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<div class="gmail_quote">From: <b class="gmail_sendername">OP Coalition</b> <span dir="ltr"><a href="mailto:op-coalition@escr-net.org">op-coalition@escr-net.org</a></span><br><br>
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<div dir="ltr"><b><span lang="FR" style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Español /Français <font color="#ff0000">available from address above</font><br></span></b><span lang="FR" style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt">**Please distribute/Favor de distribuir/S'il vous plaît distribuer**<br>
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<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Human rights violations occur every day in different countries and regions around the world. The victims all have one thing in common; they are denied access to justice </span></b></p>
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<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"><b><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="FONT-SIZE: 16pt"></span></u></b></p><span lang="EN-GB" style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
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<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"><b><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="FONT-SIZE: 16pt">Take Action Now! </span></u></b></p>
<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"><b><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="FONT-SIZE: 16pt"><a href="http://www.protectallhumanrights.org/en/signature/new" target="_blank">http://www.protectallhumanrights.org/en/signature/new</a> </span></u></b></p>
<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"><b><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="FONT-SIZE: 16pt"></span></u></b> </p></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
<p><span lang="EN-GB">Dear Members,</span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-GB">The NGO Coalition for an Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (OP-ICESCR) has launched a petition in support of the Optional Protocol to the ICESCR, asking States of the world to ensure that access to justice and the right to an effective remedy become a reality for victims of all human rights; urging them to become a party to the OP-ICESCR when it opens for signature on September 24, 2009; to ensure that it enters into force as soon as possible; and to take all necessary steps to fully implement the OP-ICESCR without delay. In addition we call on those countries that are not yet a party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to ratify or accede to this treaty immediately and to also sign to its Optional Protocol in September 24.</span><span></span></p>
<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">We ask all of you as organizations and individuals committed with the enforcement of economic, social and cultural rights to <b>please support this petition, by taking 3 steps</b>: </p></span></div>
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<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></span> </p>
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<li style="COLOR: black"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><a href="http://www.protectallhumanrights.org/en/signature/new" target="_blank">ENDORSE THE PETITION </a> - you may do so on behalf of your organization and/or in your individual capacity.</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: blue"> </span><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> </span></b> </li>
<li style="COLOR: black"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Add information about the petition onto your website and a link to it: <a href="http://www.protectallhumanrights.org/en" target="_blank">http://www.protectallhumanrights.org/en</a>. In addition please email this information to your networks and partners, requesting that they do the same</span></b> </li>
<li style="COLOR: black"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Collect signatures at meetings, gatherings, events in your community and school etc. A printable version of the petition is available <a href="http://www.escr-net.org/usr_doc/PRINTABLE_PETITION-en.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></b> </li>
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<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black"></span></b> </p>
<p><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black">For more information please <a href="http://www.escr-net.org/actions/actions_show.htm?doc_id=940624&attrib_id=13453" target="_blank">visit our site</a> or contact us at <a href="mailto:op-coalition@escr-net.org" target="_blank">op-coalition@escr-net.org</a>. </span></b></p>
<p><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black"></span></b> </p>
<p><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black">Deadline to take Action: August 19. </span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black">Having your endorsement by this date will allow us to communicate with States, share with them the results of the action and still generate enough pressure for them to commit to sign. <b></b></span></p>
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<p><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black">The petition is currently available in Spanish, English and French. </span></b><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">If you are able to translate it in any other languages please do so and upload to you site. Please also send it to <a href="mailto:op-coalition@escr-net.org" target="_blank">op-coalition@escr-net.org</a> and we will make it available at <a href="http://www.escr-net.org/actions/actions_show.htm?doc_id=940624&attrib_id=13453" target="_blank">this page</a>. </span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><br>
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<p><span lang="EN-GB" style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black">Steering Committee of the NGO Coalition for an OP:</span></p>
<p><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'">Amnesty International</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'">, International Secretariat, UK; <b>Community Law Centre</b>, South Africa; <b>Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions</b> (COHRE), Switzerland; <b>International Network for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights</b> (ESCR-Net), USA; <b>Food First Information and Action Network</b> (FIAN) International Secretariat, Germany; <b>International Commission of Jurists</b> (ICJ), Switzerland; <b>International Federation for Human Rights</b> (FIDH), France; <b>International Women’s Rights Action Watch Asia-Pacific</b> (IWRAW Asia-Pacific), Malaysia; <b>Inter-American Platform of Human Rights, Democracy and Development</b> (PIDHDD), Paraguay; <b>Social Rights Advocacy Centre</b>, (SRAC), Canada </span></p>
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