Aug222017

UN human rights chief welcomes rape law reform in Lebanon, Tunisia, Jordan

United Nations

22 August 2017 – Today, the top United Nations human rights official welcomed the repeal of laws in Lebanon, Tunisia and Jordan that allow rapists to avoid criminal prosecution by marrying their victims.

&#8220To punish a rape victim by making her marry the perpetrator of a horrible crime against her &#8211 there is no place in today’s world for such hideous laws,&#8221 said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein in press statement.

He warmly welcomed the stand that lawmakers in Lebanon, Tunisia and Jordan have taken towards eliminating violence against women and ensuring that perpetrators of such violence are held to account.

According to the High Commissioner’s Office (OHCHR), on 16 August, Lebanon voted to repeal article 522 of its penal code, a law that exempted from criminal prosecution a person accused of rape who agreed to marry the victim. Two weeks earlier, on 1 August, Jordanian lawmakers also voted to abolish a similar provision &#8211 article 308 of its penal code.

In Tunisia, on 26 July, the Parliament adopted a law on eliminating violence against women and eliminating impunity for perpetrators, recognizing that violence against women includes economic, sexual, political and psychological violence. The law will come into effect next year. Tunisia has also established two human rights institutions this year dealing with human trafficking and improving the enjoyment of individual liberties and equality.

&#8220These are hard-won victories, thanks to the tireless campaigns over the years by human rights defenders &#8211 in particular women human rights defenders &#8211 in Tunisia, Lebanon and Jordan,&#8221 underscored High Commissioner Zeid.

He noted however that in Lebanon, article 505 of the Penal Code continues to allow those accused of having sex with a minor to go free if they marry their victims, while article 508 allows for marital rape, and called for the article to be repealed and for marital rape to be criminalized.

&#8220I call on the Governments and people of these countries &#8211 and other countries in the region &#8211 to build on this positive momentum, and to work towards the swift repeal of other legislation that condones sexual violence against women and girls and perpetuates discrimination against them in clear violation of international human rights law,&#8221 concluded Mr. Zeid.

Aug222017

News story: Prisons Minister visits new graduate recruits as prison officer recruitment reaches record high

HM Government

The Minister has met with some of the participants from Unlocked Graduates, a specialist prison officer recruitment programme, at the University of Suffolk in Ipswich, which is where their prison officer training starts.

His visit follows last week’s announcement of a net increase in prison officer numbers of 868 since January, meaning the government is on track to recruit its target of 2,500 by 2018.

Those taking part in the Unlocked Graduate scheme at Suffolk spend time covering technical skills before going to prisons in London or the South East, where they will put their theory into action.

Prisons Minister Sam Gyimah said:

I was hugely impressed by the enthusiasm and dedication of the Unlocked Graduates. These new recruits can help bring fresh ideas to the prison service and together with our experienced staff, can really help to make a difference and turn our prisons into places of safety and reform.

I have always been clear that as well as punishing offenders, our prisons must become places of reform and rehabilitation. We must do all we can to give prisoners the best chance to turn their lives around. The Unlocked Graduates will play a crucial part in helping to deliver that vision.

The Unlocked Graduates programme provides applicants the chance to work alongside some of the most experienced prison officers, developing vital and diverse skills whilst completing a Master’s degree. More than 600 top graduates and career changers applied for just 40 places through new independent charity Unlocked Graduates.

Natasha Porter, founder of Unlocked Graduates said:

We were delighted to welcome the Minister to our first ever Summer Institute. We are asking our participants to think from day one on their wings about what could be done differently in prisons.

At the same time, their Master’s degree is designed to help them think about system level change so it is critical to have this high-level support from the Ministry of Justice.

One of the new recruits, Laura, originally from Ipswich, applied to be an Unlocked Graduate after volunteering with an organisation that worked with people in police custody and those that were homeless. She said that this experience encouraged her to go into a career where she could have a great impact on people’s lives.

The 21-year-old has just completed the programme and will be joining the front line prison staff along with the other new graduate recruits.

Laura said:

As part of my degree I volunteered at an organisation that involved working with those in police custody, those with housing issues and those who were homeless so this, alongside my studies, encouraged me to pursue a career where I could help people and make an impact in social issues.

It has been an intense first few weeks as I had just a month from handing in my dissertation to starting with Unlocked Grads but I’m really enjoying it.

Since publication of the White Paper:

  • we are making a substantial investment in marketing and targeted recruitment to generate even more interest in these valuable roles
  • we have increased our Prison Officer Entry Level Training (POELT) training capacity by more than 75% for this year and next
  • starting pay for a National based Prison officer ranges from £20,751 to £23,052 for a 37 to 41 hour week and this increases to a maximum range of £23,122 to £25,685 for the same hours

Find out more about Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Careers.

Aug222017

Greens welcome EU decision to investigate Bayer-Monsanto merger

Green Party

22 August 2017

The Green Party has welcomed the announcement of a detailed investigation into the implications for competition in the seed and pesticides markets of a merger between agribusiness giants Bayer and Monsanto [1].

The investigation was opened today by Margrethe Vestager, the European commissioner for competition. 

Green MEP Molly Scott Cato, together with other MEPS, launched a petition to block the merger in 2016 [2].

Dr Scott Cato, who sits on both the Economics and Agriculture committees in the European Parliament, said:

“It’s clear from the commission’s initial review of the potential merger that they share our concerns, as Greens, about risks of further consolidation in the market for seeds and pesticides. What is surprising is that this has not led them to reject the proposed merger at this stage. We are convinced that giving more power to agribusiness will only impoverish EU farmers further. It is the EU’s responsibility to protect its farmers against the power of the agro-chemical companies, and only a rejection of the merger can achieve this.

“We have seen that Commissioner Vestager has the courage to act on market abuse by corporations in the information and financial sectors, but nothing could be more important than controlling the power a small number of companies have over our food supply. This merger can only further undermine the livelihoods of Europe’s farmers and we call on the commission to follow the logic of their own review and refuse to grant permission for the merger.”

Notes:

  1. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-monsanto-m-a-bayer-eu-idUSKCN1B21GJ
  2. https://www.ft.com/content/c815119c-6f4f-11e6-9ac1-1055824ca907

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Aug222017

Press release: Restoration of devolution a ‘priority’, says Secretary of State

HM Government

Secretary of State, Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP, has said that his priority is to restore devolution in Northern Ireland – but that it is for the political parties to find a way of making it work.

He was speaking in Dublin after a series of high level engagements with the Irish Government where the current political impasse in Northern Ireland and the impact of EU Exit were discussed.

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP said:

My priority is to see the restoration of the devolved institutions in Northern Ireland, working on a sustainable basis to deliver good government for everyone. Over the summer I have kept in touch with the political parties and I will be bringing them together over the next week as we enter a new phase of talks.

Urgent progress is required. The lack of an Executive making key decisions on matters including health and education means that public services in Northern Ireland are suffering. We need to find a way forward that will allow an Executive to be formed.

We must ensure that politicians locally are working together to strengthen the economy, to deal with the challenges and opportunities of EU Exit, and build a stronger, shared society based on respect for everyone. Ultimately, it is for Northern Ireland’s political parties to find a way to make this work.

The Secretary of State met the Irish Foreign Minister, Simon Coveney TD, to discuss the next steps in the political process. The UK Government and the Irish Government have both pressed party leaders in recent weeks to form an Executive. Mr Brokenshire also met An Tanaiste, Frances Fitzgerald TD, and Justice and Equality Minister, Charlie Flanagan TD, to discuss EU Exit and security matters during his visit.

The Secretary of State took the opportunity to brief the Irish Chamber of Commerce on the recent publication of papers by the UK Government on EU Exit and its proposals to manage the border and customs arrangements between Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Aug222017

UN aid workers urge safe passage for civilians fleeing northern Iraq ahead of battle

United Nations

22 August 2017 – Warning of harassment, revenge attacks and abuse of civilians displaced from the northern Iraqi city of Tal Afar, United Nations refugee and migration agencies today called for people trying to flee the city ahead of military operations to have safe passage.

&#8220We fear that Iraqi civilians are likely to be held as human shields again and that attempts to flee could result in executions/shootings,&#8221 Andrej Mahecic, spokesperson at the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) told journalists in Geneva about the ongoing operations to retake the city.

He also noted reports of people being denied access to safety and stopped along the way.

&#8220We call on all parties to the conflict to allow civilians to leave the conflict area and to access to safety,&#8221 Mr. Mahecic said.

Thousands of civilians are believed to be in Tal Afar, which has been without aid since the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) terrorist group took control of the surrounding communities in 2014.

Since April this year, more than 30,000 people fled Tal Afar district, many living in camps sheltering other displaced families mainly from Mosul, some 65 kilometres south-west.

Conditions in the district are believed to be &#8220very difficult,&#8221 Mr. Mahecic said, noting a lack of food, water and electricity.

&#8220People are said to have been surviving on unclean water and bread for the past three to four months,&#8221 he told journalists.

Those who fled have often had to walk in temperatures up to 50 degrees Celsius for up to 20 hours at a time, amid shooting, and often leaving behind children, elderly and disabled who are too vulnerable for the trip.

&#8220Many talk of seeing dead bodies along the way, and there are reports that some were killed by extremist groups. Others appear to have died due to dehydration or illnesses,&#8221 said Mr. Mahecic.

In the past four day, some 1,500 people arrived at nearby emergency sites managed by the UN International Migration Agency (IOM)

In conjunction with partners, IOM and UNHCR have been treating arrivals with food and water, transporting them to hospitals, if needed, and helping them settle in camps.

IOM is preparing additional aid for hundreds more arrivals expected in the coming days.