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Article 19: Freedoms of opinion and expression 2011, para. 30
- Paragraph text
- Extreme care must be taken by States parties to ensure that treason laws and similar provisions relating to national security, whether described as official secrets or sedition laws or otherwise, are crafted and applied in a manner that conforms to the strict requirements of paragraph 3. It is not compatible with paragraph 3, for instance, to invoke such laws to suppress or withhold from the public information of legitimate public interest that does not harm national security or to prosecute journalists, researchers, environmental activists, human rights defenders, or others, for having disseminated such information. Nor is it generally appropriate to include in the remit of such laws such categories of information as those relating to the commercial sector, banking and scientific progress. The Committee has found in one case that a restriction on the issuing of a statement in support of a labour dispute, including for the convening of a national strike, was not permissible on the grounds of national security.
- Body
- Human Rights Committee
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Environment
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Protection of journalists and press freedom 2010, para. 79
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur is alarmed and concerned that the number of journalists and media personnel killed in 2009 was the highest since 1992, and that 81 per cent of those killings were deliberate and targeted. While the risk of armed conflict increases the risk to the lives of journalists and other media professionals, more journalists were killed in non-conflict situations, mostly for reporting on organized crime or drug trafficking, environmental matters or human rights violations and corruption, or for voicing criticism of Government or the powerful.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Contemporary challenges to freedom of expression 2016, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- The right to freedom of opinion and expression must be respected "without distinction of any kind" (see article 2 (1) of the Covenant). Members of some groups, however, often face particular discrimination when it comes to the implementation of restrictions on expression. The Special Rapporteurs on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, on the situation of human rights defenders and on the independence of judges and lawyers address issues pertaining to human rights defenders and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), often in collaboration with the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression. Given their focus and detailed reporting, I will not highlight here our shared concerns about restrictions imposed against NGOs, human rights defenders environmental activists, refugees and lawyers. Instead I will highlight several other groups whose expression is particularly subject to repression.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Environment
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Comparative study of enabling environments for associations and businesses 2015, para. 65
- Paragraph text
- In some cases, restrictions on human rights can be directly linked to States' efforts to encourage business investment. Businesses then profit from those violations, sometimes calling upon State security organs for further protection. Crimes are often committed on their behalf with impunity. This is particularly true in the field of natural resource exploitation, as the Special Rapporteur documented in his 2015 report to the Human Rights Council. For example, reprisals against activists who stood up to large business interests have occurred in Colombia, the Lao People's Democratic Republic and the Philippines.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in the context of natural resource exploitation projects 2015, para. 19
- Paragraph text
- In many cases, the most egregious violations of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in the context of natural resource exploitation are committed against groups and individuals inhabiting regions far from centres of power, who are often at risk or already marginalized within society. They may lack access to information or the means of effectively advocating for their concerns, or they may be confronted with authorities are that are unable or unwilling to address their grievances. The ability to freely associate and to peacefully assemble are indispensable in this regard. Some of the categories of persons that require special attention in the context of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association and of natural resource exploitation are women (including women human rights defenders), Afro-descendants, indigenous peoples, peasant farmers, fisher folk and forest dwellers.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Environment
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in the context of natural resource exploitation projects 2015, para. 63
- Paragraph text
- Some States may also target members of civil society based on their foreign citizenship. In 2015, the Government of Cambodia, for example, refused to renew the residence permit of a Spanish environmental activist who was working with the local organization Mother Nature to halt a controversial hydroelectric project in the Areng valley. The activist was later deported. The Special Rapporteur emphasizes that nationality is not a proper basis for limiting the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association (see A/HRC/26/29, para. 25).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in the context of natural resource exploitation projects 2015, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- Individual human rights defenders and associations may also be subject to attacks, stigmatization, intimidation, surveillance, travel bans, and risk the suspension of their activities or even dissolution of the organization when they speak out against natural resource exploitation. The organization Publish What You Pay Uganda reported, for example, that they had had their equipment confiscated for nearly two months after trying to screen a documentary on lessons that could be learned from other resource-rich countries.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Violations committed against defenders by non-State actors 2010, para. 33
- Paragraph text
- In a recent case involving a transnational mining company, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights requested that the concerned State suspend operation of a gold mine owned by a transnational corporation until the adoption of a decision on the merits of the petition associated with the request for precautionary measures. The State was also requested to adopt any other necessary measures to guarantee the life and physical safety of the members of the indigenous communities concerned and to plan and implement protection measures with the participation of the beneficiaries and/or their representatives, who should also be considered human rights defenders. Despite the decision granting precautionary measures, leaders of the communities peacefully protesting against the perceived negative effect of the mining on, notably, their right to water have been threatened and attacked.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Security and protection of human rights defenders 2010, para. 113d
