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Pitfalls and Pipelines - Philippine Indigenous Peoples Links

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Chapter 2.6: Legal Strategy from the Local to the International<br />

257<br />

guidelines do refer to the role of states in protecting human<br />

rights from harm by other actors, including private actors. 19<br />

A complaint, however, can only be brought if local remedies<br />

have been exhausted. The Commission does not offer legal<br />

assistance to complainants. Before submitting its views on a<br />

communication, it is possible for the Commission to recommend<br />

the state concerned to take provisional measures to<br />

avoid irreparable damage being caused to the victim of an alleged<br />

violation. As with the Inter-American Court, complaints<br />

are forwarded to the African Court by the Commission, rather<br />

it being approached directly. Unlike in the Americas, however,<br />

African intergovernmental organizations <strong>and</strong> any individual<br />

<strong>and</strong> NGO with observer status before the Commission may<br />

petition directly, as long as the State Party has declared there<br />

is such a right in the country in question. 20<br />

The European System of Human Rights<br />

The Council of Europe, which is based in Strasbourg<br />

(France), brings together representatives from the 47 Member<br />

States across Europe. The aim of the Council of Europe is to<br />

develop common <strong>and</strong> democratic principles based on the<br />

European Convention on Human Rights. Those Member<br />

States include the territories of the Saami people <strong>and</strong> the<br />

Russian Federation, which is home to a number of different<br />

indigenous peoples.<br />

The Council of Europe is composed of six main bodies.<br />

One of these is a judicial body—the European Court of<br />

Human Rights. The European Court of Human Rights can<br />

only hear complaints against States Parties, which have allegedly<br />

violated the European Convention on Human Rights,<br />

but its judgements are binding on those states <strong>and</strong> they are<br />

obliged to execute them. The act or omission complained of<br />

must have been committed by one or more public authorities<br />

in the state(s) concerned. The European Court, however, can<br />

rule that a Member State is in violation of the Convention if it<br />

fails to protect people under their jurisdiction from the violations<br />

of a third party (such as a company).

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