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Category: Geneva

  • US, China in for protracted trade talks, warn experts ahead of crucial Geneva meet

    U.S. and Chinese officials will hold high-level talks in Switzerland this weekend, a first step toward easing trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies over tariffs but experts did not expect immediate breakthroughs.

    Analysts said Wednesday the talks were a necessary step towards de-escalating tensions amid the ongoing trade war, but negotiations to resolve differences between the two countries may be protracted.

    U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will meet Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Geneva, the first official engagement between the two countries since U.S. President Donald Trump increased tariffs on imports from China to as much as 145%.

    “De-escalating won’t be simple. It’s much easier to ratchet up restrictions versus lifting them,” said Wendy Cutler, vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute.

    “Expectations should be modest for this meeting. It is a first step in a potentially longer process, which is complicated by a lack of trust and diametrically opposing views on how trade is conducted between the two largest economies,” Cutler told Radio Free Asia.

    Chinese scholar Zhang Li agreed. He expects China and the U.S. to engage in protracted negotiations on a range of issues, including tariffs imposed by both nations, smuggling of the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl into the U.S., and other trade imbalances.

    “Such protracted negotiations may last throughout the entire term of the Trump administration, resulting in a continuous trade war between China and the U.S., which is also a feature of the new Cold War between China and the U.S.,” Zhang told RFA.

    Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks in the Oval Office of the White House, Feb. 3, 2025, in Washington.
    Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks in the Oval Office of the White House, Feb. 3, 2025, in Washington.
    (Evan Vucci/AP)

    In 2024, China’s total manufacturing output reached 40.5 trillion yuan (US$5.65 trillion). Foreign trade volume – exports and imports – was 43.85 trillion yuan (US$6.1 trillion), of which exports accounted for 25.45 trillion yuan (US$3.49 trillion).

    In March, Chinese imports to the U.S. were the lowest in five years, according to data released by the U.S. Commerce Department. U.S. trade deficit widened to a record $140.5 billion in the month, with imports from at least 10 countries, including Vietnam and Mexico, at record levels.

    Trump – who on Wednesday held a swearing-in ceremony at the Oval Office for the new U.S. ambassador to China, David Perdue – said he was not open to lowering the 145% import duties on Chinese goods.

    His comments came a day after Bessent, in an interview on Fox News, said the current tariffs imposed are unsustainable and that both sides had a “shared interest” in talks.

    “We don’t want to decouple. What we want is fair trade,” Bessent said. He stressed that “de-escalation” will be the focus, instead of a “big trade deal.”

    Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng speaks at the 11th China-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue in Beijing, Jan. 11, 2025.
    Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng speaks at the 11th China-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue in Beijing, Jan. 11, 2025.
    (Aaron Favila/AP)

    China on Wednesday said the U.S. has repeatedly indicated in the recent past that it wants to negotiate and that the upcoming meeting had been requested by the U.S.

    “China firmly opposes the U.S.’s tariff hikes. This position remains unchanged,” Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said at a media briefing.

    “Meanwhile, as we’ve stressed many times before, China is open to dialogue, but any dialogue must be based on equality, respect and mutual benefit,” Lin said.

    Washington and Beijing have been engaged in a tit-for-tat increase in tariffs ever since Trump imposed a 10% tariff on China on Feb. 4, citing its role in the trade in fentanyl, a deadly opioid that has become a major cause of death in America.

    China, in turn, hit back with a 15% tariff on U.S. coal and liquefied natural gas, and a 10% on crude oil, large cars, and agricultural machinery, prompting Trump to raise China tariffs further by 10% to a total 20%, followed by several more increases until eventually settling at 145%.

    In China, the steep U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods have triggered a wave of factory closures in major export hubs in the country, with sources telling RFA that there is a prevailing sense of helplessness among the general public, given little consumer activity and a rise in protests by unpaid workers.

    Edited by Tenzin Pema and Mat Pennington.


    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Qian Lang and Chen Meihua for RFA Mandarin.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • China’s tactics to block voices of human rights defenders at the UN – major report

    In a new report, ISHR analyses China’s tactics to restrict access for independent civil society actors in UN human rights bodies. The report provides an analysis of China’s membership of the UN Committee on NGOs, the growing presence of Chinese Government-Organised NGOs (GONGOs), and patterns of intimidation and reprisals by the Chinese government.

    In the report, published on 28 April 2025 the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) uncovers the tactics deployed by the Chinese government to restrict access to UN human rights bodies to independent civil society actors and human rights defenders, and intimidate and retaliate against those who do so.  

    These tactics include using its membership of the UN Committee on NGOs to systematically defer NGO applications, increasing the presence of GONGOs to limit space for independent NGOs and advance pro-government narratives, systematically committing acts of intimidation and reprisals against those seeking to cooperate with the UN, weaponising procedural tactics to silence NGO speakers and threatening diplomats not to meet with them, and opposing reform initiatives and efforts at norm-setting on safe and unhindered civil society participation at the Human Rights Council. 

    These tactics strongly contrast China’s stated commitment to being a reliable multilateral leader. They stem from the Chinese Party-State’s primary foreign policy objective of shielding itself from human rights criticism and enhancing its international image by restricting and deterring critical civil society voices, crowding out civil society space with GONGOs, and stalling and diverting reform initiatives. 

    While China is the focus of this report, the issues addressed are systemic. Based on this report’s findings, ISHR puts forward a set of targeted recommendations to UN bodies and Member States, aimed at protecting civil society space from interference and restrictions. The recommendations are designed to strengthen UN processes and prevent any State from manipulating international mechanisms to suppress independent voices. These include: 

    • Reforming the Committee on NGOs to increase transparency, limit abuse of deferrals, and ensure fair access to UN bodies for independent NGOs;
    • Strengthening protection mechanisms against reprisals, including rapid response to incidents inside UN premises, public accountability for perpetrators, and consistent long-term follow-up on unresolved cases; 
    • Curbing the influence of GONGOs by distinguishing clearly between independent and State-organised NGOs, and better documenting their presence and impact; and, 
    • Strengthening measures at the Human Rights Council and other UN bodies to make civil society participation safer, more inclusive, and less vulnerable to obstruction

    The report has been featured prominently in a global investigation by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) launched on 28 April 2025.

    See also the earlier report in February 2023: https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2023/02/08/ngo-report-on-chinas-influencing-of-un-human-rights-bodies/

    https://ishr.ch/defenders-toolbox/resources/un-access-china-report

  • Strange case of inter-arab feud by using HRDs in Geneva

    Watan News on 30 March 2025 came with a rather remarkable story about the UAE’s covert efforts to damage Qatar and Saudi Arabia’s reputations through paid campaigns using African NGOs Human rights sources in Geneva. Whether this is all true or not I cannot say, but it is worth reporting on.

    Watan writes that “human rights circles in Geneva’ have revealed the United Arab Emirates’ involvement in leading coordinated incitement campaigns against its adversaries, using African organizations in exchange for financial bribes to attack Abu Dhabi’s opponents and whitewash its own dire human rights record. According to the source, Abu Dhabi’s campaign aims to bring in so-called “victims,” such as migrant workers, to testify before the UN Human Rights Council in an effort to damage Qatar’s international reputation.

    Reliable reports indicate that the UAE has continuously funded this campaign over the past three years. Several human rights organizations and active institutions in Geneva have reportedly received large sums of money to support anti-Qatar activities. The funds are reportedly channeled through the UAE Embassy in Geneva and a key intermediary, Issa Al-Arabi, a Bahraini national who acts as a liaison for the UAE in supporting various rights groups at the UN.

    According to the source, the campaign is being executed by the Rencontre Africaine pour la Défense des Droits de l’Homme (African Meeting for the Defense of Human Rights) under the leadership of Nishkarsh Singh, along with the Tomoko Development and Cultural Union (TACUDU) led by Fazal-ur-Rehman, and the International Network for Human Rights (INHR).

    Another UN source said that the UAE’s campaign is coordinated by key figures within the diplomatic and human rights community in Geneva and Washington, primarily operating within the INHR network.

    This organization plays a major role in organizing human rights events at the UN, with a team of participating legal and diplomatic experts.

    Notable individuals involved include:

    • Biro Diawara – A veteran human rights activist in Geneva for over 20 years, representing African civil society including journalists, parliamentarians, religious leaders, and human rights defenders. He has strong ties to African delegations in New York, Geneva, and the continent, with a focus on Sudan, West Africa, and his native Guinea.
    • Clément N. Voule – Former UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association. After completing his term in the summer of 2024, he joined the Geneva Human Rights Institute in September. A Togolese international lawyer, he specializes in human rights and security sector reform and holds multiple roles within Geneva’s human rights community.
    • Jane Galvão – Director of Resource Mobilization at INHR and Global Health Advisor. With over 20 years of experience managing health programs, she has worked on infectious diseases and women’s and children’s health, managing over $750 million in funding for organizations like UNITAID and WHO.
    • Eric N. Richardson – Founding President of INHR. A former U.S. diplomat and attorney, he led the U.S. team at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva from 2013 to 2016. With experience in countries like China, North Korea, Libya, Tunisia, New Zealand, and Israel, he now focuses on mediation efforts with Amnesty International and teaches law at the University of Michigan and UC Berkeley.
    • John Shyamana – Expert in Social and Economic Rights, New York. With over 30 years of experience, he specializes in child policy, labor rights, and social welfare, having worked with the U.S. Congress and state legislatures on legislative and advocacy efforts.
    • Kumar – Senior Human Rights Advisor, Washington D.C. Former Advocacy Director for Amnesty International USA. With more than two decades of experience, he has championed human rights and humanitarian causes worldwide, particularly in Asia, Afghanistan, and Myanmar.
    • Jeff Landsman – Managing Director and Treasurer at INHR. A certified financial planner and seasoned international buyer, he oversees the institute’s financial operations and strategic planning.
    • Asel Alimbayeva – Program Officer and Director, INHR Geneva. Fluent in English, French, Russian, and Kazakh. She has worked at the UN Office in Geneva and Kazakhstan’s Permanent Mission, leading social media and HR operations at the institute.
    • Pedro Cherinos Terrones – Legal Advisor, Lima. A Peruvian lawyer specializing in international trade, business law, human rights, and compliance with international law.
    • Sean Wessing – AI and Innovation Specialist, Bologna. Holds dual Master’s degrees from SAIS–Johns Hopkins and Bologna Business School. Leads fundraising and AI governance projects at INHR.
    • Zaf Haseem – Videographer and Reconciliation Specialist, Asia. A conflict mediator who has worked in Sri Lanka, Burma, Indonesia, and the Central African Republic, using film as a training tool for peacebuilding.

