Human rights defenders (HRDs) – activists, lawyers, academics, and members of human rights NGOs – work to promote and defend the most fundamental rights. They often face serious risks, including physical attacks, threats, smear campaigns, harassment, and even imprisonment.
While many States have affirmed their commitment to protecting HRDs, more must be done to bring international standards home.
Defend Human Rights
Human rights defenders like Mohamed Soltan act as our voice when governments fail to protect our shared right to free speech, access to health care or clean water, freedom from torture or discrimination, or to be safe at home and abroad. They peacefully step in, raising their voices and putting themselves at risk to advance our collective rights and build a more just world.
As a result of their work, some human rights defenders face significant risks, from smear campaigns to intimidation and threats, arbitrary arrest or lengthy judicial proceedings, enforced disappearance, or even murder. States also target them by using restrictive laws that slowly suffocate their work, such as banning their bank accounts or prohibiting them from receiving international donations.
States committed to recognizing HRDs must go beyond aspiration, ensuring that what they do at the UN level is interlinked with national implementation – and work with local partners to build safer spaces where defenders can operate.
Promote Human Rights
Human rights defenders are often at the forefront of raising awareness about poverty, corruption, inequality, and climate change issues. This usually involves advocacy and outreach at national, regional, or international levels.
Many people are compelled to be human rights defenders out of necessity, while others choose to champion the cause despite considerable adversity and pushback in their societies. They may work within large movements or as part of communities or NGOs and can be at risk of violence or even death.
To ensure that their work is heard, defenders face smear campaigns and other forms of intimidation, arbitrary arrest and lengthy legal proceedings, enforced disappearance, and, in some cases, murder. They also face restrictions on their freedom of speech and movement. OMCT and FIDH have worked to include their protection on the agenda of several intergovernmental organizations, such as the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the Council of Europe, the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, and the United Nations.
Represent Human Rights
The human rights movement is built upon people who advocate for others. They often do so at significant personal risk. They can face smear campaigns, surveillance, physical attacks, threats and intimidation, arbitrary arrest, or even enforced disappearance. They can also be subjected to lengthy judicial proceedings and other restrictions on freedom of association.
Defenders need to be able to work freely and without fear of reprisals. They must have access to basic needs, such as food and water, shelter, and medical treatment.
As a result of the dangerous environment they work in, State and non-state actors continue to misuse criminal law, including laws on terrorism, tax evasion, spreading fake news, or trespassing, to target human rights defenders. This can have devastating consequences for them and the communities they serve. It is, therefore, crucial that international standards are implemented locally and that defenders have the freedom to do their work.
Support Human Rights
The work of human rights defenders is critical to making governments more human rights compliant and authorities accountable. Unfortunately, defenders are increasingly under attack. Attacks include direct attacks on their credibility and security, closure of civic space to limit freedoms of expression, association, and assembly, and laws restricting foreign funding and prohibiting their work.
Human rights are indivisible and interdependent, meaning one right cannot exist without the others. For example, the right to live, which includes having access to medicine, food, and water, is not possible if you don’t have the right to speak freely.
As part of our commitment to human rights, the Carr Center has long hosted scholars at risk and human rights defenders. We believe that all individuals have a basic level of dignity that must be supported. This is the only way to make societies more just and peaceful. The progress that has been made – from the abolition of slavery to votes for women to the end of the death penalty to the gradual change in international culture – is due to the work of human rights defenders.
