Fr. Philippe LeBlanc, OP
Dominican Friars of Toronto
372 Huron Street
Toronto, Ontario
M5S 2G4
CANADA
Phone: 416-599-4072
Fax: 416-596-1017
E-mail: pleblancop@aol.com
Aug. 2, 20ll
To the Dominican Family:
Re: Report on “A Decade of Dominican Presence at the
United Nations in Geneva: 1996 - 2006”
This is to inform you that I have put together a report on the presence of the Dominican Order
at the United Nations in Geneva, during the period of 1996 to 2006. The purpose of the
Dominican presence at the UN was to focus on human rights situations in countries where our
brothers and sisters were involved in the struggle for justice. The Dominican delegations
participated in the public sessions of the UN Commission on Human Rights as well the UN
Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, in cooperation with
Franciscans International.
The report consists of two volumes that deal with the various issues related to human rights
violations and country situations that we were able to raise publicly at the UN with the help of
brothers and sisters from various countries. The two volumes also contain statements on human
rights violations that were presented at the public sessions of the two UN Commissions, in
Geneva. Furthermore, the statements were summarized and included in the UN public reports on
the Commissions as well as being published online on the UN website for the benefit of all
member countries.
The first volume of the report consists of some 400 pages and deals with such issues as: the
Human Rights situation in Rwanda; the rights of indigenous people in Mexico; ending the
sanctions against the people of Iraq; the human rights situation in Vieques, Puerto Rico; the
unjust application of the death penalty and the case of Javier Suarez Medina. It also deals with
the hosting of Bishop Carlos Belo and the special session on East Timor called by of the UN
Commission on Human Rights in 1999. Other items included: religious discrimination and
religious intolerance; the humanitarian concerns related to sanctions; the rights of children;
the human rights of women; militarization and displaced persons; impunity; the trafficking
of persons; racial discrimination and the right to development and persecution of Christians
in some countries..
The second volume of the report consists of other issues raised at the UN Commission and SubCommission such as impunity and responsibility of Mexican authorities in the Acteal case; a
Dominican delegation to Chiapas Mexico in 1998; the impact of sanctions on the children of
Iraq; a message on Iraq from Timothy Radcliffe, OP; the administration of justice and
human rights; the situation of human rights in Colombia; the violation of human rights and
fundamental freedom in any part of the world; the full realization and protection of children
and youth; a petition to the government of Brazil concerning the Landless rural workers; human
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rights, mass exoduses and displaced persons; human rights defenders; major resolutions and
actions taken by the UN Commission; integration of the human rights of women and the
gender perspective; ongoing human rights violations in Papua, Indonesia; religious
discrimination in Pakistan; the new UN Human Rights Council.
The second volume of the report also contains an article entitled “Faith-based NGOs: What
contribution at the UN in Geneva?” by Archbishop Silvano M. Tomasi, Permanent Observer of
the Holy See at the UN and Other international organizations at the UN.
The two volumes of the report are in English and are available for those who have an interest in
the role of the Dominican Order at the United Nations in its justice work, in collaboration with
Franciscans International. The volumes can be distributed to convents, provincial offices,
libraries, institutions, for researchers and individuals as well as other Dominican entities by
contacting Philippe LeBlanc OP at: pleblancop@aol.com
The following is a suggested donation :
Volume One: approx. 400 pages, CDN $25.00 and the cost of mailing.
Volume Two: approx. 380 pages, CDN $25.00 and the cost of mailing.
In Saint Dominic,
Philippe LeBlanc, OP
(Former Permanent Delegate of the Dominican Order
at the United Nations, in Geneva)
pleblancop@aol.com
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