    UAE’s Smear Campaign Targeting Qatar and Saudi Arabia

    Diplomatic sources indicate that the UAE is recruiting African civil society organizations to conduct media and human rights attacks against Qatar. These efforts are expected to intensify during the UN Human Rights Council sessions in June and September 2025, with a major campaign planned for the September session. Additionally, the UAE is reportedly preparing similar activities within the African Union Commission, targeting both Qatar and Saudi Arabia as part of its escalating geopolitical rivalry in Africa.

    These developments underscore rising regional tensions in Africa, where the UAE is leveraging human rights tools and diplomatic influence to advance its political agenda.

    They also raise serious concerns about the independence of some Geneva-based human rights organizations, which are increasingly being used as instruments of political influence rather than neutral advocacy.

    https://www.watanserb.com/en/2025/03/30/uae-accused-of-funding-smear-campaigns-through-african-ngos/?amp=1

    This post was originally published on Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards.

  • Side event 7 March 2025 on Protection of defenders against technology-facilitated rights violations

    • Location: Physical
    • Date: 07 March 2025
    • Time: 1:00PM – 2:00PM CET
    • Address: Room XXV, Palais des Nations
    • Event language(s) English
    • RSVP Needed: no

    New and emerging technologies have become a fundamental tool for human rights defenders to conduct their activities, boost solidarity among movements and reach different audiences. Unfortunately, these positive aspects have been overshadowed by negative impacts on the enjoyment of human rights, including increased threats and risks for human rights defenders. While we see the increased negative impacts of new technologies, we do not see that governments are addressing these impacts comprehensively.

    Furthermore, States and their law enforcement agencies (often through the help of non-State actors, including business enterprises) often take down or censor the information shared by defenders on social media and other platforms. In other cases, we have seen that businesses are also complicit in attacks and violations against human right defenders.

    Conversely, lack of access to the internet and the digital gaps in many countries and regions, or affecting specific groups, limits the potential of digital technologies for activism and movement building, as well as access to information. 

    The Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted in 1998, does not consider these challenges, which have largely arisen with the rapid evolution of technology. In this context, and, as part of activities to mark the 25th anniversary of the UN Declaration on human rights defenders, a coalition of NGOs launched a consultative initiative to identify the key issues faced by human rights defenders that are insufficiently addressed by the UN Declaration, including on the area of digital and new technologies. These issues are also reflected in the open letter to States on the draft resolution on human rights defenders that will be considered during HRC58. 

    This side event will be an opportunity to continue discussing the reality and the challenges that human rights defenders face in the context of new and emerging technologies. It will also be an opportunity to hear directly from those who, on a daily basis, work with defenders in the field of digital rights while highlighting their specific protection needs. Finally, the event will also help remind States about the range of obligations in this field that can contribute to inform the consultations on the HRC58 resolution on human rights defenders. 

    Panelists:

    • Opening remarks: Permanent Mission of Norway
    • Speakers:
      • Carla Vitoria – Association for Progressive Communications 
      • Human rights defender from Kenya regarding the Safaricom case (via video message)
      • Woman human rights defender from Colombia regarding use of new technologies during peaceful protests
      • Human rights defender from Myanmar regarding online incitement to violence against Rohingya people
    • Video montage of civil society priorities for the human rights defender resolution at HRC58
    • Moderator: Ulises Quero, Programme Manager, Land, Environment and Business & Human Rights (ISHR)

    This event is co-sponsored by Access Now, Asian Forum for Human Rights & Development (FORUM-ASIA), Association for Progressive Communications (APC), Business and Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC), DefendDefenders (East and Horn of Africa HRD Project), Huridocs, Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR), International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA World), International Service for Human Rights (ISHR), Peace Brigades International, Privacy International, Protection International,  Regional Coalition of WHRDs in Southwest Asia and North Africa (WHRD MENA Coalition). 

    https://ishr.ch/events/protection-of-defenders-against-new-and-emerging-forms-of-technology-facilitated-rights-violations

    This post was originally published on Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards.

  • Urgent vacancy at FIDH for Delegate to the United Nations in Geneva

    Posted on 6 January 2025 – Closing date 15 January 2025

    The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) is an international non-governmental organisation (NGO) composed of nearly 200 national human rights organisations from more than 115 countries. FIDH is a nonpartisan, non-sectarian, apolitical, and not for profit organisation. Since 1922, FIDH has been defending all human rights – civil, political, economic, social, and cultural – as set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

    https://www.fidh.org/en

    FIDH are now recruiting : A Delegate to the United Nations (F∕M) – Indefinite-term contract based in FIDH Geneva office

    The FIDH’s Delegation in Geneva

    • Represents FIDH before Geneva-based international organizations and institutions, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR); in particular, the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) and the UN Human Rights Treaty Bodies;
    • Organizes the participation of FIDH’s member and partner organizations in the work of UN human rights bodies and mechanisms (support and assistance with regard to the submission of “parallel” or “alternative” reports, lobbying and advocacy, communication, etc.): mainly the UN Human Rights Council (including the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism), treaty monitoring bodies, and special procedures;
    • Prepares and implements the interventions of lobbying and advocacy at the Human Rights Council, and defines advocacy strategies;Feeds UN human rights protection bodies and mechanisms, in particular UN special procedures and OHCHR’s sections and branches, based on information from FIDH member and partner organizations and develops the strategic analysis of institutional developments and advocacy opportunities;

    Relays and reports on activities and events to FIDH’s International Secretariat based in Paris.

    Direct superviser : The representative, Head of the FIDH Delegation to the United Nations in Geneva

    Applicants should send their CV and a brief cover letter (in English) by email recrutement@fidh.org quoting reference FIDH DELEGATE in the subject line.

    https://reliefweb.int/job/4122938/delegate-united-nations-indefinite-term-contract-based-fidh-geneva-office

    This post was originally published on Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards.

  • Call for Nominations Martin Ennals Award 2025

    The Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders honors individuals and organizations who have shown exceptional commitment to defending human rights, despite the risks involved. The Martin Ennals Award aims to support the tireless struggles of these activists.[For more on the award and its laureates, see: https://www.trueheroesfilms.org/thedigest/awards/043F9D13-640A-412C-90E8-99952CA56DCE]

    To qualify for the Award 2025, the nominees must:

    • Be currently active in the promotion and protection of human rights
    • Not employ or advocate violence
    • Not be self-nominated
    • Be in need of protection

    We encourage nominations of activists under 30 years of age to reflect the growing number of young persons joining the human rights movements in their countries. Post-humous nominations are not eligible. The deadline for nominations is open ended for now. Nominees must also read and acknowledge the Martin Ennals Foundation Ethical Guidelines.

    Nominate your human rights champion now by filling out the nomination form
    (available in ENGLISH, FRENCH) and send it to info@martinennalsaward.org.

    Nomination form in English

    Nomination form in French

    The Martin Ennals Award is a unique collaboration between ten of the world’s leading human rights organizations, who form the independent Jury that selects winners of the Award. In the first half of each year, a nomination cycle takes place over several months, at the end of which the winners of the Martin Ennals Award — or Laureates — are selected by the Jury. The names of the Laureates will be publicly announced to the public shortly before the ceremony. Mark your calendar for the Award Ceremony 2025 which will take place in the third trimester of the year in Geneva.

    Learn more about the nomination process and our ethical guidelines here:

    Ethical Guidelines and Code of Conduct

    Download the document (PDF)

    This post was originally published on Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards.

  • International Art Contest celebrates minority human rights defenders

    27 November 2024, from UN Human Rights:

    Mga Nalimutan [The Forgotten], inspired by a photography taken by Joe Galvez New York City, United States, 2017.

    © Francis Estrada

    The top awards for the 2024 International Contest for Minority Artists were presented to five award winners — Bianca Broxton, Joel Pérez Hernández, Francis Estrada, Laowu Kuang and youth laureate Jayatu Chakma — during a special ceremony in Geneva, Switzerland.

    UN Human Rights partnered with civil society organizations, Freemuse, Minority Rights Group International, the City of Geneva, the Centre des Arts of the International School of Geneva, and with the support of the Loterie Romande. The theme, Memory in the Present, celebrates the creativity and cultural expression of minority artists whose artwork explores themes relating to memory and memorialization around the globe.

    “Naturally, such collective identities will largely be grounded in a collective memory of events, generating or perpetuating values or traditions that shape the way persons belonging to a minority feel bound together by common experiences,” said Nicolas Levrat, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues. “Such memories often define how and why these past experiences shared by persons belonging to a given minority (or by previous generations) make them singular, different from other groups.”

    The winners and honourable mentions at the awards ceremony in Geneva, Switzerland (shown from left to right) — Francis Estrada, Maganda Shakul, Jayatu Chakma, André Fernandes, Bianca Broxton, Joel Pérez Hernández, Chuu Wai, Laowu Kuang. © OHCHR/Irina Popa

    The contest serves as a platform for minority artists human rights defenders who play a key role worldwide to build bridges of understanding, dialogue and empathy through creative and artistic means. It celebrates minority artists who have made significant contributions to raise awareness, inspire action, and foster deeper understanding of human rights across diverse communities.

    The Winners

    Bianca Broxton in one of her performance pieces, A Conversation, in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. She invited audience members to engage in a dialogue about their personal relationships with hair, racism, and beauty, while she crocheted dreadlocks to add to the piece. © Bianca Broxton

    Bianca Broxton is an American interdisciplinary artist who focuses on raising awareness of health inequalities among minority women in the United States. She frames historical narratives and memories around the marginalized voices using sculptures and collages to portray minorities with dignity and a focus on restorative justice.

    “My experience as a Black woman drives me to tell the histories of those who have faced systemic oppression and to portray them positively. I refuse to have my subjects seen only as victims of systemic injustice,” she said.

