Anjali Sharma
GG News Bureau
UNITED NATIONS, 15th March. UN Special Rapporteur Mary Lawlor on Wednesday said that many countries “vilify and target” human rights defenders instead of recognizing the crucial work they do to help build fairer societies.
Mary Lawlor, in a report to the Human Rights Council said that “States can and should do more to protect defenders”.
She stressed that 25 years after States agreed on a Declaration to promote and protect the work of human rights defenders, their contributions were often ignored
She reminded the Council that in 1998, the Declaration on human rights defenders was adopted by consensus and they had all “agreed to respect and implement it”.
Ms. Lawlor highlighted the challenging circumstances in which human rights defenders operated worldwide:
“It is exactly because defenders peacefully confront powerful vested interests, because they expose corruption, because they refuse to accept injustice, because they challenge criminal gangs, because they talk about issues governments want to hide, because they tell the truth, and because they make good things happen, that they are attacked.”
The report included detail on some of the successes achieved by human rights defenders worldwide, including changing laws, getting people released from prison following miscarriages of justice, providing humanitarian aid, and exposing corruption.
It showed that for some human rights defenders, just continuing their work under immense pressure is in itself a significant achievement, Ms. Lawlor said.
The report noted that victories for human rights secured by defenders, rarely happen overnight but are often the result of long struggles requiring perseverance and the help of networks and other allies.
Ms. Lawlor said “Ignoring or underplaying the vital contribution of human rights defenders increases the risks to them and their work,”.
“This anniversary year of the Declaration should be one of celebration and recognition of the successes of defenders, one of not just recommitting to help them, but of showing in practical terms what that help should be,” she said.
It included practical recommendations for States, based on consultations with defenders, NGOs, academic experts and government officials, on how to better support the work of defenders.
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