Promotion and protection of human rights – Human rights defenders – Special Rapporteur report (excerpts)

PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS:

HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS

Report submitted by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General

on human rights defenders, Hina Jilani

Summary

This is the sixth and final report by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on human rights defenders, Hina Jilani, submitted pursuant to Commission on Human Rights resolutions 2000/61 and 2003/64.  The report reviews the six years of implementation of the mandate entrusted to her.

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Introduction

1. The present report is the sixth submitted to the Commission by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on human rights defenders, pursuant to Commission on Human Rights resolutions 2000/61 and 2003/64.  The report reviews the six years of implementation of the mandate entrusted to her.  Section I presents an account of the activities undertaken by the mandate holder in the past year.  In section II the Special Representative describes the development and implementation of the mandate since its creation in 2000.  In section III she examines the key developments and major constraints in the implementation of the declaration and the protection of human rights defenders over the past six years.  In section V, the Special Representative reiterates a series of cornerstone recommendations for effective implementation of the Declaration and optimal protection of the work and security of human rights defenders.

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I.  ACTIVITIES DURING THE PERIOD UNDER REVIEW

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B.  Country visits

3. During the reporting period the Special Representative visited Nigeria (3-12 May 2005), Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (5-11 October 2005), and Brazil (5-20 December 2005).  Separate reports on the two earlier visits have been submitted to the current session of the Commission as addenda to the present document.

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E.  Efforts for creating protection strategies

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38. Official country visits have also provided an opportunity for protection.  During her tenure, the Special Representative conducted 10 fact-finding missions in the following countries:  Kyrgyzstan, Colombia, Guatemala, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Thailand, Angola, Turkey, Nigeria, Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, and Brazil.

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C.  The United Nations system

69. In countries where human rights defenders cannot operate and are largely silent, United Nations agencies become the only bodies which can raise human rights concerns.  By the nature of their work and their commitment, many United Nations staff are themselves human rights defenders.  Throughout her mandate, the Special Representative has raised an increasing number of cases of United Nations staff who have suffered serious harm in the fulfilment of their functions related to the promotion or protection of human rights.  (including in Afghanistan, Côte d’Ivoire and Palestine).

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