The 51 page report was submitted by the Norwegian NGOs to the United Nations Human Rights Committee (Geneva, left) on 30 December 2010.

Alternative report to the UNHRC
Norwegian NGOs expect UN Human Rights Committee to dedicate attention to issues raised in this alternative report, during the examination of Norway’s 6th periodic report. The examination is expected to take place in the fall of 2011 at Geneva. A preparatory session will take place in March.

NGOs in the report express their hope that at least some Norwegian organizations will be able to attend the examination at Geneva to provide the Committee with additional, and perhaps, further updated information on human rights in Norway.

Main issues
The newest report covers a vast thematic area and many relevant issues. The NGOs have prepared the alternative information concerning implementation of almost all of ICCPR articles in Norway.

Still some particular concerns are highlighted. They are:

  • The right to be brought promptly before a judge after arrest;
  • Police arrest, duration and conditions;
  • Involuntary deprivation of liberty and use of force in psychiatry;
  • Protection of refugees with reference to article 7 of the Covenant;
  • Implementation of the Istanbul-protocol;
  • Ratification of the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment;
  • Transfer of responsibility of care for unaccompanied asylum seekers in the age group 15-18 years of age to the Child Welfare Services.

You can read the report here.

Recommendations
Each of the elaborated topics are followed by recommendations to Norway. The recommendations to the Committee are also present. The Committee is encouraged to ask Norway to present additional statistics, to specify the implementation of some instructions, to identify specific measures of protection of vulnerable groups in society.

The NGO-report is written in response to the official Norwegian, which was submitted on 25 November 2009, officially termed “Norway’s sixth Periodic report under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)” on the status of the implementation of the Covenant in Norway.

Contributors
The report has been made and is supported by the Human Rights Committee of the Norwegian Bar Association, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, the Norwegian Organization for Asylum Seekers, the Norwegian Psychologist Association, Amnesty International Norway, Save the Children Norway, International Commission of Jurists Norway, the Norwegian Center against Racism and the Human Rights House Foundation.

Questions regarding the NGO- report may be directed to the Norwegian NGO-forum for Human Rights c/o Norwegian Helsinki Committee, Kirkegata 5, 0143 Oslo, NORWAY. Contact person, Ole B. Lilleås at lilleas@nhc.no.

Background
Norwegian human rights organisations have for several years co-operated closely with the objective of sharing information and making joint intiatives towards the Norwegian authorities. The organisations come together in the NGO-forum for Human Rights Organisations.

NGO-forum is an arena where the organisations can express their views concerning human rights issues. In the NGO-forum the organisations benefit from each other’s competence.

The organisations make combined efforts in order to influence the Norwegian government, international organisations like the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the UN and the Council of Europe.

The most important work of the NGO-forum is thus the production of position documents that are given to Norwegian authorities prior to meetings in the UN Human Rights Commission and the UN General Assembly. In these documents the organisations state their positions and recommendations.

Here you can find the complete list of NGO-documents

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