WBO at the 55th session of the UN Human Rights Council
WBO Press Release
Feb 26 2024
WBO will support presentation by Maria Felipa People’s Advocacy in Geneva on torture in the Brazilian prison system
The Washington Brazil Office (WBO) will be at the 55th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, which takes place in Geneva, Switzerland from February 26 to April 5, 2024. The organization will follow the debates and support and facilitate the participation of Maria Felipa People’s Advocacy (Assessoria Popular Maria Felipa), an entity that every year works with more than 300 torture victims in the Brazilian prison system.
“With our new Europe Program, the WBO will have a permanent representation to support Brazilian organized civil society in its international work on that continent, especially in the bodies and organizations that operate in Brussels and Geneva”, announces Paulo Abrão, executive director of the Washington Brazil Office
“This time, we will monitor the debates that will take place throughout the 40 days of the 55th session. We will act as a point of support for Brazilian civil society organizations and movements that seek to know, understand, and act in this area that is so important for the promotion and international protection of human rights,” said Paulo Lugon Arantes, expert in the UN system of international protection of human rights and coordinator of the WBO Europe Program.
Maria Felipa People’s Advocacy, which is affiliated with the WBO, will present to the United Nations rapporteurs “two concrete cases that exemplify how torture takes place within the prison system in the state of Minas Gerais,” said Isabela Corby, coordinator of the organization, in her statement. The expectation is that the United Nations rapporteur will launch an “urgent appeal” on the issue of torture in the Brazilian prison system.
The Minas Gerais organization already forwards reports of torture and other cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment or punishment to the official bodies of the Brazilian State, which have the legal prerogative to investigate the facts, with the expectation of obtaining reparations for the victims and guaranteeing assistance and medical, psychological, social, and legal rights. Action at the international level is a complementary part of this strategy.
In addition to supporting the work of affiliated organizations, the WBO will also monitor the participation of the Brazilian government in the session, which will be attended by the Brazilian Minister of Human Rights Sílvio Luiz de Almeida, in the meetings of high-ranking officials, when the international community will be informed about the actions of the first year of Lula's government and the country's vision as a new member of the Human Rights Council.
