Side Event at HRC29: Attacks and Reprisals against Defenders: Enhancing Accountability for Violations

Organizer: OMCT-FIDH (within the framework of the Observatoryfor the Protection of Human Rights Defenders) / OHCHR

Co-sponsor: ISHR

Dateand time: Tuesday 16June 2015, 16:00-17:30, room XXII, Palais des Nations(Geneva)

Chair/Moderation:

· Mr. Antoine Madelin, Director of International Advocacy, FIDH

PanelSpeakers:

· Mr. Michel Forst, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rightsdefenders

· Mrs. Reine Alapini Gansou, Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defendersof the African Commission on Human and People's Rights

· Mr. José de Jesus Orozco, Rapporteur on the Rights of HumanRights Defenders at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights

With theparticipation of :

· Ms. Katarzyna Jarosiewicz-Wargan, Headof Human Rights Department, OSCE/ODIHR

· Ms. Christine Mardirossian, Office ofthe Commissioner for Human Rights, CoE

· Mr. Michel Carrié, Salvatore Sagues,Direction de la paix, de la démocratie et des DH, OIF

Concludingremarks:

· Mr. Gerald Staberock,Secretary General, OMCT

Objectives:

· Promote and reinforce international and regional mechanisms aimed atprotecting defenders

· Strengthen the cooperation between international and regional mechanismsfor the protection of human rights defenders to tackle impunity throughaccountability, in order to ultimately mitigate the root-cause of reprisals

· Explore avenues for agreater efficiency in the protection of human rights defenders

· Share good practices andelaborate on the role of mandate-holders in the development of good practices tosystematically address impunity

Keymessages:

Respect for theactivities of human rights defenders is essential to the overall enjoyment ofhuman rights. In many parts of the world however, defending human rights can bea high-risk activity. In many countries, the violations faced by human rightsdefenders remain largely unpunished. Some categories of defenders areparticularly at risk: the 2014 Annual Report of the Observatory for theProtection of Human Rights Defenders (FIDH-OMCT) showed that nearly 95% ofviolations against land rights defenders remain unpunished throughout theworld.

How canmechanisms react in a more systematic way to break the vicious circle ofimpunity? Are coordinated / joint actions possible to tackle impunity, in orderto ultimately mitigate the root-cause of reprisals?

Attacks

The seriousnature of the risks human rights defenders face is of particular concern.Attacks against them often take a variety of forms: killings, threats, smearcampaigns, arbitrary arrest and detention, judicial harassment,intimidations... One of the major concerns in relation to violations againstdefenders is the lack of accountability. In many countries, impunity forattacks against human rights defenders persists, which has a negative impact ontheir work and safety. The fight against impunity and access to justice forviolations against defenders are therefore essential conditions for ensuring asafe and enabling environment for human rights defenders.

Reprisals

Human rightsdefenders provide an invaluable source of information to international bodieson emerging human rights problems, and collaboration between civil society andthe UN and regional human rights mechanisms is vital to their work. The UN, theACHPR and the IACHR all have normative agreements and rules of procedureexplicitly prohibiting acts of reprisals by States and non-State actors. Defendersnevertheless continue to face great risks when trying to engage with the United Nations, itsmechanisms and representatives in the field of human rights, and/or theregional human rights system. Reprisals or the threat ofreprisals can take very sophisticated forms and States are becomingincreasingly aware of the ability of reprisals to prevent human rightsdefenders from speaking out. It is crucial that acts of reprisals are promptly investigated, perpetrators brought tojustice, and victims be provided an effective remedy. Such steps towards thefight against impunity and towards full accountability for reprisals mayfurther constitute an important preventive measure and should be combined withother measures facilitating civil society's safe and unimpeded access to the UNand the regional human rights institutions.

In light of these concerns, this side-event seeks to explore avenues to strengthen the cooperationbetween international and regional mechanisms for the protection of humanrights defenders, to ensure they respond to attacks and reprisals in asystematic and coordinated manner, and to break the vicious circle of impunityand enhance accountability for violations.

Participants: The side event is public and opento all permanent missions of states members and observers to the Human RightsCouncil, as well as to civil society

Interpretation:

· Fr → En

· En → Fr

· Fr → Es

· Es → Fr

- Refreshmentswill be served