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur would like to recommend to States the following minimum guidelines regarding protection programmes for human rights defenders:] Protection programmes should include an early warning system in order to anticipate and trigger the launch of protective measures. Such a system should be managed centrally and risk assessment should involve different groups of human rights defenders. The seasonal changes and examples of insecure situations mentioned above should be taken into account when designing such systems;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Security and protection of human rights defenders 2010, para. 40
- Paragraph text
- In some States, trade union leaders, community leaders and land-rights defenders, including indigenous groups, are targeted for their activities. Elsewhere, defenders denouncing corruption and working on environmental issues are systematically attacked and threatened. Defenders working on economic, social and cultural rights are also subject to threats and intimidation when they attempt to access information. In certain countries, defenders trying to gather information on violations of human rights or humanitarian law being committed in certain areas are prevented from doing so in an often violent manner, which includes the use of killings, harassment and threats. In countries where the control of natural resources is at stake, defenders have been particularly threatened while denouncing the lack of transparency regarding contracts between the State and private companies.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
On the Declaration on human rights defenders 2011, para. 55
- Paragraph text
- Violations suffered by defenders as a consequence of their participation in protests range from threats following demonstrations to arbitrary arrest and detention, intimidation, ill-treatment, torture and excessive use of force by authorities. A cause for concern is the number of peaceful protesters who have been injured or killed during violent crackdowns by the authorities. The mandate holder has also identified specific protection needs concerning some groups of protestors, including women defenders and defenders working on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights; student activists; trade unionists; and defenders monitoring and reporting on demonstrations. Defenders engaged in protests linked to demands for democratic reforms; the anti-globalization movement; election processes; peace demonstrations; and land rights, natural resources and environmental claims are often in need of specific protection.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- LGBTQI+
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Women human rights defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues 2011, para. 79
- Paragraph text
- During the 2004-2009 period, 28 communications were sent regarding arrests and detentions of women human rights defenders and those working on women's rights or gender issues in the Americas, along with 22 concerning further criminalization of human rights defenders. Regarding arrests and detentions, those most at risk appear to be women activists for indigenous rights, particularly in Chile along with other women community leaders, campesino and rural activists, environmentalists, and lawyers. Similarly, indigenous activists appear to be at risk, particularly in the Chilean context. During 2004-2009, the mandate sent six communications regarding the criminalization of women working on indigenous issues in Chile. Such criminalization usually involved charges and trials based on supposed public order offences related to the right of assembly, and, on occasion, terrorism-related charges.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Women human rights defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues 2011, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- A related group of women defenders are those working on environmental issues, including access to land, were the subject of 33 communications sent by the mandate during this period, a large majority of which were sent to countries in the Americas. The work carried out by these women typically includes advocating the preservation of lands and communities which may be threatened by large-scale industrial projects, generally relating to the extractive and energy-related industries, such as mines, hydroelectric dams, and pipelines.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Women human rights defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues 2011, para. 65
- Paragraph text
- Women human rights defenders and those working on women's rights or gender issues in the Americas appear to be most at risk of being killed or having an attempt made on their lives. The largest number of these communications was sent to Colombia (12 regarding killings, 11 regarding attempted killings), while other cases were reported in Brazil (two regarding killings, four regarding attempted killings); Guatemala (two regarding killings, two regarding attempted killings); and Honduras (two regarding killings, two regarding attempted killings); with attempted killings also being reported in Mexico (two), Chile (two), Ecuador (two), and Peru (two). Those most at risk appear to be women trade unionists and women labour rights activists, particularly in Colombia and Guatemala; women indigenous rights activists, particularly in Colombia, Mexico, Chile, and Guatemala; and women environmental and land rights activists, particularly in Brazil and Colombia, along with family members and associates of all the aforementioned defenders.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Women human rights defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues 2011, para. 103
- Paragraph text
- It should be noted that the various risks and challenges outlined above to which women human rights defenders and those working on women's rights or gender issues are exposed in attempting to carry out their legitimate and peaceful human rights activities cannot be conceived as of separate from the political, social, economic, environmental, and other systemic factors which produce and reproduce conflict, displacement, inequality, violence, patriarchal attitudes and practices which are at the root of these challenges. The security of such defenders is inherently linked to the security of their communities and can only be fully achieved in the context of a holistic approach which includes the deepening of democracy, the fight against impunity, the reduction of economic inequalities, and striving for social and environmental justice, among others.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Selected groups of defenders at risk: journalists and media workers, defenders working on land and environment issues; and youth and student defenders 2012, para. 23
