The International Committee of Lawyers for Tibet (ICLT) is circulating this summary of our projects to make the TSG community more aware of our work.
We welcome comments and suggestions.
Best wishes,
Robert
Robert J. Rosoff, Esq.
Legal Director
International Committee of Lawyers for Tibet
2288 Fulton Street, Suite 312
Berkeley, CA 94704
Tel: 510-486-0588
Fax: 510-548-3785
E-mail: iclt@igc.org
ICLT is currently engaged in the following nine projects that are intended to accomplish three goals: (1) to achieve self-determination, human rights, and environmental protection for Tibet; (2) to provide legal assistance to Tibetan representatives, including the Tibetan Government-in-exile; and (3) to provide political asylum and immigration law assistance to Tibetan refugees.
1) Participation at the United Nations
ICLT participates in the annual meetings of the UN Commission on Human Rights and the Sub-Commission on the Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities in Geneva, Switzerland, which are the most important UN forums for reviewing state compliance with human rights standards. At these meetings, ICLT attorneys work closely with His Holiness the Dalai Lama's representatives at the Bureau of Tibet in Geneva to advocate for Tibetan self-determination and human rights, and for UN Resolutions on Tibet. We also draft "interventions" for submission to UN Treaty Committees, Working Groups, and Special Rapporteurs, which document Chinese human rights violations in Tibet. Over the next eighteen months, we plan to increase this critical UN work.
2) Participation at International Human Rights Conferences
ICLT has participated in numerous international human rights conferences, including the UN World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna (1993), the UN World Conference on Population and Development in Cairo (1994), the 4th World Conference on Women in Beijing (1995), and the World Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) in Istanbul (1996). These conferences are vital educational and lobbying opportunities, and we expect to send an ICLT representative to every relevant international human rights conference to advocate for Tibet.
3) Legal Brief on Sovereignty and Self-Determination
At the request of the Tibetan Government-in-exile, ICLT is close to completing a comprehensive legal "brief" in support of Tibet's historical sovereignty and the Tibetan people's right to self-determination. This brief will serve as the principal source of facts, issues, and arguments for Tibetan representatives and government officials around the world, on the most important legal issues concerning Tibet's struggle for self-determination.
4) Environmental Activism
ICLT helped to negotiate and draft the first resolution concerning Tibet's environment ever adopted by an international body. The resolution, passed at a meeting of The World Conservation Union (known as "IUCN"), called upon China to address Tibetan concerns about Yamdrok Tso, a sacred lake near Lhasa and the site of a Chinese hydroelectric project. We are monitoring Chinese compliance with the resolution, and are planning to expand our environmental work to other international forums.
5) Selective Purchasing Legislation
ICLT is drafting "selective purchasing" legislation, which will prohibit cities and states throughout the United States from entering into contracts with companies that do business in Tibet, unless the Tibetan Government-in-exile recommends approval of these contracts. The legislation is intended to deter and bring attention to development in Tibet that serves only to consolidate China's control over Tibet. This ICLT-drafted legislation has already been adopted in its first city - Berkeley, California.
6) Legal Support for Tibetan Representatives
ICLT provides ongoing support to Tibetan representatives, including the Government-in-exile, as they strengthen their democratic institutions. An ICLT member, who is a law professor, is currently in Dharamsala, India, where he is reviewing the Tibetan Charter and Amendments for internal consistency and clarity, and consulting with the Tibetan parliament on legislative drafting and related matters. Early next year, ICLT will co-sponsor (with the International Campaign for Tibet) a U.S. tour by the Government-in-exile's chief justice.
7) Self-Governance Study
ICLT, in cooperation with the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples' Organization, is preparing a comparative research study on forms of self-governance. The project involves more than twenty ICLT attorneys and law students worldwide, and will examine and compare approximately forty cases around the world in which a people has sought some form of self-governance within the framework of a state. This study will provide legal support and options to Tibetan representatives as they prepare for negotiations with China on Tibet's future political status.
8) Legal Materials on Tibet
ICLT has just completed the second edition of Legal Materials on Tibet. This publication is the most comprehensive reference available of legal documents that have special significance for the situation in Tibet. It includes Tibet's treaties with other nations, reports of UN bodies, and resolutions from governments concerning Tibet.
9) Political Asylum and Immigration Law Assistance to Tibetan Refugees
ICLT maintains an Immigration and Asylum Clearinghouse, which is a single source of information for Tibetans concerning United States immigration and asylum matters. We are receiving calls from Tibetans from across the U.S., and are continuing to build a network of immigration attorneys who are willing to assist Tibetans. We plan to expand this Clearinghouse to assist Tibetans with immigration and asylum matters in other countries.
