Newly-appointed SADC Executive Secretary Prega Ramsamy was on Friday sworn
in by Namibia's Chief Justice Johan Strydom in the presence of the current
SADC chairman, Namibian President Sam Nujoma.

The Law Association of Zambia in conjunction with the Church, that is to say
the Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC), The Christian Council of Zambia
(CCZ), The Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) and the Non-Governmental
Organisations Coordinating Committee (NGOCC) and the People gathered here,
having deemed it necessary, expedient, imperative and desirable to promote
and conduct a debate in relation to the intimation by the ruling party, the
Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) to amend the Republican
Constitution to provide a third term of office in order to facilitate the
eligibility of the incumbent President FTJ Chiluba in the forthcoming
Presidential and Parliamentary Elections.

More than a year after the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Sir Nigel
Rodley, visited the country to assess the condition of police cells, the
situation seems the same, if not worse.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, has called on the World Conference Against Racism - to be held in South Africa later this year - to come-up with practical ways to make a "seminal difference" in the fight against racism and xenophobia around the world.

United Nations peacekeeping troops last week took control of the strategic Sierra Leonean town of Lunsar, marking a major step in the UN's effort to occupy territory held by the anti-government Revolutionary United Front.

Staving off conflict and finding paths to peace are top of the agenda at a meeting of lawmakers from the European Parliament and African, Caribbean and Pacific countries.

The Sudanese government has denied claims by British development agency Christian Aid that atrocities are being committed by its forces in areas around oil fields.

A United Nations-led inter-agency mission to Angola has reacted with alarm to the numerous allegations of human rights abuses it heard on its six-day visit.

Most United Nations staff from Europe and North America were offered higher-level jobs at the time of their recruitment than their counterparts from Asia, Africa and Latin America, says a new report by a UN working group.

Namibian President Sam Nujoma's attack on homosexuals this week could lead to violence against innocent citizens, says a local human rights group.

The United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights this week announced her decision not to stand for a second four-year term in the world's top human rights post. But, once out of office, will she regret it?

Stalemate in the Western Sahara. Stand-off in Sierra Leone. The headlines go on. What hope is there that conflict-torn parts of Africa will pull themselves out of a vicious cycle of poverty, human rights abuse and violence? A United Nations watchdog attempts to point the way for the international community.

David McTaggart, the founder of Greenpeace International, was killed Friday
in a head-on car crash on a country road in central Italy. He was 68.

The prospects for resolution of the humanitarian and political crisis in Burundi continue to look very bleak. There is an opportunity, however, at this moment for the international community to help save lives in the Northeastern provinces - the most populous region in Burundi. But the Government of Burundi, the United Nations, and international NGOs must act in concert immediately to avert further suffering of the Burundian people.

Egypt's legal, political and social climate encourages the use of torture during detention and leaves victims without adequate means of redress, an Egyptian human rights group said on Monday.

The UK ICC Bill passed in the Lords last night, 20th March and has been passed to the House of Commons. We have no idea of the timetable but can expect the 1st reading very soon. This is a procedural point only when the Commons notes that the Bill has been passed to it from the Lords.

The following contains a bibliography on international human rights and criminal law, including the ICC and issues related to the ratification and implementation, that could be useful to academics, delegations, and groups working in these fields. Please also note that the Coalition website has a link to an extensive ICC bibliography.

In a report published today, Amnesty International appealed to all parties in Burundi's civil war to immediately halt deliberate killings of unarmed civilians and to act responsibly to prevent a slide into human rights catastrophe.

The World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) - a member of the Martin Ennals Foundation - is pleased to announce that: Peace Brigades International wins 2001 Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders.

President Bush said yesterday he intends to nominate an ambassador-at-large for war crimes issues, after weeks of speculation that his administration might reduce the Clinton administration's commitment to international institutions of justice.