    Visual artist Laowu Kuang accepting his award at the ceremony in Geneva, Switzerland. © OHCHR/Irina Popa  

    Laowu Kuang is a visual artist belonging to the Tibetan minority in China. Through a vivid interplay of colors and textures displayed on large canvases, his artwork navigates themes of memory and memorialization in contemporary China, through traditional Tibetan symbols and motifs.

    “In contrast to Western painting, with its excessive color scale, and Han Chinese painting, with its muted and elegant concept of applying colors, Tibetan painting has a strong and intense contrast of colors,” he said. “The stone carvings of Tibetan folk art are a perfect combination of religion and nature, which is a communication and dialogue between human beings and gods, between heaven and earth.”

    Joel Pérez Hernández is a visual and plastic artist from the Maya Tseltal people, born in the Lacandón jungle of Chiapas, Mexico. Hernández has dedicated years to studying traditional techniques and motifs with elder artisans and creators of his community.

    “Much knowledge is asleep in our mountains, voices are trapped in the rivers, colors sleep under the stones, and in our collective memory, as well,” he said. “My people nourish me and motivate me to awaken all that; that is what I include in my works. I find no need to sign my pieces, because my people, my family, my friends make up the essence of each one of them.”

    Born in the Philippines, Francis Estrada is a visual artist and educator, currently residing in the United States. Estrada’s artwork focuses on culture, history, and perception, and questions the influence of historical photographs, mass media, political propaganda, and personal archives on social narratives and collective memory.

    “My art is a tool through which I confront how our understandings of culture are mediated, and the methods through which history and memory are created and perpetuated,” he said. “I think of my work as partial narratives for the viewers to complete based on their own experiences and associations.”

    Youth laureate Jayatu Chakma is an artist belonging to the Chakma Indigenous community of the Chittagong Hill Tracts region in Bangladesh. His artwork features ink, acrylic, watercolor, and natural elements like mud and colors from leaves, as a way to reflect on the life of his community in relation with forced displacement and the loss of their lands.

    “Chittagong Hill Tracts is a part of Bangladesh which represents a culture of variation in terms of people and landscape,” he said. “But there are stories hidden behind the decorated valleys of Chittagong Hill Tracts: my artworks are influenced by the stories of being displaced, losing belongings and relatives. I want to create artworks that show a different side of Chittagong Hill Tracts, besides its natural beauty and cultural diversity that we see on TV.”

    https://www.ohchr.org/en/stories/2024/11/international-art-contest-celebrates-minority-human-rights-defenders

    This post was originally published on Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards.

  • ISHR’s training for human rights defenders 2025:

    Are you a human rights defender keen to use the UN to push for change at home? If so, apply for the 2025 edition of ISHR’s flagship training, the Human Rights Defender Advocacy Programme (HRDAP)!

    After a successful edition in 2024, [https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2023/11/07/human-rights-defender-advocacy-programme-2024-applications-now-open/] ISHR launches the call for applications for the 2025 Human Rights Defender Advocacy Programme (HRDAP25), which will take place both remotely and in Geneva! Below are some important dates to consider before applying:

    • Mandatory distance learning course: 14 April – 8 June 2025 (part time)
    • In-person course in Geneva: 10- 20 June 2025 (full time) 
    • Deadline to apply: 10 January 2025, midnight CET (Geneva Time)
    • Programme description with all the information can be downloaded here.
    • Application form can be found here. 

    Learn more about why you should apply for HRDAP by watching this video!

    What is the Human Rights Defender Advocacy Programme 2025 (HRDAP25)?

    The course equips human rights defenders with the knowledge and skills to integrate the UN human rights system into their existing work at the national level in a strategic manner and provides an opportunity for participants to prepare for and engage in advocacy activities at the UN with the aim to effect change back home.  

    Online course topics – ISHR

    Defenders will complete a 10-week hybrid learning programme, online and offline, which will include: 

    • Accessing the HRDAP Platform, where they can complete e-learning courses on each key UN human rights mechanism and on advocacy strategies, and access interactive learning materials and case studies on the ISHR Academy 
    • Taking part in live Q&A sessions with human rights experts 
    • Receiving a continuous personalised advocacy support and coaching in order to develop concrete advocacy objectives to make strategic use of the international human rights system taking into account the local context
    • Building networks around the world, and learning from peers from a range of regions working on a range of human rights issues 
    • Applying their knowledge to case-studies scenarios and enhancing their advocacy toolbox according to their specific needs (elevator pitch, SMART recommendations…)
    • Receiving support and advocacy accompaniment to conduct activities during the 59th and 60th Human Rights Council sessions and other relevant opportunities. 

    Participants will have the unique opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills while being in Geneva as well as to meet and share with their peers and experts (UN staff, diplomats, supporting NGOs…). The blended format of the course allows defenders to continue their vital work on the ground, while diving into the inner workings of each key UN human rights mechanism and gaining first-hand experience from advocates and UN staff on how civil society can strategically engage in the international human rights space.  The methodology we use is interactive and learner-centred and encourage participation of everyone.

    By participating in HRDAP, defenders:

    1. Gain knowledge and tools, which they can use to ensure their voice is central in international human rights decision-making 
    2. Explore and compare the benefits of engagement with the Human Rights Council, the Special Procedures, the OHCHR, the Universal Periodic Review and the Treaty Bodies, and examine how they can use them to bolster their work at the national level 
    3. Develop strategies and advocacy techniques to increase the potential of their national and regional advocacy work 

    This programme is directed at experienced human rights defenders working in non-governmental organisations, with existing advocacy experience at the national level and some prior knowledge of the international human rights system. 

    ISHR supports, and promotes solidarity with and between, defenders working in the following areas or contexts, which we recognise as intersectional and interdependent: 

    1. Equality, dignity and non-discrimination
    2. Environmental justice and sustainability 
    3. International accountability for the repression of human rights defenders 
    4. Transparency and rule of law 

    The hybrid programme will bring together around 16 committed human rights defenders from different backgrounds, who work on a wide range of areas that are linked with our programmes to ensure a sustainable collaboration. This can include, but is not limited to, defenders working on the following thematics: women rights; Indigenous people’s rights; the human rights of LGBTIQ+ persons; anti-racism; reclaiming civil society space and increasing protection of human rights defenders.  

    What do former HRDAPers say? 

    16 human rights defenders from 15 countries took part in the last edition, HRDAP24. At the end of the training, 98% of the participants were either extremely satisfied or very satisfied with the programme and felt that they would be able to apply what they learnt to their own day-to-day work. Find out more about the outcomes of HRDAP24 here. 

    More testimonials from HRDAP Alumni here.  

    How to apply?

    First, download and read carefully the HRDAP 2025 Programme Description to find out more about modalities, requirements and funding. If you meet the criteria, take some time to apply using this online form before midnight Geneva time on Friday 10 January 2025! 

    As only a limited number of human rights defenders are able to participate in HRDAP each year, in addition to our range of guides and handbooks, ISHR has developed an e-learning space in English, French and Spanish to help human rights defenders strengthen their advocacy skills with the UN for greater impact on the ground: the ISHR Academy. The learning modules demystify the UN human rights system and build capacity to push for change. Discover new tools, insider tips, defender stories, and more! 

    For more information, please contact us: training@ishr.ch

    https://ishr.ch/latest-updates/hrdap-2025-apply-now-for-ishrs-hybrid-training-for-human-rights-defenders

    This post was originally published on Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards.

  • Save the date: MARTIN ENNALS AWARD 2024

    Thirty two years ago, I and some other good friends of Martin Ennals decided to create an award in the name of this human rights pioneer [see: https://youtu.be/tAhUi2gOHmU?si=6RxI5TduzLfLeJym]. I am very proud and happy that in two weeks time I wil be in Geneva to participate in the 30th edition of the award ceremony. I very much hope that many others wil be able to join, in person or via the live-stream.

    The Award was given out for the first time in 1994 to recognize, promote and protect human rights defenders at risk or from under-reported contexts. It culminates every year in a public ceremony in Geneva, co-hosted with the City of Geneva. Over the years, the Award has offered defenders a platform to issues that are of global concern and the connections to steer the movement for human rights and larger freedoms.

    The Jury has recognized 53 defenders in the past 30 years, from 37 countries and from all walks of life: lawyers, journalists, academics, medical practitioners, religious practitioners, housewives, students and grassroots activists. Their voices have illustrated some of the most important human rights demands of the past decades: free and fair justice for violations committed by security forces; access to information and freedom of expression to denounce repressive practices and authorities; the fight against gender discrimination and the importance of women’s full and equal participation in society; the essential role of civil society in conflict and post conflict resolution; the role of businesses in exploiting natural resources against the rights to land of indigenous people; or the role of global powers in the violations of the right to life of migrants.

    The 2024 Martin Ennals Award continues the legacy and will honour two outstanding human rights defenders who have made it their life mission to protect human rights in their communities and countries despite evolving in deeply repressive environments.

    A public discussion with Jury members later in the evening of ceremony will also be the opportunity to showcase the issues that will shape the future of the Award.

    Get to know the 2024 Laureates by joining our traditional Award ceremony on Thursday 21 November at 18:30 CET, in Salle communale de Plainpalais, Rue de Carouge 52, Geneva.

    The ceremony, co-hosted together with the City of Geneva, is the opportunity to learn about the two 2024 Laureates: who they are, their aspirations and what they have been doing to bring human rights at the forefront. Their inspiring stories illustrate key human rights struggles that the world needs to hear, for peace, dignity and equality of all. The Award ceremony will be followed by a cocktail offered by the City of Geneva.

    Register here

    You cannot join in person? We got you! The ceremony and the debate will be livestreamed on our media platforms.

    JURY INSIGHTS

    A public discussion on current global issues

    Festivities will continue on Thursday 21 November with a late-night discussion to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Martin Ennals Award. Since 1994, it is the careful deliberations of the Jury that have led to the recognition of some of the most outstanding human rights defenders and organisations. The Foundation is pleased to offer a special opportunity to listen in the inner thoughts of leading organisations on the state of human rights in the world and how to reclaim them.

    The one-hour discussion will start at 21:15 CET in Salle communale de Plainpalais, after the cocktail, and will be the occasion for a young human rights defender to ask everyone’s most burning questions!

