ILO and UNICEF to collaborate with RLEK on Human Rights

The Third Post Graduate Diploma Course in Human Rights was inaugurated by Justice U.C. Banerjee, Hon'ble Judge Supreme Court of India at the RLEK Human Rights Centre. Justice S.B. Sinha, Chief Justice of Delhi High Court along with Dr. Erma Manoncourt, UNICEF and Mr. Coen Kompier, ILO were the guests of honour at the inaugural function.

The course looks at Human Rights in the global perspective and aims to spread and inculcate a Human Rights culture in the South Asian region. The course has participants from all over the country as well as from other SAARC countries including participants from Nepal, Bangladesh as well as Sri Lanka. It is designed to equip the younger generation in India and other Asian countries to take up issues relating to human rights and human development in the truly Asian perspective. The classroom sessions are participatory and discussion based and a combination of training methodologies are used including; lectures, case discussions, field trips, group exercises and seminars.

This ten-month full time course has been instituted by the Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra's Human Rights Centre here. The course is recognised by Visva- Bharati, Santiniketan, which was founded by the pioneer of human rights, Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore.

Speaking at the inaugural function Justice Banerjee spoke about the United Nation Declaration on Human Rights. Mr. Justice S.B Sinha cited various cases from different parts of the world and said that based upon the contextual differences in countries the human rights situation also differed from country to country.

Mr Coem Kompier from ILO said that he looked forward to collaborate with RLEK on the position of tribals and indigenous peoples in the South Asian region. "RLEK and ILO have to learn a lot form each others' experiences and that is possible only through mutual cooperation and dialogue," he added.

Dr Erma Manoncourt briefed the participants about the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and how UNICEF was working towards protecting the rights of the millions of children in the world.

Mr. Kompier and Dr. Manoncourt are also scheduled to deliver detailed lectures to the course participants tomorrow.

In addition to permanent faculty, the course also has a distinguished guest faculty comprising legal luminaries, social activists and representatives from national and international development agencies. In the past, distinguished personalities, including Justice P.N. Bhagwati, Former Chief Justice of India and presently Chairman of the United Nation's Committee on Human Rights and Justice A.S. Anand, the then Chief Justice of India, have delivered lectures to the course participants. Infact each year UNICEF sponsors 5-6 guest speakers to the course. RLEK is also in dialogue with ILO for sponsoring speakers from ILO to talk about the rights of indigenous and tribal groups.

In the month of May itself, Mr. N. Vittal, Central Vigilance Commissioner, shall be delivering a lecture to the participants on Corruption and Human Rights. In the coming months Mr. Soli J Sorabjee, Attorney General of India, shall be visiting the centre to deliver lectures to the course participants.

In this batch majority of the participants are women with minorities and scheduled tribes also having a good representation. The participants are from diverse backgrounds and have excelled in their respective academic pursuits. Some of the participants are even attorneys at laws and have been practicing law.

Head Offcie:-
68/1 Suryalok Colony, Rajpur Road, Dehra Dun 248 001 Uttaranchal
Phone 91 135 2746071, 2745539
FAX 91 135 2741931, 2746881