- Paragraph text
- In 2008, the Special Rapporteur presented her first report to the General Assembly (A/63/288), in which she laid down her vision for the mandate. In that report, she indicated that she would maintain and strengthen the focus of the mandate on those groups of defenders most exposed to risks. At that stage, she also identified several groups of defenders particularly targeted for their activities, including women human rights defenders; those working to promote economic, social and cultural rights, including land and environmental issues; and those defenders working for the rights of indigenous peoples and minorities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Selected groups of defenders at risk: journalists and media workers, defenders working on land and environment issues; and youth and student defenders 2012, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- This section focuses primarily on an analysis of the communications sent by the mandate holder during the period December 2006-May 2011 concerning the selected groups of defenders and their family members, that is, journalists and media workers; defenders working on land and environmental issues; and youth and student defenders. The analysis aims at identifying the nature of the activities carried out by the alleged victims, as well as the reported violations and perpetrators, with a view to identifying possible trends, including patterns of impunity that may emerge.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Youth
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Selected groups of defenders at risk: journalists and media workers, defenders working on land and environment issues; and youth and student defenders 2012, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- In the Europe and Central Asia region, journalists and media workers who were targeted focused their work mainly on monitoring demonstrations, democratic governance, investigative journalism, corruption, human rights violations committed by the State, environmental issues and minority rights. They were also targeted for exercising their right to freedom of opinion and expression, including through the Internet. The mandate holder sent the highest number of communications to the Russian Federation (9), followed by Uzbekistan (7).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Environment
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Selected groups of defenders at risk: journalists and media workers, defenders working on land and environment issues; and youth and student defenders 2012, para. 63
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur is aware of the particular risks that these defenders face, often at the hands of non-State actors or unknown individuals acting in collusion with them. She has received, and continues to receive, allegations indicating that security guards employed by oil and mining companies allegedly use death threats, acts of intimidation and attacks against defenders who denounce the perceived negative impact of the companies' activities on the enjoyment of human rights by local communities (A/65/223, paras. 9-12).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Selected groups of defenders at risk: journalists and media workers, defenders working on land and environment issues; and youth and student defenders 2012, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- Between December 2006 and May 2011, a large number of communications sent during the reporting period (106) concerned alleged violations against defenders and activists working on land and environmental issues. According to the information received, this group is thoroughly heterogeneous. It includes defenders carrying out a vast range of activities related to land and environmental rights, including those working on issues related to extractive industries, and construction and development projects; those working for the rights of indigenous and minority communities; women human rights defenders; and journalists.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Selected groups of defenders at risk: journalists and media workers, defenders working on land and environment issues; and youth and student defenders 2012, para. 65
- Paragraph text
- Therefore, this section of the report has been structured on the basis of the different subgroups identified, with each subsection including information on profile of activities, alleged violations, perpetrators and regional trends. It is also worth mentioning that there is certain overlap between the different subgroups, particularly between the group of those defenders working on issues related to extractive industries and construction and development projects and those working for the rights of indigenous and minority communities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Environment
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Selected groups of defenders at risk: journalists and media workers, defenders working on land and environment issues; and youth and student defenders 2012, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- The violations reported were the result of activities connected to different extractive industries, construction and development projects, including hydroelectric power stations and cement factories (Guatemala, Brazil); dams (Brazil, India); dumps (Mexico); gas pipelines (Brazil); gated communities and marinas (Bahamas); residential and leisure complexes (Mexico); the operation of mines (China, Mexico, Ecuador, Papua New Guinea, Peru); nuclear power plants (Philippines) and the production of oil and petrol (China, Nigeria, Peru), as well as logging (Brazil, Cambodia, Honduras, Mexico).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Environment
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Selected groups of defenders at risk: journalists and media workers, defenders working on land and environment issues; and youth and student defenders 2012, para. 71
- Paragraph text
- Defenders working on land and environmental issues in connection with extractive industries and construction and development projects in the Americas were the subject of most of the communications (21) within the group during the reporting period. They also faced the highest risk of death as a result of their human rights activities. Seven of the 21 communications sent were related to killings, six of which were sent to the Americas. This particular group of defenders in this region also faced a wide range of other violations such as death threats, attacks, attempted killings, intimidation, harassment, as well as stigmatization and discrediting campaigns.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Selected groups of defenders at risk: journalists and media workers, defenders working on land and environment issues; and youth and student defenders 2012, para. 82
