I speak here as a political commentator on Kenya as well as a member of the Kenyans for peace through truth and justice, a coalition of civic associations in Kenya.

Welcomes the European Union NGO Human Rights Forum organised by the Portuguese Presidency and the Commission and held in Lisbon in December 2007 on the topic of economic, social and cultural rights; endorses the recommendations of the Forum, which reaffirmed the indivisibility and universality of human rights and succeeded in linking the external and internal aspects of European Union policies; encourages the Council and the Commission, therefore, to strengthen the current Sustainability Impact Assessment carried out by the Commission's DG Trade through an adequate human rights impact assessment;

Regrets the fact that only five human rights organisations remain registered in Belarus and that the authorities continually seek to intimidate and control those groups whilst repeatedly refusing applications by other human rights groups to register legally; welcomes the decision of the UN General Assembly in May 2007 to reject Belarus' bid for a seat on the UNHRC, pointing to its poor human rights record; once again urges the Belarus authorities to stop using intimidation, harassment, targeted arrests and politically ...[+++] motivated prosecutions against human rights defenders and civil society activists in Belarus;

He was taken to the Human Rights Commission, appealed to the divisional court, and ultimately was fined $5,000 by the Human Rights Commission for saying that in that location, the city of Toronto, where probably 15 to 20 different printing operations are within a one-mile radius of his location, he didn't wish to do business cards and letterhead for a gay advocacy organization.

2. The non-State, non-profit making actors eligible for financial support under this Regulation operating on an independent and accountable basis include: non governmental organisations, organisations representing indigenous peoples, organisations representing national and/or ethnic minorities, local traders' associations and citizens' groups, cooperatives, trade unions, organisations representing economic and social interests, organisations fighting corruption and fraud and promoting good governance, civil rights organisations and organisations combating discrimination, local organisations (including networks) involved in decentralised ...[+++]regional cooperation and integration, consumer organisations, women's and youth organisations, teaching, cultural, research and scientific organisations, universities, churches and religious associations and communities, the media and any non governmental associations and independent foundations, including independent political foundations, likely to contribute to the implementation of the objectives of this Regulation.

This gathering will be attended by some 600 Ethiopians representing government, parliament, governing parties and opposition, human rights protection bodies and civil society.