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Environmental human rights defenders 2016, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- Environmental human rights defenders are one of the most heterogeneous groups of defenders. The category includes a diverse range of people, profiles and trajectories, from small-scale farmers with no land deeds to environmental lawyers and journalists, from well-organized non-governmental organizations to isolated indigenous communities. In many cases, some of these groups already experience marginalization. In many situations, they do not always have the capacity to challenge decisions in courts or they do not have access to mass media. Their marginalization is also due to the nature of their struggles as human rights defenders. Many become environmental human rights defenders by "accident" or "necessity", taking a stand against injustice or harm to their environment. This may amplify their vulnerabilities, as they may not self-identify as environmental human rights defenders and therefore they may be unaware of their rights or existing protection measures, mechanisms or organizations that could support them. The very specific nature of rural communities can also aggravate their vulnerability, as these communities can be located in isolated areas without access to communication and support networks.
- 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
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Work in progress, challenges and the way forward 2017, para. 30
- Paragraph text
- He also had the opportunity to draft a number of joint communications with other mandate holders, including the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples and the Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment.
- 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
- 2017
- 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. 73
- Paragraph text
- The mandate holder has also received and acted upon allegations of violations against defenders working on land and environmental issues as they relate to indigenous peoples and minority communities (29 communications). The activities in which they are engaged include participating in negotiations with local authorities in order to resolve land disputes (Brazil, Colombia and Guatemala) and investigating cases of land-grabbing (Bangladesh); defending the rights of indigenous communities (the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Cambodia, Guatemala, India, New Zealand, Peru) and representing indigenous communities at local and national levels (Bangladesh, Chile, Guatemala, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru and Tanzania); campaigning against forced evictions (Mexico, Colombia); participating in protests (Chile, India, Nepal); raising awareness abroad regarding violations of human rights (Papua New Guinea); campaigning for the protection of borders of their natural reserve (Brazil); and the submission of information to the United Nations human rights mechanisms (Guatemala).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Violations committed against defenders by non-State actors 2010, para. 15
- Paragraph text
- In certain countries, attacks have been perpetrated against defenders supporting indigenous communities affected by gold and silver mining by transnational companies. The Special Rapporteur received information about individuals attacking defenders who were demonstrating against violations of the rights of indigenous communities as a result of mining activities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Environment
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Violations committed against defenders by non-State actors 2010, para. 9
- Paragraph text
- A number of human rights violations against human rights defenders are committed by private corporations, a category that should be understood as consisting of companies, whether national or transnational, not owned or operated by Governments. Private corporations have allegedly been impeding the activities of defenders working, inter alia, on labour rights, the exploitation of natural resources, the rights of indigenous peoples and minorities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Environment
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Environmental human rights defenders 2016, para. 90
- Paragraph text
- International financial institutions such as the World Bank Group can play an active role in influencing actors in the public and private sectors to respect the rights of environmental human rights defenders, to act with transparency and accountability for their actions and to seek the meaningful participation and consultation of affected communities in their activities. The Special Rapporteur welcomes the reflection on the practice of the World Bank by its Inspection Panel and looks forward to upcoming publications on the lessons emerging in a number of domains of the Bank's activities, including environmental assessment and indigenous peoples and the requirements for consultation, participation and disclosure of information. He advocates the adoption of concrete policies and measures to prevent and address acts of reprisals against environmental human rights defenders for their cooperation with international financial institutions.
- 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
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Environmental human rights defenders 2016, para. 79
- Paragraph text
- Similarly, it is important for different branches of Government beyond traditional units responsible for law enforcement to recognize the role of environmental human rights defenders in environmental protection. State entities responsible for other activities, including for the environment, resource development and indigenous peoples, must also be involved in the protection of the environment and environmental human rights defenders. States are encouraged to integrate a human rights-based approach into the work of environmental protection agencies and other relevant institutions. It is important that such institutions be given the resources and support required for effective environmental governance.
- 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
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Environmental human rights defenders 2016, para. 72
- Paragraph text
- As mentioned above, one of the root causes of abuses suffered by environmental human rights defenders is the lack of legal recognition of land rights, in particular for indigenous communities and those affected by post-colonialism, conflict and other causes of forced displacement. States should enact laws that recognize the rights of such individuals and communities. Conversely, States need to review and repeal laws that facilitate the exploitation of natural resources, thereby threatening the rights of those affected.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Environmental human rights defenders 2016, para. 68
- Paragraph text
- State and non-State actors should obtain the free, prior and informed consent of indigenous communities affected by activities on lands that they own, occupy or use (ibid.). The Special Rapporteur recognizes that there is an ongoing debate about what constitutes such consent and whether it has been fulfilled in particular cases. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples provides guidance on the application of this principle to indigenous peoples. However, further discussion and the setting of international standards on the nature and application of this principle to indigenous peoples and other communities is necessary, coupled with a renewed emphasis on its implementation through monitoring and support to environmental human rights defenders.
