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Communiqué
International Association of People’s Lawyers
Successfully Held Its Fourth Congress
02 June 2010
The International Association of People’s Lawyers (IAPL) successfully
held its Fourth Congress last 29-30 May 2010 in The Netherlands
amidst the further deepening commitment of its members to contribute
to the struggle of the people for the respect of human rights and
the establishment of a just and humane world. More than 35 delegates
and observers comprising lawyers, judges and law students from 7
countries attended the Congress, including Afghanistan, Brazil, Belgium,
Germany, Netherlands, Philippines, and Turkey .
The two-day Congress started with a Forum on the theme “PEOPLE'S
LAWYERS: DEFENDING ASYLUM SEEKERS, REFUGEES, DISPLACED
PERSONS, MIGRANTS AND POLITICAL ACTIVISTS wherein resource
speakers tackled the issues of displacement of Kurdish and Adhivasi
peoples, the challenge to uphold and protect the legal and human
rights of migrants, repressive laws against refugees and the case of
Prof. Jose Maria Sison and the legal struggle against the so-called
terrorist listing.
The speakers gave life to the struggles of the lawyers and judges
and the obstacles they have to face to uphold the interest of displaced
persons, asylum seekers, refugees, and political activists even at the
cost of arrest, torture, imprisonment and death.
Country reports were presented and campaigns and concerns regarding
legal issues and the question of law were taken up during the second
day of the Congress. Although there was diversity in the specific cases
in the reports, one common thread of the reports is the increasing
violent attacks on the people’s lawyers and judges, and political activists
especially those coming from people’s organizations. Amidst such
condition of violent attacks and the complete disregard of the state
and state machineries of their own laws and judicial system, the
people’s lawyers persist in their duty to defend the people.
Thus, one important decision of the IAPL was to undertake more
fact-finding missions on the situation of human rights in different
countries. So far, the IAPL has sent fact-finding missions twice
to India and once to Brazil.
Several resolutions on different issues affecting member countries
of IAPL were passed by the Congress.
Organizational matters such as how to consolidate and further
increase the membership of IAPL and how to develop better
coordination especially for campaigns and immediate response to
burning issues were also taken up. A general review of the IAPL’s
existence for the past 10 years was also undertaken.
The Congress considered the application for membership of lawyers
from Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, Indonesia
and Switzerland and submitted it to the new Board.
The Congress culminated with the election of the International Association
of People’s Lawyers Board and its officers. Unanimously reelected as
officers of the Board were: President, Edre Olalia (National Union of
Peoples’ Lawyers - Philippines), Vice President, Julio Moreira (Brazilian
Association of People’s Lawyers - Brazil), Secretary General, Raf Jespers
(Progress Lawyers Network - Belgium), Treasurer, Dundar Gurses
(Schoolplein Advocaten - The Netherlands) and Auditor, Hakan Karakus
(Acilim Bureau - Turkey). Rateb Faquiri ( Fayaz Foundation for Human
Rights in Afghanistan) were also elected to the Board.
The Congress of the International Association of People’s Lawyers
ended with a solidarity dinner and warm and militant camaraderie
among the delegates.
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