14.11.14
Statements
Press release - “Inter-mechanisms 5.1”: enhanced cooperation will lead to better protection of human rights defenders
Paris-Geneva,November 14, 2014 - On November 12 and 13, 2014, the United Nations (UN)Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders Michel Forst metwith representatives of regional human rights defenders' mechanisms, in theframework of the first part of the fifth “inter-mechanisms” meeting. Enhancingcooperation between the UN mechanism and its regional counterparts was definedas a priority by the UN Special Rapporteur in his first report to the UNGeneral Assembly in October 2014.
The“inter-mechanisms meeting 5.1” gathered representatives from the UN, theInternational Organisation of “La Francophonie” (OIF), the African Commissionon Human and Peoples Rights, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, theOffice of the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, theOSCE/ODIHR, the European Union, as well as international NGOs. It was hosted bythe OIF headquarters in Paris, and was facilitated by the Observatory for theProtection of Human Rights Defenders (FIDH-OMCT joint programme).
Participantsreflected on ways to enhance cooperation, if not articulation, in processingsubmissions and public statements about human rights defenders' violations, andin enhancing the follow-up of individual communications and recommendationsfrom country visits. They further discussed best practices and strategies totackle the issue of arbitrary detention, particularly on emblematic cases.
The meetingalso allowed for an exchange on the definition of reprisals and impunity, howthey relate to each other, and how tackling impunity through accountabilitywould ultimately mitigate the root-cause of reprisals.
Finally,participants had a discussion on the issue of NGO funding, including foreignfunding, as well as on the protection of land rights defenders, echoing thetopics of the 2013 and 2014 Annual Reports of the Observatory.
Thismeeting aimed to prepare an “inter-mechanisms meeting 5.2”, gatheringmandate-holders themselves, which the Observatory will organise during thefirst quarter of 2015 at the OIF headquarters. Last but not least, FIDH andOMCT were invited by the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights of theCouncil of Europe to hold the sixth meeting in Strasbourg, and a future meetingin Warsaw, by ODIHR.
The“inter-mechanisms meeting 5.1” gathered representatives from the UN, theInternational Organisation of “La Francophonie” (OIF), the African Commissionon Human and Peoples Rights, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, theOffice of the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, theOSCE/ODIHR, the European Union, as well as international NGOs. It was hosted bythe OIF headquarters in Paris, and was facilitated by the Observatory for theProtection of Human Rights Defenders (FIDH-OMCT joint programme).
Participantsreflected on ways to enhance cooperation, if not articulation, in processingsubmissions and public statements about human rights defenders' violations, andin enhancing the follow-up of individual communications and recommendationsfrom country visits. They further discussed best practices and strategies totackle the issue of arbitrary detention, particularly on emblematic cases.
The meetingalso allowed for an exchange on the definition of reprisals and impunity, howthey relate to each other, and how tackling impunity through accountabilitywould ultimately mitigate the root-cause of reprisals.
Finally,participants had a discussion on the issue of NGO funding, including foreignfunding, as well as on the protection of land rights defenders, echoing thetopics of the 2013 and 2014 Annual Reports of the Observatory.
Thismeeting aimed to prepare an “inter-mechanisms meeting 5.2”, gatheringmandate-holders themselves, which the Observatory will organise during thefirst quarter of 2015 at the OIF headquarters. Last but not least, FIDH andOMCT were invited by the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights of theCouncil of Europe to hold the sixth meeting in Strasbourg, and a future meetingin Warsaw, by ODIHR.
