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Work in progress, challenges and the way forward 2017, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur remains deeply concerned at the lack of visibility and of recognition of defenders' work. He notes that there is often a disconnect between public opinion and the active community of human rights defenders. The lack of understanding around the role of defenders is a formidable means used by some States to pit entire sectors of the population against one another and to undermine the situation of people who are working to protect human rights and freedoms. If people do not understand the role of human rights defenders, it is largely because we have not been successful in explaining it to them and because too often we remain bound by institutional or legal jargon. This helps to perpetuate the misconception that the struggle for human rights is the privilege of an erudite minority oblivious to everyday reality. The Special Rapporteur would like to do some case studies and focus more on individual testimonies in his messages to emphasize that ordinary heroes are first and foremost mere individuals motivated by their hope for a better world. It is also crucial to take advantage of the twentieth anniversary of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, in 2018, to bring together all the various stakeholders and to launch ambitious initiatives aimed not only at familiarizing more people with the Declaration, but also to demonstrate the essential role of defenders in safeguarding democracy and basic rights. The Special Rapporteur intends to make films, web documentaries or short videos to present, in a fun and accessible manner, the Declaration and major resolutions on the protection of defenders. He also plans to develop partnerships and thus work more closely with schools, universities and vocational training institutions in order to meet young people and show them the relevance of the struggle for human rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Work in progress, challenges and the way forward 2017, para. 72
- Paragraph text
- Moreover, the Special Rapporteur, recognizing his responsibility to raise awareness about the situation of defenders, was eager to rapidly develop tools that facilitate greater access to information about the various issues that his mandate seeks to address. He therefore decided to strengthen his mandate's visibility on digital media, including through a multilingual website that presents, in an accessible manner, his mandate's mission and working methods and highlights his activities as Special Rapporteur. In just a few months, over 10,000 people have visited the website, the visibility of which he now hopes to increase further so as to reach as many people as possible.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Work in progress, challenges and the way forward 2017, para. 7
- Paragraph text
- Like his predecessors, the Special Rapporteur has sought to develop innovative working methods in order to be more effective and to better respond to defenders' need for protection. This commitment to action is meaningful only if it is accompanied by objective assessments. That is why, in his view, it was essential to spend time reflecting on what has been implemented in order to analyse and assess the impact of all the work that he and his team have carried out over nearly three years. To that end, this report takes stock of the progress made and the challenges that lie ahead. It also identifies those areas in which, in view of the possible renewal of his mandate, the Special Rapporteur intends to become more involved so that his work remains relevant and responds as effectively as possible to defenders' expectations. This report should be seen not as an exhaustive exercise, but as a mirror held up to the action plan established in October 2014 (A/69/259).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Work in progress, challenges and the way forward 2017, para. 13
- Paragraph text
- It was during these exchanges, and through the many reports and documents submitted by civil society and partners involved in protecting defenders, that the Special Rapporteur became aware of the groundswell of coordinated attacks that seek to undermine and cause lasting damage to civil society. He is dismayed to note the increasing number of attacks intended to undermine the role of defenders, irrespective of the country or the area of human rights involved. In the face of these attacks, civil society is required to constantly reinvent itself and to adopt new strategies in order to continue to promote and protect human rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Work in progress, challenges and the way forward 2017, para. 55
- Paragraph text
- The three accounts below attest to the significant cooperation enjoyed with regional mechanisms. According to Nils Muižnieks, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe: Close cooperation with the universal human rights system and regional mandate holders plays a significant role in my efforts to protect and support human rights defenders in Europe. I collaborate regularly with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on countries where the situation of human rights defenders is very challenging. I am convinced that by working together we will effectively combat impunity for attacks on defenders and prevent the worsening of their working environment.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Work in progress, challenges and the way forward 2017, para. 21
- Paragraph text
- Since the start of his mandate, the Special Rapporteur has sought to acquire an in-depth understanding of the specific challenges faced by certain groups of defenders. Far from seeking to create categories of persons whose rights would be differentiated, he believed it was essential to analyse the causes and manifestations of the risks faced by some groups of defenders. This approach is essential to the task of proposing appropriate protection methods and providing better support to defenders working to promote fundamental rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Work in progress, challenges and the way forward 2017, para. 85b
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur recommends that States:] Implement resolutions on the protection of defenders and monitor their continued implementation;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
The Special Rapporteur's vision of the mandate 2017, para. 18
- Paragraph text
- Successes and achievements of civil society in recent years have been thoroughly investigated and recorded (see A/HRC/35/28). They were, by and large, acknowledged, recognized and endorsed by delegations during the clustered interactive dialogue held by the Human Rights Council with the Special Rapporteur on 7 June 2017 (A/HRC/35/28, para. 4). Yet, since the establishment of the mandate in October 2010, the voices of civil society have been restricted or silenced, if not eliminated, in every region across the globe. Mass surveillance, obstructive regulation of democratic space, including online, overly restrictive legislation to regulate association and limit the exercise of fundamental public freedoms, with frequent use of counter-terrorism legislation to curtail dissenting voices, and harassment of and violence against human rights defenders and ordinary people who exercise their right to express opinions in peaceful protests are all too common.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Work in progress, challenges and the way forward 2017, para. 51
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur would like to organize joint workshops over the next few years in order to strengthen the implementation of resolutions and recommendations on the situation of defenders and to increase the sharing of good practices. It is equally important to improve the sharing of information, in particular information being conveyed from the field to the Special Rapporteur, so as to be more responsive when draft legislation jeopardizes the situation of defenders in a given country.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Work in progress, challenges and the way forward 2017, para. 81
- Paragraph text
- Today, recognizing the tragic and seemingly hopeless situations facing so many defenders is no longer the issue. Indeed, time and again, their plight has been reported, condemned and communicated by many. This dire situation does not allow us the luxury of sitting back and waiting. Let there be no doubt. It is our moral responsibility to embody the ideals of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and it is urgent to take action. At the core of the Special Rapporteur's mandate is the duty to ensure that every effort is made so that people no longer have to die anywhere in the world for having defended human dignity and human rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 54
- Paragraph text
- To date, the present Special Rapporteur and the previous mandate holder together sent a total of 26 communications to Member States jointly with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, addressing situations whereby minority rights defenders were targeted because of their work. Some of them suffered reprisals, arrest and detention, as well as expulsion, in connection with their human rights activities. The Special Rapporteur raises her deep concerns about cases of reprisals against minority rights defenders, and urges minority activists to inform her Office whenever any intimidation or reprisal occurs in connection with their work, so that appropriate action can be taken.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Embrace diversity and energize humanity 2017, para. 25b
- Paragraph text
- [The Independent Expert underlines the key role of civil society and human rights defenders and the need for more effective action to counter threats and reprisals against them. Of note is a submission to the Human Rights Council by a number of non-governmental organizations earlier this year, in which they called upon States, inter alia:] To ensure the protection of human rights defenders working on issues of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics, against any violence, threat, retaliation, de facto or de jure discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action perpetrated by the State or non-State actors, in response to their human rights activities;
- Body
- Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Work in progress, challenges and the way forward 2017, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- The issue of reprisals has remained a matter of concern throughout the Special Rapporteur's mandate. Between 1 December 2014 and 31 July 2016, the Special Rapporteur sent 55 communications relating to reprisals against groups of defenders or individuals who had worked with the United Nations or other international organizations for the protection of human rights (32 communications were sent in 2014; 11 were sent in 2015; and 12 were sent in the first half of 2016).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Work in progress, challenges and the way forward 2017, para. 16
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur has also initiated a series of regional consultations on the impunity enjoyed by those who attack defenders. All too often, the perpetrators of such attacks are not convicted. The distress of victims and families who seek justice and reparation meets with indifference and even hostility on the part of law enforcement and judicial officers. It is therefore important to have a sharper understanding of the situation and to better identify the factors behind impunity so that specific recommendations can be made to States and other actors involved.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Families
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Work in progress, challenges and the way forward 2017, para. 41
- Paragraph text
- Lastly, over the course of his discussions with persons on the ground, the Special Rapporteur came to realize that his reports on communications were largely passing unnoticed and were seldom used by defenders and the various stakeholders involved in protecting them. The Special Rapporteur therefore plans to take steps to ensure that these reports, whose contents are highly instructive, are made more accessible to key stakeholders. To that end, he intends to give thought to the question of how to improve the centralization of information by country and to facilitate the use of the information contained in the reports. The Peruvian defender César Estrada stated that: Between 2011 and 2015, my family and I lived through a very difficult period. Despite the protective measures made available by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, which were not applied, we were constantly targeted by threats, murder attempts and repression. It was then that I made contact with Michel Forst and my situation became known well beyond my own country. His work as Special Rapporteur is extremely important for all defenders around the world.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Work in progress, challenges and the way forward 2017, para. 5
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur has decided that the present report should focus on the activities carried out between June 2014 and March 2017 (the period corresponding to his first mandate) to ensure that they are brought to the attention of the States and actors with which he has regularly engaged. This report is also an opportunity for the Special Rapporteur to give an account of his work to the many human rights defenders who, in complete confidence, have collaborated with him and his team over the past three years and, in some cases, exposed themselves to reprisals simply for having confided their tragic situations to him. The Special Rapporteur still recalls the words, expressions and smiles of the hundreds of defenders he met during those three years and feels responsible for the way in which the international community responds to their hopes and expectations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Work in progress, challenges and the way forward 2017, para. 10
- Paragraph text
- In carrying out the initiatives announced at the outset of his mandate, the Special Rapporteur received valuable support from a small team within the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva. That team helped him, on a daily basis, to reply to numerous invitations to events and requests to assist defenders at risk. They also assisted in analysing the legal and administrative frameworks that hinder and sometimes even criminalize the work of human rights defenders and helped to arrange many meetings with States and defenders who travelled to Geneva during the sessions of the Human Rights Council.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Work in progress, challenges and the way forward 2017, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- Given that restrictions on freedom of expression and peaceful assembly and association are often the earliest signs of attacks intended to criminalize social protest and silence those working in human rights, the Special Rapporteur has sought to work more closely with the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression and the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association. In this regard, they have carried out an increasing number of joint actions, particularly in relation to communications and public statements on persons who have received threats or are imprisoned and on draft legislation that poses a threat to civil society or defenders. Between 1 December 2014 and 30 November 2016, the Special Rapporteur sent 442 communications in conjunction with other mandate holders.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
The Special Rapporteur's vision of the mandate 2017, para. 77
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur will continue to work with the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the rights to freedom of opinion and expression and the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, with whom there already exists a well-established pattern of close cooperation. At the same time, she will engage with other relevant mandate holders with a view to coordinating efforts, while avoiding overlapping and duplication of work.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Work in progress, challenges and the way forward 2017, para. 87d
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur recommends that national human rights institutions:] Include coverage of the situation of defenders in the information submitted within the framework of the universal periodic review.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Work in progress, challenges and the way forward 2017, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- While these figures allow some trends to be discerned, it is important to bear in mind that they do not reflect cases not covered by the mandate. Many defenders and their families are unaware that they can contact the Special Rapporteur and, given the urgency of the situations concerned, they sometimes prefer to turn to mechanisms or organizations that provide very short-term solutions.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Families
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Work in progress, challenges and the way forward 2017, para. 82
- Paragraph text
- While there is no denying the current plight of defenders, the Special Rapporteur is conscious of the many initiatives carried out by committed individuals and institutions determined to improve the situation of defenders. He is convinced, now more than ever, of the need to develop synergies between the complementary roles of all stakeholders.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Work in progress, challenges and the way forward 2017, para. 32
- Paragraph text
- If he is given the opportunity to continue his work under a second mandate, the Special Rapporteur intends to pursue and develop some joint activities, including the establishment of a database of national legislation on freedom of expression, association, peaceful assembly and the protection of defenders.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Work in progress, challenges and the way forward 2017, para. 85g
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur recommends that States:] Remove the obstacles that some domestic laws place on the legitimate activities of defenders engaged in promoting and protecting human rights, including by ensuring respect for the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of association.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Work in progress, challenges and the way forward 2017, para. 88a
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur encourages civil society to:] Develop innovative measures to familiarize the general public with the work of defenders, including as part of the celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Work in progress, challenges and the way forward 2017, para. 88c
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur encourages civil society to:] Continue to send information to the Special Rapporteur on a regular basis, including on any draft legislation that may jeopardize the safety and the work of defenders;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Work in progress, challenges and the way forward 2017, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- Moreover, many people who submit files are informed that their claim is being considered only by an automatic e-mail acknowledging that it has been received. These individuals are then given no further information about how their claim will be processed and may remain in a state of uncertainty for weeks. Without breaking with the principle that communications between the mandate holder and the States concerned should remain confidential, it seems essential that both qualitative and quantitative improvements should be made to the system. Aware that such a change would go well beyond his mandate, the Special Rapporteur would like to consider it together with other mandate holders and with the support of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in order to respond to the expectations and needs of thousands of people on the ground.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Work in progress, challenges and the way forward 2017, para. 6
- Paragraph text
- As defenders face unprecedented attacks intended to undermine the legitimacy, credibility and sincerity of their commitment, it seems essential to quickly establish links between the specific actions undertaken by the Special Rapporteur and the pledges made at the United Nations when he was appointed in 2014. As populist, nationalist and fundamentalist movements of all kinds multiply, the Special Rapporteur remains convinced that more can be done under his mandate and that his office must continue to serve as a watchdog, a warning mechanism and a crucial resource for thousands of people.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Work in progress, challenges and the way forward 2017, para. 83
- Paragraph text
- When the Special Rapporteur took up his functions in 2014, he knew that the expectations regarding his mandate were at least as great as the threats to the individuals who defend human rights and freedoms. He sought to open new doors and to push the limits of the mandate. Having benefited from a vast number of meetings and activities conducted over the past three years, he would like to continue and intensify these initiatives and give them time to bear fruit. The activities covered in this report therefore represent a work in progress. The Special Rapporteur is particularly keen to strengthen initiatives to improve the implementation of recommendations and resolutions on the protection of defenders. To that end, he would like to develop tools to measure their implementation and to focus on strengthening the capacities of national actors to act on recommendations and resolutions and make them a reality on the ground.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Work in progress, challenges and the way forward 2017, para. 3
- Paragraph text
- We must be bolder and more creative in order to face up to threats that weigh heavily on civil society as a whole and on every individual fighting for fundamental rights and freedoms. The Special Rapporteur has also noted that intolerance thrives in part because people know little about their rights or the role of those who protect them. In that regard, it is more vital than ever to make the language of human rights accessible to all in order to ensure that civil society continues to enforce accountability.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2017
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