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CAMBODIA
Senate
Parliamentary bodies dealing with human rights :
Commission on Human Rights, Complaint Reception and Investigation

Type of parliamentary body Specialized
Nature Permanent
Related to chambers Senate
Date of creation 25 March 1999
Last renewal date 25 march 2005
Mandate With 6 years term, the commission has powers that required by its regulation and function as follow: - To allow the drafter to defend and report on the draft bill or proposed law before the commission. - To report to the Permanent Committee, or plenary session of the Senate, on the situation of Human Rights violations, and make recommendations for the improvement and enhancement respect for Human Rights. - To give recommendations to the National Assembly to make laws for upgrading Human Rights. - To seek, collect and analyze information in order to indicate institutional causes of Human Rights violations, and to determine measures for effective solutions aimed at suppressing such problems. - To require dignitaries, government officials, and relevant authorities to testify on Human Rights abuses of which they have been accused. - To publicly release reports and statements containing findings and testimony regarding Human Rights issues. - To cooperate with local and international Human Rights organizations to promote and protect Human Rights in the Kingdom of Cambodia. - To create friendly relationships, in the Human Rights field, with foreign parliamentary members. -To request the President of the Senate to appoint experts and assistant who are not members of the Senate to participate in the Commission's works, however, these experts and assistants have no right to make any decision on behalf of the commission. - To seek aid for effectively upgrading and protecting Human Rights in Cambodia.
Membership The Committee is composed of five senators
Working methods I. Reception of Complaints: A. Sources of Complaints: The Commission receives complaints from both complainants that come to the office, as well as representatives of complainants, such as Members of Parliament, Senators, other authorities, and officials of NGO's working in Cambodia. B. Action Taken with Regards to Complaints: The Commission delivers all complaints to the President or Vice-president of the Senate, through the administrative Office of the Senate, and invites advice regarding of the complaints. After receiving advice from the leadership of the Senate, the commission deliberates on all complaints. Once a complaint has been considered, an official letter is signed by the President of the Commission and the leadership of the Senate and sent from the Commission to the Ministry or authority concerned with the complaint. The letters ask the Ministry or authority to seek legal resolution to the complaint and to report the results to the Commission. If the authority involved in the complaint fails to the first letter, a second letter will be sent reminding them of the need for a resolution and response. If both letters are ineffective, the Commission asks the Senate leadership for permission to schedule a meeting with the Ministry or authority to discuss the complaint and inquire about a resolution. After finishing the investigative meeting, the Commission reports to the leadership of the Senate. The Commission always writes a letter to the complainant, describing step-by-step the resolution process and result. C. Meeting with the Complainant: The assistants to the Commission always interview complainants to ask for detailed information and all documents or evidence they have regarding the complaint. The complaints also receive advice from the assistants, regarding legal and human rights NGO's where the complainants may go for assistance and representation from lawyers and other experts. II. Mission: By annual schedule, the Commission conduct missions to provinces and cities outside of Phnom Penh, to meet with civil authorities, soldiers, police, international and national human right NGO's and to survey the general status of human rights in the locality. On regular missions, the Commission visits detainees and inmates of the prisons to discuss conditions and any complaints regarding treatment, In addition, the Commission gives advice regarding human rights to officials in the city or prison, and accepts suggestions regarding human rights from those officials. If there is an urgent case of human rights abuse, the Commission will ask permission from the Senate leadership to immediately carry out a special investigative mission regarding the case, and to negotiate between the complainants and the authority accused of human rights abuses. III. Review of draft law: The commission reviews human rights concerned point of draft law and makes comment to the competent commissions or to the session of the senate.
Relations with other parliamentary bodies The commission has worked with its partnerships such as: - The commission on Human Rights in the national assembly of the Kingdom of Cambodia - The commission on Human Rights of the Royal Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia
Relations with external bodies The commission has made closely corporation with not only public bodies but also several local Human Right NGO's such as: LICADO, ADHOC, CCHR, and UNHCOHR.
Subjects dealt with Subjects dealt with: the commission has played key role to focus on the matters as follow: - Human woman and children trafficking - Domestic Violence - Land conflict - Jails and prisoners affairs - Rape and murder
CONTACT INFORMATION
Main address Vimean Roth Chamkamon
Norodom Boulevard
PHNOM PENH
Phone +855 23 21 14 41, +855 23 21 14 42
Fax +855 23 21 14 46
PRESIDING OFFICER(S)
SECRETARY
Name Ms. Ouk Chenda
Notes Secretary Officer
Address (if different from above)
Phone +855 12 464 910
Fax ...
E-mail ada.blue@yahoo.com
web site: ...
Notes

Information on this page was last updated on 21 May 2009
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