- 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
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Environmental human rights defenders 2016, para. 63
- Paragraph text
- Networks - local, regional and international - can effectively support individual environmental human rights defenders and communities at risk. They allow good practices to be shared, demonstrate solidarity and muster resources, and facilitate access to safe havens for defenders under threat. Networks can take a variety of forms, ranging from informal ad hoc associations to international confederations of organizations, to global networks of defenders working on similar issues. Given the nature of the work of environmental human rights defenders, there is a pressing need to develop networks that bring together the overlapping constituencies involved in environmental justice, including environmentalists, conservationists, indigenous communities and the human rights movement.
- 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
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Environmental human rights defenders 2016, para. 56
- Paragraph text
- Indigenous communities also face multiple forms of aggression and violence. In specific situations, oppression against them is encouraged by institutionalized racism and stigmatization that deny the rights of these communities. Private actors such as agribusinesses and extractive industries as well as law enforcement agencies have been regularly observed to commit violations against environmental human rights defenders from indigenous communities. National development strategies often fail to include specific approaches and processes for indigenous communities that would ensure the conservation of their ancestral lands and recognize their rights to their livelihoods and environment. Linguistic barriers, countless obstacles to accessing basic social services and the imposition of unfavourable models of consultation aggravate the vulnerability of indigenous environmental human rights defenders.
- 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
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Environmental human rights defenders 2016, para. 55
- Paragraph text
- Furthermore, women environmental human rights defenders face a number of challenges, including those related to exclusion from participation in the negotiation and decision-making processes; criminalization used as a political strategy to deter resistance and delegitimize their work; smear campaigns against them in the media; and discrimination and violence against them in their families, communities and human rights movements. Women rights defenders from indigenous communities, with ethnic or racial minority origins or with disabilities can also suffer multiple discrimination. Gender, indigenous status, rural location and other factors can intersect to isolate individuals, groups and communities.
- 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
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Environmental human rights defenders 2016, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- Many of these communities, particularly indigenous ones, hold the right to free, prior and informed consent, and all of them have the right to participate fully in consultations around proposed projects that may affect their lands and livelihoods. Despite their recognition in various international, regional and domestic laws, those rights are often not meaningfully implemented, or are simply ignored by companies, with the complicity of Governments. Some Governments strategically choose to deny the rights to peoples that have not been "officially" identified as indigenous. The consultation processes also regularly fail to address power inequalities within communities, leaving isolated such groups as women or ethnic groups owing to one-size-fits-all approaches.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Environment
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Environmental human rights defenders 2016, para. 31
- Paragraph text
- Reports also indicate that most individuals and groups facing threats are those who oppose land grabbing, extractive industries, the industrial timber trade and large-scale development projects. Indigenous communities and ethnic and racial minorities are particularly vulnerable (see A/HRC/24/41 and A/71/291). They are the most affected because the resources exploited are usually located in their lands; they lack legal protection while exerting strong and vocal opposition; many indigenous communities do not hold formal title over the land they inhabit; and their access to justice is limited.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Economic Rights
- Environment
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Environmental human rights defenders 2016, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- Both reports, collaborated by numerous others, indicate that the large majority of assassinations occurred in the countries of the global South, especially in Latin America and Asia. This is not to deny serious allegations of abuses of environmental human rights defenders in the global North countries, including harassment and strategic lawsuits against public participation that occur with State complicity, or at least disregard. Killings of environmental human rights defenders amounted to 67 per cent of all reported murders of defenders in Asia and 41 per cent of those reported in Central and South America. In 2014, three quarters of the 116 cases of killings of environmental human rights defenders in 17 countries - on average more than two victims per week - took place in Central and South America, with South-East Asia the second most-affected region. The spike in killings was related to large-scale hydropower projects, where dams were built in countries with weak legal regimes, repressive Governments and rampant corruption, and on lands belonging to indigenous and ethnic minority peoples.
- 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
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Environmental human rights defenders 2016, para. 27
- Paragraph text
- Despite the complexity of quantifying the whole situation, there have been rapid strides in exposing the true picture of attacks against environmental human rights defenders. One revealing report documented the unprecedented 185 killings of environmental human rights defenders across 16 countries in 2015. The 59 per cent increase from 2014 meant that more than three defenders were murdered, on average, every week in the course of 2015. The sectors of mining and extractive industries (42 killings), agribusiness (20), hydroelectric dams and water rights (15) and logging (15) were major drivers of the murders. According to another report, the largest single group, constituting 45 per cent of the documented 156 defenders killed in 25 countries in 2015, were related to the defence of environmental, land and indigenous peoples' rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Environmental human rights defenders 2016, para. 17
- Paragraph text
- In his 2013 report, the Independent Expert on the issue of human rights obligations relating to the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment (A/25/53) outlined human rights obligations relating to the environment drawn from international agreements and the bodies charged with interpreting them. The threefold duties include: (a) procedural obligations of States to assess environmental impacts on human rights and to make environmental information public; to facilitate participation in environmental decision-making; and to provide access to remedies for environmental harm; (b) substantive obligations of States to adopt legal and institutional frameworks that protect against environmental harm, including harm caused by private actors; and (c) non-discrimination and other obligations of States relating to the protection of groups in vulnerable situations, including women, children and indigenous peoples.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Environmental human rights defenders 2016, para. 8
- Paragraph text
- Environmental human rights defenders are identified above all by what they do. They are characterized as such through their actions to protect environmental and land rights. Although they may work as journalists, activists or lawyers who expose and oppose environmental destruction or land grabbing, they are often ordinary people living in remote villages, forests or mountains, who may not even be aware that they are acting as environmental human rights defenders. In many other cases, they are indigenous leaders or community members who defend their traditional lands against the harms of large-scale projects such as mining and dams.
- 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
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Global trends in risks and threats facing human rights defenders 2015, para. 56
- Paragraph text
- During each regional consultation, discussions were held about the threats and challenges faced by certain specific groups of defenders. As requested on several occasions by the Human Rights Council (in its resolutions 13/3, 22/6 and 24/24), strategies and actions for providing them with better protection were also examined. Some defenders face threats purely because of their identity (for example, women, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex persons, members of indigenous peoples, or defenders of persons suffering from albinism), others because of the issues they address (combating corruption, protecting the environment), or due to a particularly sensitive context (defenders working in conflict or post-conflict areas).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Ethnic minorities
- LGBTQI+
- Women
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Global trends in risks and threats facing human rights defenders 2015, para. 38
- Paragraph text
- Finally, exacerbating these difficulties is the fact that the attacks and threats against defenders are perpetrated not just by States, but by non-State actors as well. This applies particularly to countries in which one notes a surge in religious fundamentalism (especially in North America, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East) or the presence of armed or low intensity conflicts (in the Middle East, Africa and certain countries in Asia); or even to development projects in which certain economic actors attempt to impose their interests - sometimes with explicit support from governments - to the detriment of observance of human rights. The defenders point to numerous pressures from these different actors in respect of actions to promote economic, social and cultural rights (sexual and reproductive rights, labour rights, the rights of indigenous peoples, and the right to natural resources and the environment).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Environment
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Large-scale development project and human rights defenders 2013, para. 57
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples has dedicated three reports (A/HRC/18/35, A/HRC/21/47 and A/HRC/24/41) to the impact of extractive industries on indigenous territories where mining, forestry, oil and natural gas extraction and hydroelectric projects have affected the lives of indigenous communities. The Special Rapporteur underlined reports of an escalation of violence by Governments and private security forces as a consequence of extractive operations in indigenous territories, especially against indigenous leaders, and of a general repression of human rights in situations where entire communities had voiced their opposition to extractive operations (A/HRC/18/35, para. 38). He pointed to a lack of operative consensus about the extent and means of realization of the State's duties with regard to resource extraction and development projects and a lack of a minimum common ground for understanding the key issues by all actors concerned (A/HRC/18/35, paras. 62 and 66).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Environment
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Large-scale development project and human rights defenders 2013, para. 55
- Paragraph text
- Country visits undertaken by the Special Rapporteur since 2007 have shed light on the high risks faced by human rights defenders involved in large-scale development projects. When she visited Honduras in 2012, the Special Rapporteur expressed concern about the reports and testimonies she had received of violations and abuses committed against defenders working for the rights of indigenous and other local communities by law enforcement authorities, often in collusion with private security firms hired by the corporate sector. While recognizing the legitimate right of the Government to promote private investment, the Special Rapporteur expressed concern about the "state of fear" affecting defenders working on environment-related issues and opposing projects by private companies or the State, in particular in the construction of dams and in the mining and tourism sectors.
- 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
- 2013
- 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
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. 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. 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. 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
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. 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
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