    2024 Edition
    2024 Edition

    This post was originally published on Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards.

  • Geneva Roadmap 40/11 series on 4 July: How are environmental defenders protected in the regions?

    This event, organized on the occasion of the 56th session of the Human Rights Council and of the 28th Working Group of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention, as part of the Geneva Roadmap 40/11 series, provides a platform for experience sharing around with different protection mechanisms.

    About this Session

    Today, some specific instruments, such as the Aarhus Convention, regional processes and mechanisms are playing a growing and rapidly transforming role for environmental defenders in terms of new standards, collaborative efforts and plans. Yet, how effective are these instruments, processes and mechanisms in supporting and protecting environmental defenders in different parts of the world? What are the lessons in terms of the relevance and effectiveness of regional human rights and environmental protection mechanisms? How can ongoing experiences by civil society organizations and defenders help shape new and strengthened regional approaches? There is wide recognition of the different situations across regions as well as relevant lessons from ongoing initiatives.

    On the occasion of both the 56th Session of the UN Human Rights Council and of the 28th Working Group of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention, on access to information, public participation and access to justice in environmental matters, this event will aim to gather views from various stakeholders on the question: “How are environmental defenders protected in the regions?”

    Geneva Roadmap 40/11 Series

    Five years ago, on 21 March 2019, the Human Rights Council adopted Resolution 40/11 – Recognizing the contribution of environmental human rights defenders to the enjoyment of human rights, environmental protection and sustainable development – without a vote.

    Following the adoption of the resolution, platforms, coalitions and networks of defenders met in February 2020 to launch the Geneva Roadmap 40/11 to foster the implementation of this Resolution.

    Building on previous Geneva Roadmap 40/11 efforts in relation to global human rights mechanisms, this year’s events organized by the University of Geneva, Earthjustice, the International Service for Human Rights, with the support of the Geneva Environment Network, will focus on the protection mechanisms provided at the regional level for environmental defenders.

    To attend on-line, register with: https://ungeneva.webex.com/webappng/sites/ungeneva/meeting/register/3e557712421b4e8ead22641b4d3bab74?ticket=4832534b000000078514d3e000931fd016c9cc18835becb6ccd518f1a5e9a6bf63a5563f32a1a932&timestamp=1719521373667&RGID=r18b54211d7fc07219656ed6fdab82df1

    https://www.genevaenvironmentnetwork.org/events/how-are-environmental-defenders-protected-in-the-regions-geneva-roadmap-40-11/#scroll-nav__3

    This post was originally published on Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards.

  • Launch of the HRD Declaration+25

    Wednesday 19 June 2024 from 1:00 pm- 2:00 pm CEST there will be a HRC56 Side Event for the launch of the Declaration+25, a civil society-led authoritative document endorsed by experts that supplements the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders and sets standards to protect them.

    Palais des Nations Room XXV Geneva. This in-person event will be moderated by ISHR on behalf of a Secretariat of 18 organisations, and include a panel of exceptional human rights defenders.

    Click to access 20240607_Declaration_25_Launch_Flyer.pdf

    This post was originally published on Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards.

  • North Korea appoints new ambassador to UN office in Geneva

    North Korea has appointed a new ambassador to its mission at the United Nations office in Geneva, the U.N. said on a website.

    Jo Chol Su, who previously served as director-general of international organizations at North Korea’s foreign ministry, presented his credentials to the U.N. Office at Geneva on Friday, it said.

    The new envoy has “extensive experience” working with the U.N., including as first secretary at the North Korean U.N. mission in Geneva and as a national staff member for the World Food Program and United Nations Development Program delegations in Pyongyang, the U.N. added on its website. 

    Graduating from the prestigious Pyongyang University of Foreign Studies in 1993, Jo is a career diplomat who has held various senior positions in North Korea’s foreign ministry, including in the North America department, handling negotiations over the country’s nuclear weapons program.

    The appointment comes five months after Jo’s predecessor, Han Tae Song, returned to the North amid allegations of his involvement in ivory smuggling.

    In December last year, reports emerged that North Korea decided to recall Han as both the panel of experts of the U.N. Security Council Sanctions Committee on North Korea and Swiss officials were investigating his purported involvement in ivory trafficking in Africa. 

    Botswana, along with South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique, had been investigating a North Korean-affiliated ivory and rhino horn smuggling operation for over a year.

    The ring was accused of pilfering at least 19 elephant tusks and 18 rhino horns from Botswana on two occasions in 2022 and 2023 and then channeling them through South Africa and Zimbabwe to Mozambican buyers linked to North Korea.

    The investigation discovered two buyers from North Korea were central to a major smuggling operation involving wildlife products. One of these individuals, Yi Kang Dae, confirmed as an intelligence official in North Korea’s state security, collaborated with the former ambassador, Han. 

    At that time, a security source in Zimbabwe told media outlets that there was a big chance that Han may have revived a smuggling network he ran while posted in the country in the 1990s.

    Edited by Mike Firn. 


    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By Taejun Kang for RFA.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Kofi Annan Courage in Cartooning Award 2024

    On World Press Freedom Day, May 3, the Freedom Cartoonists Foundation recognized the talent and
    courage of cartoonists working under difficult circumstances. The Kofi Annan Courage in Cartooning Award 2024 was presented by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr. Shirin Ebadi of Iran, during a public ceremony at the Geneva Graduate Institute, in presence of CNN’s international chief anchor Christiane Amanpour. For more on this award see: https://www.trueheroesfilms.org/thedigest/awards/f60cb3d4-c79a-43aa-9b5c-351c56c02ae1. This award is presented every two years in alternance with a prize presented by the allied organization Cartoonists Rights in the United States.
    The accompanying international exhibition Cartooning for Freedom, visible on the shores of Lake Geneva until June 2, 2024, features nearly 60 press cartoons selected by Freedom Cartoonists, in partnership with Cartooning for Peace in Paris.
    Chaired by Kenneth Roth, former Executive Director of Human Rights Watch, the international jury shares the 2024 Prize between two winners: Rachita Taneja (India) and Zunzi (Hong Kong).

    see also: https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2022/05/10/new-kofi-annan-courage-in-cartooning-award-to-ukrainian-and-hungarian-press-cartoonists/

    For Chappatte, president of the Foundation, “Both brilliantly embody the fundamental values of editorial cartooning: talent, freedom of spirit, and courage. With a bit of mischief.”

    International Editorial Cartoon Prize 2024 by the Freedom Cartoonists Foundation

    This post was originally published on Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards.

  • Hundreds protest in Geneva on human rights repression in Vietnam | Radio Free Asia (RFA)


    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Radio Free Asia.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Geneva celebrates press freedom and women cartoonists

    On 3 May, 2024 at 5.30 pm in the Maison de la Paix, Geneva Graduate Institute, and to mark World Press Freedom Day, the Freedom Cartoonists Foundation and the City of Geneva will be awarding its 2024 international editorial cartoon prize [City of Geneva’s International Press Cartoon Award]. See: https://www.trueheroesfilms.org/thedigest/awards/EBEE0ECF-565B-6614-9B67-A6938EB46155

    The public event is fully booked, but a livestream will be available on this page.

    Keynote by the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi from Iran, (mentor of Narges Mohammadi, current Nobel Peace Prize winner imprisoned in Teheran), in discussion with Christiane Amanpour, CNN chief international anchor and member of the Foundation’s advisory board.

    Followed by a debate on women cartoonists around the world, with Ann Telnaes (USA), Rachita Taneja (India) and Willis from Tunis (Tunisia), moderated by Christiane Amanpour. Presentation of the “Kofi Annan Courage in Cartooning Award 2024” by the City of Geneva and the Freedom Cartoonists Foundation.

    Introductions by Chappatte and Marie Heuzé (Chair and Vice-Chair of the Foundation), Sami Kanaan (Administrative Councillor of the City of Geneva) and Volker Türk (UN High Commissioner for Human Rights).

    Film made by True Heroes Films.

    Christiane Amanpour, CNN anchorwoman, member of the foundation’s advisory board

    https://freedomcartoonists.com

    This post was originally published on Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards.

  • Joint statement on the 10-year anniversary of ‘deadly reprisals’ against Chinese activist Cao Shunli 

    On 14 March 2024, a large number of leading NGOs paid tribute to Cao Shunli, and all human rights defenders targeted by the Chinese government for their commitment to uphold the promise of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  [see also: https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/tag/cao-shunli/]:

    Cao Shunli was a brave Chinese woman human rights defender and lawyer. Working with fellow activists, Cao documented abuses, including the now-abolished ‘Re-education through Labour’ extrajudicial detention system, which she was also subjected to as a result of her human rights work. She campaigned for independent civil society to be meaningfully consulted and to be able to contribute to the Chinese government’s national reports to its first and second Universal Periodic Reviews (UPR). In an attempt to speak with government officials about the UPR, Cao courageously organised peaceful sit-ins with other concerned citizens outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs despite great risks. She also submitted information on extralegal detention and torture in China to the UN and expressed the hope that ‘if we could get even 100 words’ into a UN report, ‘many of our problems could start to get addressed.’

    On 14 September 2013, Chinese authorities detained Cao at the Beijing Capital International Airport as she was traveling to Geneva to participate in a human rights training, one month before China’s second UPR. Cao was forcibly disappeared for five weeks, until she resurfaced in criminal detention and was charged with ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’. By October 2013, it was clear that Cao Shunli was experiencing serious medical issues while in detention. After months of denial of adequate medical treatment, rejected appeals by her lawyers for bail on humanitarian grounds, and despite multiple calls from the international community for her urgent release, Cao died of multiple organ failure on 14 March 2014 in a hospital under heavy police guard to keep out her lawyers and friends.

    Cao was one of the 2014 finalists of the prestigious Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders.

    To this day, there has been no accountability for Cao Shunli’s death. The Chinese government refuses to admit wrongdoing, despite repeated calls in 2014 and 2019 by UN Special Procedures experts for a full investigation into this ‘deadly reprisal’. 

    Her case is one of the longest-standing unresolved cases in the UN Secretary-General’s annual reports on reprisals against civil society actors for engaging with the United Nations. China is one of the most consistent perpetrators of reprisals over time, and one of the most egregious perpetrators in terms of the sheer number of individuals targeted. 

    Cao is not alone: her courage, but also the abuses she endured, are unfortunately those of other human rights defenders who paid a high cost for cooperating with the UN. Her close colleague, Chen Jianfang was forcibly disappeared under Residential Surveillance at a Designated Location (RSDL) from 19-20 March 2019 after paying tribute to Cao Shunli on the 5th anniversary of her death. Chen was sentenced to four years and six months in jail for ‘inciting subversion of State power’ and left prison on 21 October 2023, after which authorities subjected her to strict surveillance. UN experts have raised with the Chinese government acts of reprisals against Chen Jianfang, but also Jiang Tianyong, Li Qiaochu, Dolkun Isa, Li Wenzu and Wang Qiaoling, among others. The recent instances of intimidation and harassment against NGO participants in China’s 4th UPR in January 2024 further highlight the gravity of the situation.

    Li Qiaochu, Xu Zhiyong, Ding Jiaxi, Yu Wensheng, Xu Yan, Huang Xueqin, Li Yuhan, Chang Weiping: many other Chinese human rights defenders are today detained, disappeared, and at grave risk, for upholding the promise of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

    These documented acts do not account for the even greater self-censorship and refusal to engage with the United Nation as a result of a generalised climate of fear. 

    Ten years ago, when ISHR and many other human rights groups sought to observe a moment of silence at the Human Rights Council in her memory, the Chinese delegation, together with other delegations, disrupted the session for an hour and half.

    Cao Shunli is a paradigmatic case of reprisals, not only because of her prominence, but also due to the array of severe human rights violations against her, committed in total impunity. These range from Chinese authorities blocking her exit from her own country, enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention, lack of due process, torture or ill-treatment and denial of adequate medical care, to subsequent death in custody, and the lack of accountability for these abuses. The lack of any progress in achieving accountability underscores the urgent need for continued international attention and pressure on the Chinese government to ensure justice for Cao and all human rights defenders who face persecution for their work.

    Cao Shunli said before her death: ‘Our impact may be large, may be small, and may be nothing. But we must try. It is our duty to the dispossessed and it is the right of civil society.’

    Today, we pay tribute to Cao Shunli’s legacy, one that has inspired countless human rights defenders in China and abroad. We urge UN Member States to call for a full, independent, impartial investigation into her death. We reaffirm that no perpetrator of reprisals, no matter how powerful, is above scrutiny, and that reprisals are fundamentally incompatible with the values of the United Nations and of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 

    Signatories: 

    1. Art for Human Rights
    2. ARTICLE 19
    3. Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)
    4. Asian Lawyers Network (ALN)
    5. Campaign for Uyghurs
    6. CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation
    7. CSW (Christian Solidarity Worldwide)
    8. Front Line Defenders
    9. HK Labour Rights Monitor
    10. Hong Kong Centre for Human Rights
    11. Hong Kong Democracy Council (HKDC)
    12. Hong Kong Watch
    13. Human Rights in China
    14. Humanitarian China
    15. Humanitarian China
    16. International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI)
    17. International Campaign for Tibet
    18. International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders
    19. International Service for Human Rights
    20. International Tibet Network
    21. Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada
    22. Martin Ennals Foundation
    23. Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD)
    24. PEN International
    25. Safeguard Defenders
    26. The 29 Principles
    27. The Rights Practice
    28. Tibet Justice Center
    29. Uyghur Human Rights Project
    30. World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders
    31. World Uyghur Congress

    On 14 March also a group of UN Special Rapporteurs issued a joint call: “We regret that no action appears to have been taken over the last five years, since the last call for an independent, impartial and comprehensive investigation into Ms. Shunli’s death,” [https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/03/china-un-experts-renew-calls-accountability-cao-shunlis-death]

    https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/statement-report/joint-statement-10-year-anniversary-deadly-reprisals-against-chinese-activist-cao

    https://ishr.ch/latest-updates/in-tribute-to-cao-shunli-rights-groups-call-on-geneva-to-install-permanent-monument-for-her

    This post was originally published on Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards.

  • Resisting in Exile: Voice of Human Rights Defenders – side event tomorrow, 5 March 2024

    On Tuesday, 5th March, 2pm – at the Palais des Nations, Room XXV- will take place the side event Resisting in Exile: Voice of Human Rights Defenders

    “I do not like the idea of being a refugee. I do not want to leave the country because I wanted to make it better.”  Human rights defender quoted by the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders in A/HRC/37/51.

    In ‘People Power Under Attack’ (2022), CIVICUS reports that the number of countries where civic freedoms are being curtailed and civil society is under severe attack is increasing… In such contexts and under such pressure, defenders can see leaving the country as their only option. These defenders, along with defenders expelled by their home governments, face the huge challenges of short or protracted exile, including economic insecurity and ongoing threats. Defenders in exile question if and how they can continue human rights work from abroad and how those who remain deal with a fractured human rights community.

    In this event the four organisers [Centre for Civil and Political Rights (CCPR-Centre), International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights, (Race and Equality), International Service for Human Rights (ISHR), and DefendDefenders] will bring the voices of human rights defenders from around the world to the Council so that States, UN experts and officials and civil society colleagues can hear their voices. What is the experience of being in exile like? What is the impact on individual work and that of the community of defenders? What demands do exile defenders make to the Council?

    This event aims to raise greater awareness about the phenomenon of defenders in exile and encourage discussion and action on how to support these defenders. It is also aimed at looking at what is needed to prevent exile becoming some defenders’ only feasible option.

    During this event, defenders in exile from will speak of the impact of their experience of exile on their own lives, those of their families, and their communities. They will highlight the specific needs defenders in exile have in terms of legal guarantees, and political and financial support and of their ongoing work to defend rights from exile.

    Defenders in exile will also send in testimonies, to be shown in video form or read out by fellow defenders. We aim to fill the room with the voices of those in exile who cannot be in Geneva to participate directly.

    Recall the recommendations made by the previous Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, Michel Forst, in his 2018 report to the Council (A/HRC/37/51), including in regard to the prohibition of non-refoulement to persecution, relocation schemes, and access to protection measures for defenders in exile.

    The conversation will take place during the Council session when the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders will be presenting her report to the Council. We hope that the Special Rapporteur will be available to, highlight the need for greater attention to, and investment in the prevention of, the closure of civic space so as to forestall the need for defenders to leave the country.

    See also: https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2022/03/04/warning-human-rights-defenders-in-ukraine-and-in-exile-will-be-danger/

    https://forum-asia.org/?p=39063

    This post was originally published on Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards.

  • Side event ISHR on Guatemala: 7 March 2024


    In recent years, Guatemala has witnessed a concerning erosion of its State institutions. The co-optation of the judicial system has resulted in the persecution of human rights defenders and justice operators, many of whom have had to flee the country. Despite the election of President Bernardo Arévalo, who led a campaign promising to re-establish the rule of law and fight corruption, the international community must continue to monitor the human rights situation in the country.

    A side event – Human rights situation in Guatemala: From Rescuing Democracy to Guaranteeing Justice – aims to shed light on the recent socio-political developments in Guatemala, with a particular focus on the 2023 presidential elections and the dynamics of peaceful protest. It will explore the fragile state of the rule of law in the country and the significant human rights challenges it faces. A critical discussion will centre on the co-optation of the judicial system by criminal groups, which has led to the persistent criminalisation of justice operators and human rights defenders.

    Additionally, the event will address the pressing crisis of forced evictions in Indigenous communities. These evictions, often driven by the interests of non-State actors like extractive companies and large-scale development projects, represent a form of cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment, amounting to torture.

    Speakers:

    Clément Nyaletsossi Voule, UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of peaceful assembly and of association (TBC)

    Lourdes Gómez Willis, Q’eqchi’-afrodescendant professor working on issues of Indigenous women defenders and the impacts of palm oil production

    Bernardo Caal Xol, Mayan Q’eqchi community leader, teacher and environmental and land rights activist [see also: https://www.trueheroesfilms.org/thedigest/laureates/dff0ef4a-af52-4d2f-8ca3-be6d31968453]

    Luis Haroldo Pacheco Gutiérrez, Ex-President of the Council of Communal Mayors of the 48 cantons of Totonicapán With the participation of

    Margaret Satterthwaite, Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers

    Sponsors: Centre for Civil and Political Rights, Franciscans International, Impunity Watch, ISHR, Protection international Mesoamérica, and Peace Brigades International.

    Thursday 7 March, 14:00 – 15:00 (CET), Room XXV, Palais des Nations – Geneva
    Language: English / Spanish

    Download the flyer here

    This post was originally published on Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards.

  • ISHR side event: SUPPORTING THE WORK OF HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS

    Photo: Freedom of Speech Includes The Press by Narih Lee under CC 2.0

    INVITATION to the side event: IN DEFENCE OF CIVIC SPACE AND DEMOCRACY SUPPORTING THE WORK OF HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS on Monday 26 February 2024, 1pm – 2pm CET, Room XXII, Palais des Nations, Geneva

    Human rights defenders promote democracy and a vibrant civic space, too often, in dangerous circumstances. This event aims to discuss the crucial work of defenders, how the international community can best support them and how crucial gender equality is for the full realisation of democracy.

    Speakers: 

    Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Leader of democratic forces (Belarus)

    Dr. Sara Abdelgalil, Paediatric Consultant NHS UK, Democracy & Governance Advocate, Active member of Sudanese Diaspora

    Phil Lynch, Executive Director, International Service for Human Rights

    Elina Valtonen, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Finland

    Moderator: Imogen Foulkes, BBC Geneva

    A light lunch will be served. The event will be recorded and published as a podcast (Inside Geneva, produced by Swiss Broadcasting).

    Download flyer here

    This post was originally published on Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards.

  • Cao Shunli, her legacy should not be silenced

    ‘Our impact may be large, may be small, and may be nothing. But we must try. It is our duty to the dispossessed and it is the right of civil society.’ – Cao Shunli

    Ten years ago, Chinese woman human rights defender Cao Shunli was a victim of deadly reprisals for engaging with the United Nations.

    The International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) and partners invite you to attend a photo exhibition on 14 March 2024, at Place des Nations to honour her memory.

    The photo exhibition will also display cases of Chinese, Tibetan, Uyghur, and Hong Kong human rights defenders who have been targeted for upholding the promise of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 

    Who was Cao Shunli? 

    Cao Shunli was a brave Chinese woman human rights defender and lawyer. She campaigned for the meaningful consultation and contribution of independent civil society to the Chinese government’s national reports for its first and second Universal Periodic Reviews (UPR). On 14 September 2013, one month before this review, while on her way to Geneva to attend a human rights training organised by ISHR and CHRD, she was detained and forcibly disappeared by Chinese authorities for five weeks. When she resurfaced in custody in October 2013, she had been charged with ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’, and  it was evident that she was experiencing serious medical issues in detention. Despite repeated international calls for her urgent release over months of being denied adequate medical treatment, Cao Shunli died of multiple organ failure on 14 March 2014, having been granted bail for medical reasons just days before her death. Cao Shunli was one of the finalists of the prestigious Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders in 2014. [see also: https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/tag/cao-shunli/ as well as https://www.martinennalsaward.org/hrd/cao-shunli/]

    To this day, Chinese authorities have ignored appeals seeking accountability for Cao’s death, including repeated calls by UN Special Procedures experts in 2014 and 2019 for a full investigation into this ‘deadly reprisal’. Her case remains the longest-standing unresolved case in the UN Secretary-General’s annual reports on reprisals. March 2024 marks the 10th anniversary of Cao Shunli’s death. A decade ago, when ISHR and many other human rights groups sought to observe a moment of silence at the Human Rights Council in her memory, the Chinese delegation, together with other delegations, disrupted the session for an hour and a half. China is consistently one of the most frequent perpetrators of reprisals against individuals or groups engaging with the United Nations. Frequently mentioned alongside Saudi Arabia, it has the second highest number of reprisals cases and situations reported by the UN Secretary-General since 2010.

    Cao Shunli’s story is a paradigmatic case of reprisals, not only because of her belief in the importance of civil society participation in UN mechanisms, but also due to the array of severe human rights abuses she endured because of this belief, ranging from being barred from exiting her own country, enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention, lack of due process, torture, ill-treatment, and denial of adequate medical care, to subsequent death in custody without any accountability for these abuses. 

    https://ishr.ch/events/but-we-must-try-cao-shunli-the-unsilenceable-legacy

    This post was originally published on Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards.

  • Martin Ennals Foundation seeking urgently a Project Coordinator

    After 4.5 years, Isabel de Sola is getting ready to leave her position as Director of the Martin Ennals Foundation by the end of January. The Project Coordinator is envisioned to take over a sub-set of her responsibilities while collaborating with other members of the staff and Jury organizations.

    The Award is approaching its 30th anniversary in 2024 – a moment which calls for a celebration of past achievements, as well as for some reflection on the future. The objective of the MEA 30th Anniversary project is to rally the Award’s friends and partners in Geneva to reinforce the message that protecting and bolstering HRDs is fundamental to the realization of UDHR and the HRDs Declaration.

    The Martin Ennals Foundation is hiring a Project Coordinator to deliver on the 30th Anniversary project in 2024 and renew the Award for 2025. The Project Coordinator will be at the center of the Award’s activities, providing an essential link between the Board, Jury members, donors, consultants, and partners to the celebration in 2024-2025. An estimated 60% FTE is envisioned for this role, with peak periods at the nominations and Ceremony stages.

    The Project Coordinator’s main responsibilities include:

    • Primary responsibility for the nominations process and coordination of the Jury for the selection of the 2024 Laureate. Maintenance of the Martin Ennals Award nominations database and oversight of the Jury voting process. Preparing and follow-up to Jury meetings – two or three during the year, as necessary.
    • Primary responsibility for the development and execution of the annual Award Ceremony. Liaises with the Ville de Geneve on a concept for the 2024 Ceremony, a new graphic identity, and the agenda of the event. Oversees organizational aspects of the Ceremony in consultation with the Ville de Geneve and event consultants.
    • Collaborates with consultants in the development and execution of an Award communication strategy aimed at raising the visibility of the Laureates and celebrating the MEA’s 30 years’ history.
    • Facilitates conduct of financial and administrative aspects of the Award project, including fundraising and advocacy-related activities together with the heads of departments and the Program Officer.
    • Supports fundraising for 2024-2025 and donor management, in collaboration with the relevant departments.
    • Supports the Program Officer in executing an advocacy strategy for MEA Laureates within Geneva-based advocacy and human rights policy development.
    • Contributes to monitoring and evaluating the 30th anniversary project, and annual narrative reporting for donors.

    The Foundation is looking for a versatile and experienced project-manager who is passionate about human rights and rigorous in their planning and management style. The ideal candidate would bring inter alia, the following qualities and skills:

    • A master’s degree or +8 years of work experience in international relations, sustainable development, human rights, security policy, or related fields.
    • Familiarity with the international relations, human rights advocacy, and development cooperation ecosystem of Geneva.
    • Bilingual or professional fluency in both English and French.
    • A track-record in management of complex projects with many moving pieces. Ability to oversee several service providers and consultants simultaneously. Ability to budget and keep-track of financial aspects of the project.
    • Event planning experience.
    • Exposure to fundraising, monitoring and evaluation, or general reporting on projects.

    The Project Coordinator will be offered a two-year contract with possibility of renewal.

    To apply, please send your CV, a motivation letter, and a 300-word response to the following question to the MEF Board at barbara-lochbihler@gmx.de by February 2nd, 2024 cob:

    “For the 30th anniversary celebration of the Award, the Martin Ennals Foundation and the City of Geneva will conduct a call-for-tender to identify a provider who can deliver a new graphic design for the Ceremony. How would you go about this task? Describe the steps you would take, a check-list of important items to consider, or your overall approach.”

    Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for an interview in the month of February.

    We’re hiring a Project Coordinator to lead the 30th Anniversary celebration 2024!

    This post was originally published on Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards.

  • Türk tells students in Geneva: Human rights are the solution

    On 21 November 2023 Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights spoke at the Université de Genève. [see also: https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2022/09/15/new-high-commissioner-for-human-rights-volker-turk-the-man-for-an-impossible-job/] Here some extracts:

    First: war. One quarter of humanity is living today in places affected by conflict. At the end of last year, the Peace Institute in Oslo, which works closely with my Office, found that the intensity, length and number of conflicts worldwide are at their highest levels since the Cold War: 55 conflicts, lasting on average between 8 and 11 years.

    In Ukraine, in Sudan, in Ethiopia, in Myanmar and across the Sahel – to take just a few examples – the level of atrocities and suffering is devastating. The armed conflict in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel, after just five weeks, has seen over 11,500 people killed, including more than 4500 children – and I want to emphasise that the Gaza Ministry of Health has not been lable to update those numbers since 15 November. The war has lit a firestorm of hate speech across the Middle East and the entire world. The level of Antisemitic and Islamophobic attacks, in real life and online, is deeply shocking….

    Time and again, we look back and see that conflict could have been prevented. In the Occupied Palestinian Territory, for example, my Office has repeatedly issued reports that recommend practical, feasible steps towards de-escalation of tensions and overcoming human rights violations. Injustice; discrimination; oppression; extreme inequalities; a lack of accountability for human rights violations: these are among the factors that will sadly make violence more likely.

    Before I took up my mandate as the UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights, I worked for 30 years in situations of failed prevention. I was working with and for refugees –in places where conflict had erupted, with dramatic impact on civilians; or where long years of discrimination metastasized into ethnic cleansing; or where deprivation had become so overwhelming that people were massively compelled to flee. Now, I feel my utmost priority has to be prevention – and solutions. Because that is what human rights bring. They state clearly what every human being is entitled to – a life that is free from fear and from the deprivation of certain essential resources – and in advancing those rights, they bring solutions to the root causes of preventable suffering…

    Harsh restriction of civic space is the Achilles heel – the fatal weakness – of governance. If there is one message that I deliver again and again to Ambassadors and Heads of State or Government, it is this: ensuring that people can speak freely – and critically – and that they can fully and meaningfully participate in decisions will build more effective policy…

    These are all measures that help to prevent conflict. They are also among the steps that can de-escalate conflict, by resolving some of its root causes; and they contribute to making a peace that is real and which can endure, with development that is sustainable because it is inclusive.

    They are also key guidelines for addressing challenges as crucial and complex as climate change, runaway pollution and the obliteration of biodiversity. Acting to limit the triple planetary crisis, and upholding our right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, are the defining struggles of our generation.

    This spiralling damage is a human rights emergency. Worldwide, climate change is pushing millions of people into hunger. It is destroying hopes, opportunities, homes and lives. In the Sahel region, a recent report by my Office outlines the profound impact of climate change-related soil degradation and declining food production on income, health, resource competition, conflict, and displacement – a vicious cycle that now spins deeper with every planting season. Temperatures in the Sahel are rising much faster than the global average; even if the global temperature rise is kept to an unlikely 1.5 degrees, the impact on the people of the Sahel will be permanent and devastating.

    Across the Sahel, we can see very clearly how climate change, conflict, poverty, discrimination and lack of accountability feed into each other – creating a vast knot of issues that strangle the lives and rights of people.  But this is the case everywhere, as the climate crisis continues to generate profound and increasing threats to human rights. The dignity and the very survival of communities, of nations – and ultimately, all of humanity – is at stake.

    So, again, how do we prevent this? Where are the solutions?

    Notably, of course, we need global solutions. The governments and people of the Sahel, and many other regions that are experiencing extreme harm, did not contribute significantly to climate change. 

    In a few days, global climate negotiations will resume in Dubai. It is absolutely essential that they lead to decisive and equitable action to prevent the worst impacts of climate change, and to remedy the impacts that can no longer be prevented. We have to ensure that Governments, businesses and individuals prioritise the interests of humanity over their short-term, narrowly defined self-interest. The fact is, the COP talks have to date fallen far short of what is needed to stop climate change and remedy its worst impacts. The world is dangerously off-track to meet the promises made in the Paris Agreement. Recent discussions on loss and damage are an example of  this. The climate justice movement, and many of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, struggled for years  for an agreement to establish a new loss and damage fund, finally achieving this objective at COP27. But the recommendations that have been sent to COP28 for operationalization of that fund do not satisfy the demands of those most affected by climate change. 

    A strong governance framework that is grounded in human rights. Environmental and social safeguards. An inclusive and participatory Board. And a fair funding mechanism. These should be viewed as essentials – not a point of contention, or of trade-offs in negotiation.

    Point one: We must protect civic space.

    On the climate and environmental issues that affect us all, key decisions continue to be made behind closed doors – and are often influenced by fossil fuel lobbies. Environmental human rights defenders working to protect communities and land from environmental harm are often vilified, attacked and even killed. Their rights to participation, freedom of expression, and access to information and to justice must be secured. We must ensure the free, meaningful and safe participation in all climate discussions of all those most affected by climate change, including women and Indigenous Peoples.

    Point two: climate action must advance equality and equity.

    Adaptation strategies and all other measures need to prioritize the situation of people most affected by climate change. Funding must go first to the people who need it most.

    Point three: We need to ensure access to effective remedy, and accountability, for climate-related harm.

    Point four: we need resources for a rapid and just transition that advances human rights, including the right to a healthy environment...

    In every country, we also need to see full participation and consultation on environmental laws and measures – notably for those who are most at risk – and protection of people who raise concerns about environmental harm and the policies that produce them.  Bashing climate protests; designing laws that unfairly restrict activities that call the public’s attention to climate harms; and allowing attacks on activists to go unpunished: these are tactics that ultimately harm all States and all human beings. We need to fix this urgently. [see also: https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2023/10/15/climate-human-rights-defenders-increasingly-seen-as-eco-terrorists/]

    So: Conflict. Discrimination. Poverty. The suffocation of civic space. The triple planetary crisis. These are five immense challenges that threaten our rights and our world, and they fuel each other. We face the compounding effects of all of them – while also confronting a surge of new human rights challenges, notably in the digital realm, including artificial intelligence and surveillance.

    ……

    Over the past 75 years, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights has guided tremendous progress in countries across the world. It has inspired vibrant, creative, powerful activism and solidarity, empowering people to claim their rights and to engage actively in their communities and societies.

    How could such a simple text guide such profound transformation? Because “recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace.” Greater respect for human rights – all human rights, building on each other ­– constructs more sustainable development. More enduring peace. A safer future.

    This is an extraordinarily powerful truth…

    Economies and societies that are inclusive and participative; in which opportunities, resources and services are equitably shared; and where governance is accountable, deliver justice, opportunities and hope…

    And it is precisely in our era of rising storms that the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights can help us navigate to safety. Its essential values, which connect all of humanity, were set out to ward off horror and destruction, and they have been tried and tested. They embody the power of unity of purpose and the potential for transformative action – both within societies, and globally.

    It is absolutely critical, now – precisely in this time of terrible crisis – that we rekindle the spirit, impulse and vitality that led to the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, so that we can rebuild trust in each other, and move forward, united.

    https://www.ohchr.org/en/speeches/2023/11/our-utmost-priority-solutions-turk-tells-students

    see also: https://www.opportunitiesforafricans.com/office-of-the-high-commissioner-for-human-rights-un-ohchr-minorities-fellowship-programme-2024/

    This post was originally published on Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards.

  • Soltan Achilova – finalist MEA 2021 – denied travel to Geneva Human Rights Week

    On 21 November, 2023 the Martin Ennals Foundation, joined by HRW and the ISHR, issued the following statement:

    The Martin Ennals Foundation condemns the harassment of Soltan Achilova and her daughter by government authorities at Ashgabat airport and calls for Turkmen authorities to stop their reprisals against journalists for their human rights work.

    In the early hours of November 18th, 2023, Mrs. Soltan Achilova and her daughter were stopped by Turkmen government officials from boarding their flight for Switzerland. A customs official took their passports, wet them with a damp rag and declared the passports to be ruined, effectively obstructing Soltan from traveling to Geneva where she would feature as a keynote speaker at the University of Geneva’s Human Rights Week 2023.

    This act of harassment and denial of freedom of movement is particularly reprehensible in that it comes only a few days after Turkmenistan’s 4th Universal Periodic Review, during which high-level government representatives expressed their “support for …the promotion and protection of fundamental freedoms and human rights“, giving multiple examples of their progress in terms of respect for freedom of expression.

    Soltan Achilova believes she was not allowed to leave the country because of the authorities’ fear that negative information might be heard during the Human Rights week in Geneva. Yet, the obstruction from travel of an internationally recognized human rights defender is more striking evidence of the lack of freedoms in the country and the bad faith with which the Turkmenistan government engages with the Human Rights Council.  

    Turkmenistan is one of the most repressive and isolated countries in the world, ranking 176th out of 180 countries in terms of press freedom and working conditions for journalists. Soltan has been reporting about her country for more than a decade. Her pictures of daily life are one of the few sources of documentation of human rights violations occurring in this most secretive nation. In 2021, Soltan was recognized by the Martin Ennals Award for her documentation of land grabs and forced evictions of ordinary citizens in Ashgabat.

    Soltan has not been allowed to travel freely outside of her country on several occasions. She is under constant surveillance by Turkmen authorities and has suffered numerous incidents of harassment, intimidation, and threats. Despite the challenges, Soltan persists in her human rights work, regularly sending information and pictures  outside of the country so that government authorities are held to account.

    We renew calls for Turkmenistan to fully implement their human rights obligations, including, inter alia, allowing human rights defenders and journalists to conduct their work peacefully. We invite Member States accompanying the 4th Universal Periodic Review of Turkmenistan to strongly sanction the silencing of Soltan Achilova and other Turkmen journalists.

    For more on Soltan: https://youtu.be/7xkSvMXaZUU?si=JhWOrMxs4yQQ2wz8

    Soltan Achilova MEA2021 denied travel to Geneva Human Rights Week

    https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/11/21/turkmenistan-journalist-prevented-travelling-abroad

    https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/statement-report/turkmenistan-whrd-soltan-achilova-denied-travel-geneva-human-rights-week

    This post was originally published on Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards.

  • Turkmenistan through the eyes of photojournalist Soltan Achilova, master class 21 November

    Turkmenistan through the eyes of photojournalist Soltan Achilova
    Join us for a Master Class on Turkemnistan at UNIGE Human Rights Week, Tuesday Nov. 21 @12h30-14h !

    The World Press Freedom Index ranked Turkmenistan one of the five most repressive regimes globally in 2023.
    Martin Ennals Award Finalist Soltan Achilova is a 74 years-old photojournalist who captures the lives of ordinary people in Turkmenistan with her camera. Soltan’s pictures describing food insecurity, forced and illegal evictions, lack of adequate healthcare and the discrimination faced by people with disabilities, are an invaluable source of information on human rights violations endured by the people of Turkmenistan. In collaboration with the University of Geneva Human Rights Week this event will explore how independent journalism can push back on the denial of freedom of expression in the toughest authoritarian contexts.


    Free Entry
    Tuesday Nov    . 21, 2023
    12h30-14h
    Unimail Salle MS150

    see also: https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2021/02/23/soltan-achilova-has-issued-a-rare-rebuke-of-the-turkmen-president-on-youtube/

    https://mailchi.mp/martinennalsaward.org/invitation-turkmenistan-master-class-unige-9415682?e=2898c3ec1a

    This post was originally published on Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards.

  • Human Rights Defender Advocacy Programme 2024: applications now open

    Are you a human rights defender keen to use the UN to push for change at home? If so, apply for the 2024 edition of ISHR’s flagship training, the Human Rights Defender Advocacy Programme (HRDAP)!

    After a successful hybrid programme launched  in 2023, ISHR is pleased to launch the call for application for the 2024 edition of the Human Rights Defender Advocacy Programme (HRDAP), which will again take place both remotely and in Geneva! Below are some important dates to take into account before applying:

    • Mandatory distance learning course: 8 April – 3 June 2024 (part time)
    • In-person course in Geneva: 5- 15 June 2024 (full time)
    • Deadline to apply: 10 January 2024, midnight CET (Geneva Time)
    • Programme description with all the information can be downloaded here.
    • Application form can be found here.

    The course equips human rights defenders with the knowledge and skills to integrate the UN human rights system into their existing work at the national level in a strategic manner, and provides an opportunity for participants to prepare for and engage in advocacy activities at the UN with the aim to effect change back home.

    Defenders will complete a 10-week hybrid learning programme, online and offline, which will include:

    • Access to the HRDAP Platform, where they can complete e-learning courses on each key UN human rights mechanism and on advocacy strategies, access interactive learning materials and case studies on the ISHR Academy
    • Take part in live Q&A sessions with human rights experts
    • Receive a continuous advocacy support and coaching in order to develop concrete advocacy objectives to make strategic use of the international human rights system
    • Build networks around the world, and learn from peers from a range of regions working on a range of human rights issues
    • Apply their knowledge to case-studies scenarios and enhance their advocacy toolbox according to their specific needs
    • Receive support and advocacy accompaniment to conduct activities during the 56th and 57th Human Rights Council sessions and other relevant opportunities.

    Participants will have the unique opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills while being in Geneva and practice, meet and share with their peers and experts. The blended format of the course allows defenders to continue their vital work on the ground, while diving into the inner workings of each key UN human rights mechanism, and gaining first-hand experience from advocates and UN staff on how civil society can strategically engage in the international human rights space.  

    By participating in HRDAP, defenders:

    1. Gain knowledge and tools, which they can use to ensure their voice is central in international human rights decision-making
    2. Explore and compare the benefits of engagement with the Human Rights Council, the Special Procedures, the OHCHR, the Universal Periodic Review and the Treaty Bodies, and examine how they can use them to bolster their work at the national level
    3. Develop strategies and lobbying techniques to increase the potential of their national and regional advocacy work

    Could you be one of our 2024 participants?

    This programme is directed at experienced human rights defenders working in non-governmental organisations, with existing advocacy experience at the national level and some prior knowledge of the international human rights system.

    ISHR supports, and promotes solidarity with and between, defenders working in the following areas or contexts, which we recognise as intersectional and interdependent:

    1. Equality, dignity and non-discrimination
    2. Environmental justice and sustainability
    3. International accountability for the repression of human rights defenders
    4. Transparency and rule of law

    The hybrid programme will bring together around 16 committed human rights defenders from different backgrounds, who work on a wide range of areas that are linked with our programmes to ensure a sustainable collaboration. This can include, but is not limited to, defenders working on the following thematics: women rights; business, environment and human rights; the human rights of LGBTIQ+ persons; anti-racism; reclaiming civil society space and increasing protection of human rights defenders. 

    What do former HRDAPers say?

    16 human rights defenders from 15 countries took part in the last edition, HRDAP23. At the end of the training, 98% of the participants were either extremely satisfied or very satisfied with the programme and also felt that they would be able to apply what they learnt to their own day-to-day work. Find out more about the outcomes of HRDAP23 and where they are four months later, here.

    See also: https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2023/07/26/the-story-of-camila-zuluaga-hrd-from-colombia/. More testimonials from HRDAP23 here. 

    How to apply?

    First, download and read carefully the HRDAP 2024 Programme Description to find out more about modalities, requirements and funding. If you meet the criteria, take some time to apply using this online form before midnight Geneva time on Wednesday 10 January 2024!

    As only a limited number of human rights defenders are able to participate in HRDAP each year, in addition to our range of guides and handbooks, ISHR has developed an e-learning space in English, French and Spanish to help human rights defenders strengthen their advocacy skills with the UN for greater impact on the ground: the ISHR Academy. The learning modules demystify the UN human rights system and build capacity to push for change. Discover new tools, insider tips, defender stories, and more!

    For more information, please contact us : training@ishr.ch 

    https://ishr.ch/latest-updates/hrdap-2024-apply-now-for-ishrs-hybrid-training-for-human-rights-defenders/

    This post was originally published on Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards.

  • UN Secretary-General’s Report 2022/23 on Reprisals : lack of progress

    On Monday 18 September, over 50 activists, members of civil society organisations and diplomatic partners gathered on Geneva’s Place des Nations, unfurling a giant banner celebrating the right to defend human rights, as enshrined in the foundational UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.

    The banner and gathering were meant to mark the 25th anniversary of the Declaration, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1998. The document explicitly laid out the rights of human rights defenders and the protection owed to them by governments and businesses, emphasising that everyone has the right to advocate and defend rights and fundamental freedoms.

    On 28 September 2023, the UN Secretary-General’s report on reprisals was presented, which covers the period from 1 May 2022 to 30 April 2023. Over 220 individuals and 25 organizations in 40 countries across the world faced threats and retaliation from State and non-State actors for cooperating with the UN on human rights.

    Human rights defenders and other civil society actors are increasingly under surveillance and continued to face legal proceedings, travel bans and threats, and be given prison sentences for cooperating with the UN and the UN’s human mechanisms.

    “A global context of shrinking civic space is making it increasingly difficult to properly document, report and respond to cases of reprisals, which means that the number is likely much higher,” said Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Ilze Brands Kehris in her presentation to the Human Rights Council in Geneva. [see also: https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2020/11/16/new-assistant-secretary-general-wants-to-improve-civil-society-participation-in-the-general-assembly/]

    Among the growing trends noted in the report is the increase in people either choosing not to cooperate with the UN due to concerns for their safety, or only doing so if kept anonymous. 

    Victims and witnesses in two-thirds of the States listed in the report requested anonymous reporting of reprisals, compared with one-third in last year’s report.  And most people who reported facing reprisals for their cooperation with the Security Council and its peace operations, as well as with the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues did so on the condition of anonymity.

    A second trend was the increasing surveillance of those who cooperate or attempt to cooperate with the UN, being reported in half of the countries named in the report.  An increase in physical surveillance by State actors was also noted, likely linked to the return to in-person forms of engagement with the UN.

    Third, almost forty-five per cent of the in the report continued to apply or enact new laws and regulations concerning civil society, counter-terrorism and national security, which punish, deter or hinder cooperation with the UN and its human rights mechanisms. 
    These legislative frameworks represent severe obstacles to long-standing human rights partners of the UN worldwide, and were used to outlaw some of them, raid their offices, and question, threaten or try their staff.

    Finally, the specificity and severity of acts of reprisals against women and girls, which constitute half of the victims in this year’s report, was once again identified with concern.

    Most of them are human rights defenders and civil society representatives targeted for their cooperation with UN human rights mechanisms and peace operations, but there is also a significant number of judicial officers and lawyers subjected to reprisals for their cooperation with the UN in search of accountability and remedy.

    “We have a duty to those who put their trust in us,” said Brands Kehris. “That is why at the UN, we are determined to live up to our collective responsibility to prevent and address intimidation and reprisals against those who cooperate with the organization and its human rights mechanisms.” 

    The 40 States referred to in the report are: Algeria, Afghanistan, Andorra, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Burundi, Cameroon, China, Colombia, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, France, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Maldives, Mali, Mexico, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Pakistan, the Philippines, Qatar, the Russian Federation, South Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Viet Nam, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of), Yemen, and the State of Palestine.

    The full report at A/HRC/54/61

    https://ishr.ch/latest-updates/defenders-gather-before-the-un-headquarters-to-call-for-better-protection-of-their-work/

    This post was originally published on Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards.

  • Side event on the 25th Anniversary of the UN Declaration on human rights defenders

    The last 25 years have seen significant developments in international law and standards on the role, recognition and protection of human rights defenders. Five years ago, the Human Rights Defenders World Summit called for action, including to: “Take stock of the developments in normative frameworks related to the protection of defenders since 1998 and further develop and deepen the norms contained in the Declaration with the view to afford enhanced protection”. [see: https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2019/11/01/one-year-after-the-2018-human-rights-defenders-world-summit/ as well as: https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2018/12/18/premiere-powerful-video-summarizes-human-rights-defenders-world-summit-2018/]. The Declaration +25 Project is a civil society-led initiative that seeks to do just that while putting civil society at the centre of a conversation fundamental to them and their work – the right to defend rights.

    A bit too late to actually follow the event (which took place on 20 June), I like to draw attention to the programme. The event was live-streamed on ISHR’s YouTube channel.

    This side event, which is co-sponsored by a number of civil society organisations,

    wanted to: 

    • enhance awareness of the UN Declaration on human rights defenders, and of the Declaration +25 Project;
    • present developments in the last 25 years in international law and standards on the role, recognition and protection of human rights defenders;
    • encourage greater dialogue on the protection needs of defenders;
    • hear from human rights defenders on their protection needs and the role the Declaration has played to date. 

    Speakers: 

    • Ketakandriana Rafitoson, Transparency International – Initiative Madagascar
    • Camila Zuluaga Hoyos, Colombian Commission of Jurists 
    • Robby Mokgalaka, The Groundwork Trust, South Africa
    • Birgit Kainz-Labbe, Coordinator of Civic Space Unit, OHCHR

    Moderator: Tess McEvoy, International Service for Human Rights

    https://mailchi.mp/ishr/human-rights-council-elections-discussions-of-candidates-aspirations-and-visions-in-new-york-and-geneva-33909?e=d1945ebb90

    https://forum-asia.org/?p=38306

    This post was originally published on Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards.

  • ‘If we knew that there were landmines in Geneva, would we accept that?’

    From Afghanistan to Ukraine, the survivors of some of the world’s worst conflicts live in fear of landmines killing them or their children.

    The UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) coordinates the Organization’s work to rid the world of mines, explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive devices.

    Ahead of Mine Action Week beginning 19 June, which brings major demining stakeholders to Geneva, UNMAS Director of Policy Abigail Hartley sat down with UN News’s Dominika Tomaszewska-Mortimer to express sadness at the deaths last week of 27 civilians – most of them minors – killed by unexploded ordnance in the Lower Shabelle region of Somalia.

    The UN mine action service veteran also shared her optimism that Ukraine will one day be mine-free, too.


    This content originally appeared on UN News – Global perspective Human stories and was authored by Dominika Tomaszewska-Mortimer.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • ISHR marking the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Declaration on human rights defenders

    To mark the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Declaration on human rights defenders in 1998, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders, Mary Lawlor, will focus on successes achieved by human rights defenders in her upcoming thematic report to the Human Rights Council. The report will demonstrate how the work of defenders is crucial in helping achieve more just and equitable societies. 

    This side event, which is co-sponsored by a number of States and organisations, including ISHR, will take place a day before the Special Rapporteur’s presentation of the report to the Human Rights Council and in addition to the Special Rapporteur herself, the panel will include a State representative who will outline how that State collaborated with defenders to bring about human rights gains. It will also include two defenders who will speak about successes they have achieved.

    Speakers: 

    • Mary Lawlor, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights Defenders
    • Gustavo Gallon, Permanent Representative of Colombia to the United Nations Office at Geneva
    • Tara Houska, US-based citizen of Couchiching First Nation, Environmental & Indigenous rights defender
    • Daniel Goinic, Human Rights Program Director at Legal Resources Centre in Moldova

    Moderator: Imogen Foulkes, BBC Correspondent in Geneva

    Due to space limitation, registration is mandatory to attend the event in-person: please click here to register. 

    The event will be live streamed on ISHR’s YouTube channel.

    https://ishr.ch/events/success-through-perseverance-solidarity-25-years-of-achievements-by-human-rights-defenders/

    This post was originally published on Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards.

  • 30 November: film screening; women human rights defenders in Latin America

    The illusion of abundance: Film screening and discussion

    In their film, Erika Gonzalez Ramirez and Matthieu Lietaert introduce us to Berta Cáceres, Carolina de Moura and Maxima Acuña, three women from Latin America defending their communities, land and livelihood against transnational corporations. b Fo rmore on Carceres, see: https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/tag/caceres/ as well as https://www.trueheroesfilms.org/thedigest/laureates/2AD0CEE4-80CB-3234-04B4-F2ED7ACBE6C5

    Their quest for corporate accountability brought the activists to Geneva, where ISHR accompanied them during the negotiations at the United Nations Palais des Nations on the elaboration of an international legally binding treaty that seeks to regulate, in international human rights law, the activities of transnational corporations. 

    • Wednesday 30 November 2022, 1:20pm-2:40pm
       
    • Room XVIII, Palais des Nations, Geneva
       
    • Languages: movie in original version with English subtitles; discussion in English

    https://www.theillusionofabundance.earth/

    This post was originally published on Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards.