A/RES/70/161
Human rights defenders in the context of the Declaration on the Right and
Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and
Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
institutions, play at the local, national, regional and international levels in the
promotion and protection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all,
Recognizing the substantial role that human rights defenders can play in
supporting efforts to strengthen conflict prevention, peace and development through
dialogue, openness, participation and justice, including by monitori ng, reporting on
and contributing to the promotion and protection of human rights,
Recognizing also the vital work of human rights defenders in promoting,
protecting and advocating the realization of economic, social and cultural rights,
and concerned that threats and attacks against human rights defenders, and
hindrance of their work, have a negative impact on the realization of these rights,
including as they relate to environmental and land issues as well as development,
Mindful that domestic law and administrative provisions and their application
should not hinder, but enable the work of human rights defenders, including by
avoiding any criminalization or stigmatization of the important activities and
legitimate role of human rights defenders and the c ommunities of which they are a
part or on whose behalf they work, and by avoiding impediments, obstructions,
restrictions or selective enforcement thereof contrary to the obligations and
commitments of States under international human rights law,
Reaffirming that States have the primary responsibility and are under the
obligation to protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms of all persons,
Reaffirming also that national legislation consistent with the Charter of the
United Nations and other international obligations of the State in the field of human
rights and fundamental freedoms is the juridical framework within which human
rights defenders conduct their activities,
Gravely concerned that national security and counter-terrorism legislation as
well as measures in other areas, such as laws regulating civil society organizations,
are in some instances misused to target human rights defenders or hinder their work,
endangering their safety in a manner contrary to international law,
Recognizing the urgent need to address, and to take concrete steps to prevent and
stop, the use of legislation which hinders or limits unduly the ability of human rights
defenders to exercise their work, including by reviewing and, where necessary,
amending relevant legislation and its implementation in order to ensure compliance
with the obligations and commitments of States under international human rights law,
Gravely concerned by the considerable and increasing number of allegations
and communications of a serious nature received by special procedures of the
Human Rights Council on the risks faced by human rights defenders, including
women human rights defenders, and the prevalence of impunity for violations and
abuses against them in many countries, where they face threats, harassment and
attacks and suffer insecurity, including through restrictions on the rights to freedom
of opinion, expression, association or peaceful assembly, abuse of criminal or civil
proceedings, or acts of intimidation and reprisal intende d to prevent their
cooperation with the United Nations and other international bodies in the field of
human rights,
Gravely concerned also about incidents of human rights defenders being
subjected to attacks, threats and other abuses by non-State actors, and underlining
the need for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all persons, including
human rights defenders, to be respected and protected,
Welcoming the steps taken by some States, including in follow-up to relevant
resolutions, the universal periodic review under the Human Rights Council, special
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