A Human Rights Defenders Agenda for the next United Nations Secretary-General

07 Jun 2016

Human rights stand, alongside development and peace and security, as one of three pillars of the UN's work. Human rights defenders, being essential actors in the promotion and protection of human rights and the prevention of violations, should be at the core of this work. Despite this, in all regions of the world, human rights defenders face unacceptable restrictions and risks – from defamation to criminalisation, and from arbitrary detention to torture.

The next Secretary-General of the UN must urgently deal with the need to better promote and protect human rights defenders, and ensure that they can carry out their work in a safe and enabling environment. It is crucial that the new Secretary-General places human rights defenders at the heart of the UN's agenda.
The undersigned NGOs urge the next Secretary-General to embrace the following key priorities:
• Uphold the moral authority and values of the UN by speaking out strongly and consistently against attacks on defenders and restrictions on civil society space and in support of vibrant, independent civil society at the UN and at the national level. Such statements are important to show solidarity with defenders, and increase public awareness and support for their work.
• Recognise the vital role of defenders in contributing to progress on the Sustainable Development Goals and support the inclusion of human rights defenders indicators under Goal 5 on gender equality, Goal 8 on inclusive growth and decent work, Goal 10 on reduced inequality and Goal 16 on access to justice.
• Ensure that all UN staff, particularly senior staff such as resident coordinators, understand and champion the legitimate and important work of human rights defenders and provide all necessary protection and support to defenders at risk.
• Recognise that the work of human rights defenders is essential to international peace and security and that widespread and systematic attacks and restrictions on defenders may undermine international peace and security.
• Recognise that systematic attacks and restrictions on human rights defenders may be an early warning sign of more widespread gross and systematic violations and take steps to promote prevention when such signs arise, including by bringing such situations to the attention of the Security Council through Article 99 of the UN Charter.
• Designate a civil society liaison at the most senior level at the UN.
• Develop and implement strategies to ensure that human rights defenders and other civil society actors are engaged, consulted and able to meaningfully participate in and contribute to the design, implementation and evaluation of all relevant UN programmes and activities.
• Ensure that the Secretariat, including the Secretariat of the ECOSOC Committee on NGOs, takes all possible steps to support and enable civil society participation in UN bodies and processes and consistently upholds the rights to freedom of expression and association.
• Implement Human Rights Council resolution 24/24 without further delay by appointing a UN-wide senior focal point to engage with all stakeholders to promote the prevention of, protection against, and accountability for reprisals and intimidation related to cooperation with the UN in the field of human rights.

Signatories:

  1. Acción Solidaria on HIV/Aids
  2. ActionAid International
  3. Al Khatim Adlan Centre for Enlightenment & Human Development (KACE)
  4. Albanian Helsinki Committee
  5. Alkarama Foundation
  6. Alliance for Democracy in Laos
  7. Amnesty International
  8. Anti-discrimination Centre Memorial
  9. Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development ( FORUM-ASIA )
  10. Association Intrenationale de Soutien aux Prisonniers Politiques
  11. Association of World Citizens
  12. Bahrain youth society for Human Rights
  13. Center for Inquiry
  14. Center for Reproductive Rights
  15. Centre d'études juridiques africaines (CEJA)
  16. Centro Justicia y Paz - CEPAZ
  17. Child Rights International Network (CRIN)
  18. CIVICUS
  19. CIVILIS Human Rights
  20. CODEVIDA, Coalition of organizations for the rights to health and to life
  21. Comisión Mexicana de Defensa y Promoción de los Derechos Humanos
  22. Comité de Defensa Integral de Derechos Humanos Gobixha A.C. (CODIGO DH)
  23. Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (South Sudan)
  24. Community Legal Education Center (CLEC)
  25. DefendDefenders (East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project)
  26. Dimension Humaine
  27. End Impunity Organization
  28. European Centre for Democracy and Human Rights
  29. Federación Nacional de Sociedades de Padres y Representantes
  30. Federatie van Nederlandse Verenigingen tot Integratie Van Homoseksualiteit - COC Nederland
  31. FIDH (International Federation for Human Rights)
  32. Franciscans International
  33. Freedom Now
  34. Frente de Mujeres Defensoras de la Pachama - Ecuador
  35. Function 8
  36. Geneva for Human Rights - Global Training
  37. Global Human Rights Clinic
  38. Green Advocates
  39. Gulf Centre for Human Rights
  40. Hawaii Institute for Human Rights
  41. Human Rights House Foundation - Geneva
  42. Human Rights Watch
  43. Initiatives of Change international, Caux
  44. International Centre for Justice and Human Rights
  45. International Commission Of Jurists
  46. International Humanist and Ethical Union
  47. International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA)
  48. International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR)
  49. International Platform against Impunity
  50. International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)
  51. International Women’s Rights Action Watch – Asia Pacific
  52. International Women's Rights Action Watch
  53. International Youth Human Rights Movement (YHRM)
  54. Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights
  55. Justice and Peace Netherlands
  56. Justice for All/Burma Task Force
  57. Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law
  58. Legal and Human Rights Centre
  59. Nazra for Feminist Studies
  60. Nonviolent Peaceforce
  61. OutRight
  62. Oyu Tolgoi Watch
  63. Peace Brigades International
  64. Polish Institute for Human Rights and Business
  65. Robinson Community Development Ministries/International Full Gospel Fellowship
  66. Shia Rights Watch Inc
  67. Society for Threatened Peoples
  68. The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights
  69. Think Centre
  70. Unidad de Protección a Defensoras y Defensores de Derechos Humanos - Guatemala
  71. Union Latinoamericana de Mujeres - ULAM
  72. Unión Patriótica de Cuba
  73. Urgent Action Fund for Women's Human Rights
  74. Vivat International
  75. Witness
  76. Woman and Development
  77. World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) - in the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders
  78. World Uyghur Congress
  79. Yemen Organization For Defending Rights & Democratic Freedoms
  80. Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights