, and shall propose our Vice-Chair, Lionel Blackman, who has shown himself such a dedicated and enthusiastic supporter of the Group, putting the services of his office at our disposal. I would like to thank the members of the Committee, subgroup co-ordinators, and all who have worked with the Group – and I hope still to be involved with the Group and its work.. We have lost three valuable Committee members who have gone to work for international human rights organisations, and shall need replenishment on the new Committee. Please think seriously about this: it is valuable and rewarding work, and you will meet committed and enthusiastic colleagues.

MICHAEL ELLMAN