Webinar on submissions to UN Special Procedures

Despite the existence of national and international legal frameworks for the protection of human rights defenders and their working environment, attacks against defenders persist, even in countries that have adopted legislation recognising and protecting them. To address this lack of implementation, it is important for civil society actors to be aware of the options available to them at the international level, in particular by submitting cases of violations of defenders’ rights to human rights mechanisms and calling on them to raise these issues with the States concerned.

Several independent experts appointed by the United Nations (known as the Special Procedures) regularly shed light on these cases through ‘communications’, or urgent letters, addressed to States. Despite this opportunity, discussions with the United Nations Special Procedures working to protect human rights defenders reveal a very low number of cases being submitted from the African continent and, more specifically, from the West African region.

To address this shortcoming, the Network of Legal Professionals for the Protection of the Rights of Human Rights Defenders in Africa, in partnership with the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) and the UN Antiracism Coalition (UNARC), is organising a webinar on submissions to the United Nations Special Procedures.

Speakers: 

• Andrea Bolaños Vargas, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders
• UN Special Procedures Secretariat

This webinar will be provided in English, French and Portuguese (simultaneous interpretation). To attend, registration is mandatory. Only registered participants will receive the link to connect to the webinar.