Defending Rights: Human Rights Defenders in the Front Line

Summary

Human rights defenders are fundamental actors in any effort to implement the overall international human rights framework. Establishing promoting and sustaining democracy, maintaining international peace and security and providing or advancing a people oriented agenda for development cannot be accomplished without the contributions that human rights defenders make. The role of human rights defenders has attained a critical significance in the light of armed conflicts, political tensions, economic disparities and the erosion of human rights standards that mark the current global climate. Establishing promoting and sustaining democracy, maintaining international peace and security and advancing a people's agenda for development cannot be accomplished without their contributions.

Defenders bring to the fore information on the realities of situations to be addressed without which national and international efforts would be ineffective and contribute to poverty alleviation, humanitarian assistance, and post-conflict reconstruction, and to improving individual indicators of development such as access to health care and adult literacy, among many other activities. In situations of crises, their presence is known to have calmed situations and, at times, to prevent human rights violations from being committed. While support for human rights and democracy in structures of the State is slow to emerge, or may even have suffered a reversal in some cases, civil society has demonstrated a strong resolve to resist authoritarianism and oppression. Human rights defenders and other civil society actors have played a significant role in bringing recognition of the concepts of participatory democracy, transparency and accountability by both the state and the society. They are in the frontline striving to establish facts and bringing these to public attention, protecting and assisting victims and demanding for justice. When internal systems become unresponsive, it is human rights defenders who call for support from the international community.

This was not easily done. While their work is indispensable for any national or international system for the protection and promotion of human rights, defenders have suffered harm and face grievous threats to their life, liberty, security, independence and credibility. State apparatus, oppressive laws and other tools of repression continue to be used against defenders in attempts to deter them from their valuable work in defence of rights. Human rights defenders all over the world are subjected to assassinations, disappearances, illegal arrest and detention, and torture.