advocacy Archives - aditus foundation

Statelessness Briefing Note: “Malta’s 2019 international commitment to protect stateless people needs to be followed through.”

We are pleased to publish today a Statelessness Briefing Note. The Note is aimed at urging Malta to follow through its international commitment to protect stateless people.

In 2019 Malta acceded to the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons. This was a welcome development, confirming Malta’s commitment to resolving the situation of stateless persons in Malta. Yet, to date, Malta has not taken the legislative or administrative steps necessary to fulfil its new Convention obligations.

Submission to the Human Rights Committee for Malta’s 3rd periodic review under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

aditus has submitted its report to the Human Rights Committee for Malta’s 3rd periodic review under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which will be held on the in the period between the 12th October to the 6th November 2020. The Human Rights Committee is the body of independent experts that monitors implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by its State parties.

As a party to the Covenant, Malta is obliged to submit regular reports, usually every 4 years to the Committee on how the rights are being implemented. The Committee examines each report and addresses its concerns and recommendations in the form of concluding observations.

The Human Rights Committee considers that the cooperation of NGOs and civil society working on the promotion and protection of human rights is essential for the promotion and implementation of the Covenant. Therefore, we work on submitting our input in a comprehensive report that covers the main issues that concern the Covenant and its implementation in Malta over the past 4 years. aditus is not the only NGO that has submitted its input this year and the other reports can be accessed here.

Our report covers the following issues and concludes with recommendations:

National Human Rights Institution
Participation Of Women In Political And Public Life
Sexual & Reproductive Health
Freedom Of Thought, Expression And Assembly
Racial Discrimination & Institutional Racism
Detention
Access To Protection, Non-Refoulment
Justice
Right To Marry
Rule Of Law

The document can be accessed here or downloaded:

ICCPR aditus submission 2020 Download

For more information contact our assistant director Carla Camilleri: carlacamilleri@aditus.org.mt

Announcing Two New Projects!

aditus is pleased to announce two exciting new projects we’ve taken on, in cooperation with four esteemed partner organisations.

Project Integrated is an undertaking shared by aditus, JRS Malta and Integra Foundation, with the support of UNHCR Malta. The three Maltese NGOs will integrate their best efforts, until the end of 2015, for the sake of better integrating beneficiaries of international protection in the local context – to help them profit fully from their human rights and to restore their pride as independent and successful contributors to society.

In anticipation of the integration policy which Malta is meant to publish this year, Project Integrated will work to help beneficiaries see some of the everyday benefits that come directly, in theory, from their protected status. In education, healthcare and employment, for example, many obstacles remain, even as beneficiaries have the right to all three: We intend to advance integration through counselling, facilitating access to services, monitoring the practical lapses in integration and ongoing advocacy with the Maltese authorities and the press.

In particular, aditus will offer its legal expertise to Project Integrated through the further mobilisation of its Pro Bono Unit. aditus will also build on the insights gained in our earlier projects, especially the Stakeholder Information Sessions, to organise capacity-building activities with its partners.

Next, as a member of the European Network on Statelessness, aditus will be the Maltese focal point for the project Protecting Stateless Persons from Arbitrary Detention. The European Network on Statelessness is a group of NGOs, academic initiatives and individual experts with over 90 members in 30 European countries. The Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion will be an expert partner on the project; and in March, American photojournalist Greg Constantine will be in Malta to document the problem. Nowhere People, the website featuring his work on statelessness, is here.

Protecting Stateless Persons from Arbitrary Detention, a three-year project, will address the increase in Europe of immigration detention, including as a form of punishment, and the state criminalisation of irregular migration, the lack of protection for the stateless and the gulf between the rights afforded to the stateless on paper, according to legal standards, and the actual realisation of those rights. The gulf, in fact, leaves many stateless persons vulnerable to arbitrary detention in Europe.

Protecting Stateless Persons will study each national reality of statelessness, offer region- and country-specific tools to protect the stateless, train lawyers, NGOs and others to use those tools and advocate for protection.

Malta’s first & only national human rights coalition launched today!

Today we launched the Platform of Human Rights Organisations in Malta (PHROM), one of our major projects for 2014/2015.

The Platform of Human Rights Organisations in Malta (PHROM) is Malta’s first and only national coalition of NGOs working in the area of human rights promotion. It is an autonomous, voluntary and not-for-profit platform registered as a voluntary organisation with the Malta Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations.

Its mission is to provide a national forum for human rights organisations in Malta to more effectively develop, promote and advocate for the values of human dignity and equality.

Being Malta’s first and only platform gathering all NGO’s working on human rights issues, it provides members with a strong and united voice on areas of concern, supporting a more effective impact on policy and decision-making.

It also provides capacity-building, particularly to grassroots and upcoming NGOs, on the advocacy tools and skills needed to undertake target-oriented human rights activities.

As a network, PHROM also facilitates international and regional networking, discussions, research and other common activities.

A national focal point for human rights organisations, one of PHROM’s main activities is the publication of Malta’s first ever truly comprehensive and inclusive Annual Human Rights Report.

NGO’s working in the human rights sector are encouraged to become members so as to strengthen their advocacy efforts and to achieve a unified voice for various human rights issues and raise awareness, understanding and commitment to human rights in all sectors.

Interested NGOs should visit PHROM’s website (under construction) to signup!

PRESS INVITE: Launch of the ‘Platform of Human Rights Organisations in Malta’

Dear friends and colleagues:

We are proud to announce the launch of the ‘Platform of Human Rights Organisations in Malta‘ (PHROM)
on Wednesday afternoon, the 23rd April.

Please accept this message as your invitation to attend.

The launch will be held in Valletta at 13:30, at the Board Room of Din l-Art Ħelwa (133, Melita Street, Valletta).

PHROM will be Malta’s first and only platform gathering all local NGO’s which work on human rights issues. PHROM will provide its members with a strong and united voice on areas of concern, creating a meaningful impact on policy and decision-making. At present, PHROM’s Executive Committee consists of five NGO’s, each operating in different areas of human rights protection and promotion. They are Din l-Art Ħelwa, the Malta Gay Rights Movement (MGRM), the Richmond Foundation, Victim Support Malta and aditus foundation.

PHROM is an autonomous, voluntary and not-for-profit platform registered with the Malta Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations. Its mission is to provide a national forum for human rights organisations in Malta to more effectively develop, promote and advocate for the values of human dignity and equality. PHROM will also provide capacity-building, particularly for grassroots and upcoming NGO’s, on the advocacy tools and skills needed to undertake target-oriented human rights activities. As a national focal point for human rights organisations, one of PHROM’s main activities will be the publication of Malta’s first-ever truly comprehensive and inclusive Annual Human Rights Report.

The Executive Committee encourages all NGO’s working in the human rights sector to become PHROM members to strengthen their advocacy efforts, to achieve a unified voice for the advancement of human rights and to raise the awareness, understanding and commitment to human rights in all sectors.

PHROM was made possible through funding from the ‘NGO Fund’, a programme area within the EEA Financial Mechanism 2009-2014. The mechanism aims to contribute to the reduction of economic and social disparities in the European Economic Area (EEA). SOS Malta is the Fund Operator for the NGO Programme in Malta.