Tag Archive for: UN

In the period that extended from September 12 to 21 of this year, our country had the visit of the Special Rapporteur of the United Nations, Hilal Elver, with the objective of evaluating the realization of the right to food in the country, to subsequently submit a final report to the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2019.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.

The rapporteur, in her preliminary observations, emphasized:

  • Current crisis and its impact on the right to food: The Argentina faces a situation of economic and financial crisis, with
    great impact on the right to food of the population. In this At the moment, Argentina must use the maximum of its resources available to ensure the full realization of rights humans.
  • Interrelation of the right to food with other rights human rights: All human rights are interrelated, and the right to food can not be achieved without the right to a adequate housing, education, health for all and all included migrants, indigenous peoples, peasants, children and adults greater.
  • Reception of the right to food in the order Argentine legal system: Argentina, as a State party to the Pact International of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, has the obligation to respect, protect and guarantee the right to feeding. It is also part of other international treaties fundamental principles on human rights, and they all include provisions related to the right to food adequate There is no explicit constitutional protection of the right to food at the national level and, therefore, the issues related to the right to food so integral and multidimensional. For all these reasons, it highlights the need for comprehensive framework law, with guidelines to promote and implement this right that includes food sovereignty for all.
  • Lack of update on statistical data: Argentina does not has up-to-date official data and other statistical materials that can provide reliable data on hunger and poverty in the last almost 10 years. The latest survey on food and nutrition habits was carried out in 2004-2005, and the latest survey of agricultural sector in 2002, which is not acceptable from the point of view to understand the needs and limitations of related policies with food security.
  • Food consumption in Argentina and its relationship with NCDs: El consumption in the country of fruit and vegetables is low, with only 6% of the population that consumes the amount of fruits and vegetables recommended by the WHO Food Guide. It is the country of the region that consumes the largest number of ultra-processed products and leads the consumption of soda The country includes the highest rates of obesity between children and adults. Currently, 40% of the children and adolescents and 60% of adults are overweight, and 7.3% of Children under the age of five are obese, it is the most important Elevated Childhood Obesity in Latin America It is crucial that nutrition policies are comprehensive, address all forms of malnutrition and have adequate financial support.
  • Marketing and regulation techniques. Although Argentina has with regulations on the content of advertising, have not been applied in an effective way to address the problems of obesity and poor nutrition. There are no specific rules in relation with advertising of food and drinks addressed to children, nor restrictions in relation to nutritional criteria.
  • Breastfeeding and marketing of milk formulas: the rapporteur mentions misleading advertising and growing concern about the health impacts of breast milk substitutes. Insists in the control of advertising and the implementation of strategies for promote and encourage breastfeeding, particularly during the first six months of life.
  • Family Farming: To achieve the objective of a diet adequate and healthy, considers it necessary to strengthen the family farming programs to support and protect this sector of crucial importance. Efforts should be made to promote family farming as a priority. It is the only way to achieve a balance between current industrial agriculture and the development of agroecological production systems. The achievement of this balance would be the only way to achieve a sustainable and just solution for the Argentine people.
  • School Dining Rooms: The current economic crisis seems to have a negative impact on the quality of the food in the different school canteens for the increase in prices. These dining rooms are essential for children and should be strengthened further to ensure they have access to a adequate nutrition and food.
  • Social Programs: Your concern is based on the fact that some of the social benefits exclude certain marginalized groups and disadvantaged and that these programs are not sufficient for the changing economic context.
  • Environment: Suggests that a law or program be implemented to reduce the use of pesticides in agricultural production. In relation to the Protection of Forests, the Organization of the United Nations for Agriculture and Food ranked Argentina among the countries that had lost more forests between 2010 and 2015. Warns that deforestation continues in areas where it is prohibited, and that the national government has shown a lack of interest considerable in applying the law, which is reflected in the lack of funds necessary to finance  conservation policies.
  • Use of Pesticides and Breastfeeding: The widespread use of pesticides with such frequency and intensity has generated concern regarding the exposure of women of reproductive age and of pregnant women who, in turn, can expose children to through breastfeeding. The National Institute of Industrial Technology (INTI) conducted a study of mothers who gave birth in hospitals of the metropolitan area of ​​Buenos Aires. The study determined that milk of these mothers contained levels of pesticides that were 15% more higher than the levels considered safe by law.

More information:

Preliminary Observations Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Hilal Ever, on her mission to the Argentina 12-21 September 2018

Author

Andrea Melissa Hill

Contact:

Agustina Mozzoni, agustinamozzoni@fundeps.org

 

The Human Rights Committee approved on October 30 its General Comment No. 36 on Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights that establishes the right to life.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”

This pronouncement focused on certain issues such as the abolition of the death penalty, the importance of having solid methods of accountability, the protection of the rights of persons deprived of their liberty and the protection of defenders. of human rights against reprisals. The Committee opposed a restrictive interpretation of the right to life and stressed that people have the right to enjoy a life with dignity. In addition, its members highlighted the link between the right to life and the obligation of States to prohibit war propaganda and hate speech.

The right to life before the interruption of pregnancy

With regard to States and their power to adopt measures regulating the termination of pregnancy, the Committee noted that such measures “should not result in the violation of the pregnant woman’s right to life or her other rights under the Covenant,” such as the prohibition of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Therefore, all legal restrictions that limit women’s ability to undergo an abortion should not, among other things, endanger their lives or expose them to physical or mental pain or suffering. ”

In addition, it indicated that States parties should “facilitate safe access to abortion to protect the life and health of pregnant women” and “should not regulate pregnancy or abortion in a manner contrary to their duty to ensure that women do not they have to resort to dangerous abortions. “In this sense, the Committee understands that States” should not adopt measures such as penalizing the pregnancies of single women, nor apply penal sanctions to women who undergo an abortion or to the doctors who perform them. they attend to do it “.

In addition, she said that “excessive or humiliating requirements should not be established for women who wish to have an abortion,” and concluded that “[t] he obligation to protect the lives of women against the health risks related to dangerous abortions requires States parties to guarantee women and men, and adolescents in particular, access to information and education about reproductive options and a whole range of contraceptive methods. States parties should also ensure that pregnant women have access to adequate health care services, both prenatally and post-abortion. ”

International human rights organizations in tune

This statement is added to a list of expressions that different human rights organizations have had throughout the year regarding the situation of abortion in our country and in the world.

On June 1, the Committee on the Rights of the Child, the body that oversees compliance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, issued its Final Observations for Argentina. There, he was forceful in urging the State to ensure “access to safe abortion services and postabortion care for adolescents, ensuring that their opinions are always heard and duly taken into account as part of the decision-making process.”

In the same vein, before the bill of voluntary interruption of pregnancy was discussed in the Chamber of Deputies on June 13, the Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in legislation and in the practice of the UN through a letter congratulated Congress for its consideration of a bill that decriminalizes the termination of pregnancy in the first fourteen weeks, and urged that this project be approved. “We welcome the important step that is being taken to guarantee women all their human rights, including the rights to equality, dignity, autonomy, information and bodily integrity and respect for privacy and the highest possible level of health. , including sexual and reproductive health without discrimination, as well as the right to a life free of violence and not to suffer torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, “the Working Group had expressed.

After the legislative debate, the same Working Group deeply regretted that the Argentine Senate rejected the bill that would have legalized abortion in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy, and described the decision as a missed opportunity to promote women’s rights in the country.

Something similar happened with the Committee of Experts of the Follow-up Mechanism of the Convention of Belém do Pará (MESECVI) that greeted and congratulated the Chamber of Deputies of the Argentine Nation for the approval of the bill in the month of June. After the rejection of the project by the Senate, the MESECVI expressed its regret and argued that “[t] he approval of this law would have constituted a significant advance in the consolidation of women’s rights in accordance with the spirit of the Convention of Belém do Pará, since it not only sought to guarantee their sexual and reproductive rights, but also to protect women’s lives, their physical and mental integrity, and their fundamental freedoms. ”

Finally, just over a month ago, the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights concluded the fourth report of Argentina on its implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. There he highlighted the high numbers of dangerous abortions in Argentina and the obstacles to access to abortion in the causes foreseen by the current law, such as the lack of adequate medicines and the negative impact of the conscientious objection of health professionals. In addition, it recommended the provision of contraceptive methods throughout the territory, as well as the adoption of effective measures for the implementation of causes of non-punishable abortion in all provinces (as established in the FAL ruling) and access to medicines that allow a safe interruption of pregnancy. It also recommended the regulation of conscientious objection in order not to obstruct the rapid and effective access to abortion, with dignified treatment by health professionals for patients seeking access to abortion services, as well as not criminalizing women who resort to abortion. practice.

All these pronouncements published in 2018 are added to a long list. For years, international human rights organizations have called attention to Argentina and the rest of the world on the standards of protection they must comply with regarding the sexual and reproductive rights of women and pregnant women. It is important to understand the dimension of these expressions: international experts are pointing us the way towards legislation on abortion that respects the commitments assumed in each of the pacts and treaties that Argentina has ratified.

Writter:

Mayca Balaguer

In collaboration with other civil society organizations, we made several reports to the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (DESC) for its session No. 64. Through them we intend to bring critical observations and recommendations on issues related to DESC that have been part of the work agenda of our organization, and so give an update of the report presented at the instance of sessions of the Preparatory Working Group, in 2017.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”

Argentina has ratified the International Covenant on Economic and Cultural Rights (PIDESC), committing itself to comply with the obligations derived from this pact. The ICESCR, like other human rights treaties, establishes a set for monitoring its level of compliance: the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR). In this sense, the Supreme Court has recognized this committee as an “authorized interpreter” of the Covenant, which sometimes has a constitutional hierarchy.
The monitoring mechanism established in the same includes, in turn, the possibility of participating in civil society in different stages, through the presentation of reports: the Committee receives reports from the State as well as from civil society and evaluates them, for Then issue your Final observations. The importance of these observations is that they are used as tools to demand compliance with human rights standards in the matter of ESCR.
In this context, we have presented several reports that warn about the situations of rights being affected in different areas.

Health:

  • Situation of chronic noncommunicable diseases in Argentina:

We recommend urging the State to adopt some measures to reduce the consumption of tobacco products and unhealthy foods.

Among them, the limitation of advertising aimed at children, the adoption of a more simple and understandable nutrition labeling, the raising of taxes, the ratification by the Argentine State of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and the adoption of measures that protect especially vulnerable groups.

  • Current situation regarding marketing practices of milk formulas:

In this regard, we recommend urge the Argentine government to regulate and restrict the marketing strategies of formulas of breast milk, to continue to promote breastfeeding beyond awareness campaigns, to prevent interference from industry processes related to the field of public health and to promote transparency in the sponsorship of academic events and research.

  • Situation of the regulations of geriatric residences:

We recommend the enactment of a national law that establishes minimum budgets to be guaranteed in all nursing homes in the country, in accordance with the rights and paradigm established in the Inter-American Convention for the Protection of Older Persons, as well as local laws that accept this paradigm. Likewise, it is recommended to urge the Argentine State to publicize the data related to the authorizations and controls of said residences.

  • Lack of access to sexual and reproductive rights:

The situation of low access to contraceptives and abortion practices is worrisome in cases allowed by law. We recommend then to urge the State to provide the necessary supplies to comply with sexual and reproductive rights, as well as to ensure that conscientious objection does not impede access to them. Finally, we recommend urging the State to train health professionals, in accordance with the international standards set by WHO for access to safe abortion, and the promotion of legislative discussion for the legalization of abortion.

Democracy

  • Current situation of the Ombudsman’s Office:

This institution continues to abide by it for 11 years, which is configured as a weakening of the DESC protection system. In this regard, we have recommended, among other things, to designate as soon as possible a person in charge of the Office of the Ombudsman of the Nation and to reformulate the procedures for selecting it.

  • Access to public information on environmental matters:

We recommend that the Committee urge the State to guarantee access to public information on environmental matters in view of the progress of major infrastructure projects, extractive industries and Chinese investments; promoting the creation of instances and / or mechanisms of citizen participation. In addition to promoting the protection of those who defend their rights and oppose the advancement of large infrastructure projects.

  • Draft Bill of Collective Proceedings:

We recommend that the State abstain from promoting the Draft Bill of collective actions before the National Congress and promote a regulation that conforms to current international and constitutional standards in terms of access to justice and effective judicial protection of groups in vulnerable situations.

Ambient

  • Use and application of agrochemicals:

We warn about the effects on the right to health derived from the use of agrochemicals; recommending the adoption of a national regulation that regulates the use and application of agrochemicals and requesting the revision and adaptation of national and provincial regulations to the new categories established by the WHO regarding the classification of phytosanitary products. In addition, the adoption of measures to minimize the impact of the use of agrochemicals and periodic epidemiological evaluations is recommended.

More Information

Contacts

Agustina Mozzoni: agustinamozzoni@fundeps.org

Carolina Tamagnini: carotamagnini@fundeps.org