- Paragraph text
- These women defenders were active in negotiations with local authorities to resolve land conflicts (900 women in Brazil, Colombia Guatemala, India) and denouncing land-grabbing (China); working for reparations for indigenous people (India, Nepal and Peru) and denouncing encroachments on their lands (India, Nepal); organizing community events (Colombia); campaigning against nuclear power plants (Philippines 2); campaigning against the development of a gated community and marina development (Bahamas); working for the rights of field workers (Honduras); protesting against the creation of a residential and leisure complex (Mexico); filming a documentary on the harmful impact of oil production (Nigeria); campaigning for water rights and against the construction of a dam (India); and campaigning against mining projects (Peru).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Selected groups of defenders at risk: journalists and media workers, defenders working on land and environment issues; and youth and student defenders 2012, para. 89
- Paragraph text
- The communications sent during the reporting period related to this group (9) indicate that the activities in which they were engaged included: presenting and producing a televised news programme, which dealt with land issues and raised concerns regarding links between national police and private security groups (Honduras); the covering of forced evictions (Uganda); writing on environmental issues (China, El Salvador, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russian Federation); reporting on the work of mining companies (Mexico); making video-documentaries on demonstrations related to land and environmental issues (Nigeria); and covering the exhumation of bodies (Guatemala).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Selected groups of defenders at risk: journalists and media workers, defenders working on land and environment issues; and youth and student defenders 2012, para. 90
- Paragraph text
- These journalists have been killed (Honduras, Mexico); suffered physical attacks (Russian Federation, Uganda) and death threats (Honduras, El Salvador); and been subject to different forms of intimidation (Guatemala). They have also been exposed to their cameras being confiscated by police (Uganda) and subjected to raids and searches of their homes and offices, during which images and production equipment were stolen (Guatemala). Journalists working on land and environmental issues have also faced charges of espionage (Islamic Republic of Iran), been arrested (China) and been arbitrarily detained without access to lawyers (Nigeria).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Large-scale development project and human rights defenders 2013, para. 15
- Paragraph text
- Both the Special Rapporteur and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Human Rights Defenders have repeatedly reported on the extraordinary risks faced by those defending the rights of local communities, including indigenous peoples, minorities and people living in poverty. These human rights defenders commonly face threats, harassment, intimidation, criminalization and physical attacks. The Special Rapporteur and the Special Representative have observed that human rights defenders are commonly branded as being against development if their actions oppose the implementation of development projects that have a direct impact on natural resources, the land and the environment. Examples of such projects include the construction of hydroelectric power stations, electric pylons, dams, highways and cement factories, and the operations of various extractive industries. Human rights defenders also speak out against forced evictions that occur in connection to development programmes and projects.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Large-scale development project and human rights defenders 2013, para. 17
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Human Rights Defenders addressed the risks and challenges faced by defenders working on economic, social and cultural rights in her 2007 report to the Human Rights Council. In the report, she underlined the heightened risks faced by defenders working on land rights, natural resources and environmental issues, and those campaigning against illegal or forced evictions. She also noted that defenders working on land rights and natural resources comprised the second group of defenders most at risk of being killed (A/HRC/4/37).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Large-scale development project and human rights defenders 2013, para. 19
- Paragraph text
- In her 2012 report to the Human Rights Council, which was devoted to groups at risk, the Special Rapporteur highlighted the dangers and challenges faced by defenders working on land and environmental issues, including in connection with the activities of extractive industries and construction and development projects (A/HRC/19/55, para. 64). She pointed out that the main context in which violations against such defenders generally occurred was that of ongoing land disputes with both State and non-State actors, including multinational corporations and private security companies. The Special Rapporteur expressed serious concern about the risks faced by this group of defenders and noted that those defenders were highly exposed to attacks to their physical integrity and that many of them were killed. She highlighted that the stigmatization they suffered from State and non-State actors was a factor that might encourage rejection of or even violence against defenders (A/HRC/19/55, paras. 65 and 66, 117, 123 and 125).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Large-scale development project and human rights defenders 2013, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur observes that Member States have adopted different approaches to ensure that the rights of those affected by large-scale development projects are respected. In Colombia, the National Hydrocarbons Agency is required by law to spell out in any contract it issues the methodology it will use to assess the impact of a project on affected populations and the way in which the project will benefit them (see decree No. 1760 of 26 June 2003). Prior consultation is also a right of marginalized populations in Colombia (see presidential decree No. 1 of 26 March 2010), but the Special Rapporteur notes that there appear to be different interpretations of what this right implies, which lead to discrepancies in the way in which it is applied. The Special Rapporteur is concerned about reports received from a number of countries alleging that community members and defenders of their rights who have made efforts to express their concerns about development projects affecting them have been met with excessive use of force and the issuance of states of emergency rather than dialogue.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph