BackOn the occasion of the UN Human Rights Council's 27th session, representatives of governmental and non-governmental institutions met in Geneva to engage in a discussion on the topic of the protection of human rights of persons deprived of their liberty.
Participants such as Sir Nigel Rodley (Chairperson of the UN Human Rights Committee), Mr Mario Coriolano (Public Defender before the Tribunal de Cassacion Penal of Buenos Aires) and Ms Gertrude Brinek (Chairperson of the Austrian Ombudsman Board) discussed this crucial topic together with participants of the UN Office on Drugs an Crime (UNODC) and of non-governmental organisations.
The promotion of a better understanding of international human rights norms and standards as well as the identification of challenges and good practices to safeguard the protection of the rights of persons deprived of their liberty built the center of the session's talks. The participants of the event agreed on the need to finding solutions with regard to judicial oversight of detention, overcrowding and overuse of detention and finding alternatives to this commonly applied practice.
A further side event - that took place prior to the above described discussion - was dedicated to the topic of "Empowering children and young people to know their rights". This side event was held on the ocassion of the 25th anniversary of the Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC) that is celebrated this year.
