7th session of the UN Human Rights Council: Joint NGO Statement to the Human Rights Council on the Review of the Mandate of the Special Representative of the Secretary General on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders

Review of the Mandate of the Special Representative of the Secretary General on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders

Mr. President,

Human Rights First presents this statement on behalf of eight international human rights organizations.

The Special Representative on Human Rights Defenders is a vital mandate that offers substantial and important protection to human rights defenders around the world. The Special Representative’s work has frequently led to the release of defenders from prison or the curtailment of attacks against them. One human rights defender spoke for many when they said, “the immediate intervention of the Special Representative on Human Rights Defenders after my arrest … reminded the authorities that their practices were under close scrutiny and certainly deterred them from going too far in their persecution”.

The mandate is unique among the Special Procedures because it not only ensures the protection of the defender and the protection of their right to defend human rights but also more broadly promotes the existence of favorable conditions for human rights activities. Another distinctive feature of the mandate is that it assists in the implementation of the UN Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (UN Human Rights Defenders Declaration). Given the cross-cutting nature of the mandate it is appropriate that it bear the title of Special Representative of the Secretary-General.

Human Rights First pays tribute to the caliber of work of the current and founding Special Representative, Hina Jilani. Through her reports, country missions and recommendations, Ms. Jilani has improved the lives of human rights defenders in many countries. By analyzing the information she has received, the Special Representative has been able to distill common trends and patterns of attacks against human rights defenders in countries and regions and to identify remedial recommendations that, if effectively implemented, would protect human rights defenders and promote their work. She has provided a focal point for the efforts of the United Nations to protect human rights defenders.

We also welcome the focus of the Special Representative on the situation of women human rights defenders and the creation of indicators for assessing the situation of women human rights defenders as set out in the report before the Council.

The review of the mandate offers an important opportunity for the Human Rights Council to affirm its strong commitment to the protection of human rights defenders. This is particularly timely as 2008 marks the 10th anniversary of the Human Rights Defenders Declaration.

We call on the Human Rights Council to:

Renew, in its current form, the mandate of the Special Representative of the Secretary General, while making clear the importance of a gender perspective in the carrying out of the mandate;

Urge states to fully cooperate with the Special Representative, especially by implementing her recommendations, improving their follow-up and the quality of responses sent to the Special Representative.

Co-sponsoring Organizations:

• Human Rights First
  
• Amnesty International
  
• International Service for Human rights
  
• Front Line
  
• The World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), in the framework of their joint programme, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders
  
• Forum Asia
  
• Human Rights Watch