300+ NGOs urge UN to ensure defenders can continue to participate online

UPDATE: Read the UN Secretary-General’s response to the letter here.

The undersigned civil society organisations are writing to express our great concern regarding issues of access and participation at the UN Human Rights Council, Treaty Bodies and related mechanisms. We recall the letter signed by 40 civil society organisations on 23 June 2023 welcoming the agreement between the Secretary-General and the President of the Human Rights Council for the 17th cycle to maintain hybrid modalities of participation throughout 2023 and urging the competent bodies to create a mandate that would allow for the consolidation of said modalities.

We deeply regret, however, that the 5th Committee of the General Assembly and its relevant subsidiary bodies in New York failed to provide the required mandate and legislative framework upon which such modalities could have been permanently adopted for 2024. We regret further that, in the recent UPR 45th session, the United Nations Offices at Geneva (UNOG)  did not provide modalities for live online participation, as it maintained that it has no mandate for providing hybrid services. Similarly, we are extremely concerned by the negative impact that these measures are having on the functioning of those Treaty Bodies that are currently in session or that will soon begin their sessions, as the online participation of numerous civil society representatives that were scheduled to interact with Treaty Bodies have been cancelled, while hybrid and online meetings are still allowed for States upon request.

We join States in Geneva in expressing our deep concern about the significant negative impact of the lack of provision for live online participation tools on the inclusivity and universality of all UN human rights bodies and mechanisms, including the Human Rights Council, UPR and Treaty Bodies. Civil society organisations have long demanded effective means for remote participation, due to the glaring obstacles faced by rights holders and victims and survivors of violations, as well as people from marginalised and vulnerable communities, in accessing multilateral spaces, including, but not limited to, denial of visas, resource challenges, travel costs, environmental considerations, security concerns and accessibility for people with disabilities. 

For the past four years, the Human Rights Council and other human rights mechanisms in Geneva have set an excellent example for the UN-wide system and strengthened their work through live online interventions and pre-recorded videos, coupled with in-person interventions. These interventions have improved diversity and accessibility and brought defenders and victims of violations closer to the UN human rights system, in turn making the UN more relevant to rights holders. It is disheartening that we now face discontinuation of best practices rather than adoption across the UN mechanisms.

As illustrated by the High Commissioner’s landmark report A/HRC/51/13, ‘the recipe for effective crisis response and for trust and resilience is a more systematic investment in meaningful, safe and inclusive participation at all levels, coupled with effective measures to protect access to information and an enabling environment for debate as well as the security and holistic protection of those who speak up’.

Additionally, as we have emphasised on different occasions, Geneva is the central hub for human rights conferences at the UN level, and urgent action should be taken to mitigate its contributions to the climate crisis. While in-person meetings are necessary, the possibility of intervention through online participation allows the UN to align its practices with the urgency of reducing carbon emissions. With the HRC sessions getting longer, and the unmitigated planetary crisis, sustainability must be a priority. Ensuring modalities for remote participation also contributes to building greater engagement and ownership of norms and standards. 

The undersigned organisations respectfully urge you to:

• Similarly to 2023, ensure that the necessary provisional arrangements are put in place to allow the UN human rights bodies and mechanisms, including the Human Rights Council and its mechanisms as well as the Treaty Bodies and other mechanisms, to continue to make live online participation available through Zoom, WebEx or other tools in all in-person meetings, both formal and informal, in all its sessions throughout 2024, until mandated otherwise, following the good practices consolidated during the business continuity scheme and the previous arrangements between the Council’s Presidency and the Secretary-General.
• Ensure that UNOG and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) have the budget and mandate to provide all stakeholders engaging with the UN human rights bodies, including the Human Rights Council and its mechanisms, as well as the Treaty Bodies and other mechanisms, with the necessary channels to participate in meetings via  Zoom, WebEx or other relevant platforms.
• Insofar as is necessary and appropriate, address these challenges with the 5th Committee and relevant subsidiary bodies to ensure that the framework and technical requirements for hybrid and virtual services are put in place permanently for the effective participation of all stakeholders, in particular the beneficiaries of the UN system, including human rights defenders, and civil society organisations.

Signatories (updated on a rolling basis)*:

1. “All for Education!” National Civil society Coalition
2. “Hope For Children” CRC Policy Center
3. 4Métrica
4. A E Hanlon
5. ABC Nepal (Agro- Forestry Basic Health and cooperative Nepal)
6. ABC TAMIL OLI
7. Acceso a la Justicia
8. Acción Solidaria
9. Action Canada for Sexual Health and RIghts
10. Action pour les Personnes Vulnérables (APV)
11. ACTION SRI LANKA
12. ADALAH- The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel
13. AJIS Association Jeunesse Insertion Solidarite
14. Akahata – Equipo de trabajo en sexualidades y géneros
15. Al Mezan Center for Human Rights
16. Alana Institute
17. Albinism Society of Eswatini ASESWA
18. AlertaVenezuela
19. Al-Haq, Law in the Service of Man
20. All Survivors Project
21. Amazon Watch
22. Amnesty International
23. Anti-Slavery International
24. APIB – Articulation of the Indigenous Peoples of Brazil
25. APLE Cambodia
26. Aquarius Supervivientes
27. OMBUDS OF THE BASQUE COUNTRY
28. Arisa
29. Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)
30. Asociación Mujeres Sin Fronteras
31. Associação EuSouEu-A Ferrugem
32. Association Arc en ciel
33. ASSOCIATION BHARATHI CENTRE CULTUREL FRANCO-TAMOUL
34. Association caritative étudiante pour la jeunesse
35. ASSOCIATION CULTURELLE DES TAMOULS EN France
36. Association de Défense et de Promotion des Droits de l’Homme (ADEAGE)
37. Association de Developpement et de la promotion de Droit de l’Homme
38. Association des étudiants tamouls de France
39. Association des jeunes femmes pour la culture et le développement D’Haiti
40. ASSOCIATION DES JURISTES SPECIALISES EN DROITS ETRANGERS (A.J.S.D.E.).
41. ASSOCIATION DROIT ET TALENTS DE FEMMES
42. Association for emancipation solidarity and equality of women – ESE
43. Association for Progressive Communications (APC)
44. Association for the Prevention of Torture
45. Association Humaniste de France
46. ASSOCIATION LUTTE CONTRE LA VIOLENCE FAITE AUX FEMMES
47. Association Pour La Diffusion Des Droits De L’homme Dans L’universite De Lyon
48. Association Pour la Solidarité Internationale
49. Association pour le Droit de l’Homme et Le Développement Durable
50. ASSOCIATION THENDRAL
51. AsyLex
52. ATD Fourth World
53. Austrian League for Human Rights
54. AWID
55. AYTAÇ VISUAL IMPAIRED VILLAGE
56. Border Violence Monitoring Network
57. Boutokaan Inaomataia ao Mauriia Binabinaine Association (BIMBA)
58. Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS)
59. Caleidoscopio Humano
60. Campaña Latinoamericana por el Derecho a la Educación-CLADE
61. Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children (CCRC)
62. Canadian Peace Initiative (CPI)
63. CARE International
64. Caribbean Association for Youth Development (CAYD)
65. Casacidn de Argentina.Comite Argentino de Derechos del Niño d de la Niña
66. Catwlac- chapitre Haïtien
67. Center for Human Rights Defenders and Justice (CDJ)
68. Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL)
69. Center for Migration, Gender, and Justice
70. Center for the human rights of children, Loyola University Chicago School of Law
71. Central Union for Child Welfare, Finland
72. Centre for Child Law
73. Centre for Civil and Political Rights (CCPR-Centre)
74. Centre for Democracy and Human Rights (CDD)
75. Centre for Human Rights and Development
76. Centre International de Conseil, de Recherche et d’Expertise en Droits de l’Homme (CICREDHO)
77. Centre on Drug Policy Evaluation
78. Centro de Animación Juvenil
79. Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales (CELS)
80. Centro de Justicia y Paz – Cepaz
81. Chair of Rights Human of the University Western Center Lisandro Alvarado
82. Child Rights Coalition Asia (CRC Asia)
83. Child Rights Coalition Cambodia (CRC-Cambodia)
84. Child Rights Connect
85. Child Rights International Network (CRIN)
86. Children First Canada
87. Children’s Fund of Kazakhstan
88. Children’s Institute, University of Cape Town
89. Children’s Parliament
90. Children’s Rights Alliance for England, part of Just for Kids Law
91. CHOICE for Youth and Sexuality
92. Citizens Advice Newcastle
93. Citizens Commission on Human Rights Europe (CCHR Europe)
94. CIVICUS
95. Civil Liberties Union for Europe
96. Civilis Derechos Humanos
97. Clean Air Action Group (Hungary)
98. Clima21
99. CNAPE
100. Coalizão Negra por Direiros
101. Colectivo Artesana
102. Colectivo de Derechos de Infancia y Adolescencia de Argentina
103. Collectif des Ligues et Associations de Defense des Droits de l’Homme au Rwanda ”CLADHO”
104. Collective Campaign for Peace (COCAP)
105. COLTE/CDE Guinée
106. Comisión de DDHH de la Federación Venezolana de Colegios de Abogados del estado Apure
107. COMITÉ/CLUB UNESCO UNIVERSITAIRE POUR LA LUTTE CONTRE LZ DROGUE(CLUCOD)
108. Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI)
109. Community Self Reliance Centre (CSRC)
110. Conectas Direitos Humanos
111. Conenfoque
112. Conflict Victims’ Society for Justice
113. Conscience and Peace Tax International (CPTI)
114. CONSEIL DES ORGANISATIONS DE LUTTE CONTRE L’ ABUS DROGUES DE CÔTE D’IVOIRE(CONAD-CI)
115. Convention Against Enforced Disappearances Initiative (CEDI)
116. Corporación Programa La Caleta
117. Count Me In! Consortium comprised of Association of Women’s Rights in Development (AWID), Mama Cash, CREA, JASS, Urgent Action Fund and Urgent Action Fund-Africa, and strategic partners Red Umbrella Fund (RUF) and Dutch gender platform WO=MEN
118. CRCA/ECPAT Albania
119. Defence for Children International
120. Defence For Children International Canada
121. Défenseurs plus
122. Derechos Digitales · América Latina
123. Disability Federation Ireland
124. DONCEL
125. Državljan D / Citizen D
126. Due Process of Law Foundation
127. Dutch NGO Coalition on Children’s Rights | Kinderrechtencollectief
128. Edmund Rice International
129. Egyptian Coalition for Child Rights
130. Egyptian Foundation for the Advancement of Childhood Conditions (DCI EGYPT)
131. Enfants Solidaires d’Afrique et du Monde (ESAM)
132. Equality Now
133. Equipo Decenio Afrodescendiente- España
134. ETUDIANTS POUR UNE SOCIETE DURABLE PARIS
135. European Network on Statelessness
136. FEED
137. Feminist Dalit Organization Nepal
138. FIAN International
139. FIAN Norway
140. FIDH
141. Finnish League for Human Rights
142. Finnish Society of Social Rigths
143. FIRST CHILDREN’S EMBASSY IN THE WORLD MEGJASHI
144. Fondation « Zanmi Timoun
145. Franciscans International
146. Freedom Now
147. Freer Press Unlimited
148. Fundacion Aguaclara
149. Fundación Cónclave Investigativo de las Ciencias Jurídicas Y Sociales (CIJYS)
150. Fundación Grupo de Apoyo Mutuo
151. Fundación Karisma
152. Fundacion Nuevas Bandas
153. FundaRedes
154. Geledés – Instituto da Mulher Negra
155. Geneva Human Rights Platform
156. Global Alliance against Traffic in Women
157. Global Campaign for Education
158. Global Detention Project
159. GLOBAL HEALTH ACCESS INITIATIVE-LESOTHO
160. Globe International Center
161. Greek Helsinki Monitor
162. Haïti débout pour les droits des enfants
163. Halley Movement
164. Harm Reduction International
165. Háttér Society
166. HIV Legal Network/Réseau juridique VIH
167. Hivos
168. org
169. Hong Kong Committee in Norway
170. Human Rights Center for Citizens of Mongolia, NGO
171. Human Rights Cities Network (HRCN)
172. Human Rights House Foundation
173. Human Rights Watch
174. Humanists Interntional
175. Humanists UK
176. Hungarian Helsinki Committee
177. Hungarian Women’s Lobby
178. IFEX
179. Iinternational Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)
180. ILGA World
181. IMPETUS
182. Independent academic & migration-health justice advocate
183. Initiative citoyenne pour la promotion des jeunes Leader (ICEPJL)
184. Institute for NGO Research
185. Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion
186. Instituto RIA, AC
187. International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI)
188. International Catholic Child Bureau
189. International Coalition for Children with Incarcerated Parents
190. International Commission of Jurists
191. International Disability Alliance
192. International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights
193. International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA)
194. International Planned Parenthood Federation – IPPF
195. International Play Association – Canada Branch
196. International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)
197. International Social Service – General Secretariat
198. International Tibet Network
199. International Women’s Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific (IWRAW AP)
200. Irídia – Center for Human Rights
201. Irish Council for Civil Liberties
202. JASS – Just Associates
203. JEUNESSE ETUDIANTE TAMOULE
204. Juristes pour l’enfance
205. Just Fair
206. Justiça Global
207. Justice & Peace
208. Justicia Encuentro y Perdón
209. Kenya Alliance for Advancement of Children
210. La Caleta
211. Laboratorio de Paz
212. Latvian Protect the Children – Glabiet bernus
213. Lawyers for Justice in Libya (LFJL)
214. LE CONSEIL INTERNATIONAL POUR LES DROITS DE L’HOMME
215. LE PONT
216. Legal Literacy – Nepal
217. Les Caribous Libérés
218. LGBT CENTRE MONGOLIA
219. Maat for Peace, Development and Human Rights
220. Make Mothers Matter (MMM)
221. Mental Health Reform
222. Methoria
223. MINUSCA
224. Mobile Info Team
225. Molo Songololo
226. Mongolian Education Alliance
227. Mongolian Family Welfare Association
228. Mongolian Women’s Employment Supporting Federation NGO
229. Monitor de Derechos Humanos
230. MOSCTHA
231. MOVIMIENTO MOVILIZANDONOS por una cultura de DERECHOS DE NIÑOS, NIÑAS Y ADOLESCENTES EN CHILE
232. National Center Against Violence
233. National Harm Reduction Coalition
234. National Secular Society
235. Netherlands Helsinki Committee
236. NGO for Children Confederation
237. No Permitas Malos Tratos
238. Norwegian Helsinki Committee
239. Norwegian Peoples Aid
240. Norwegian Students’ and Academics’ International Assistance Fund – SAIH
241. Observatorio Venezolano de Prisiones
242. Observatorio Venezolano Derechos Humanos Mujeres
243. Observatory of Women Human Rights
244. ONG Synergies & Développement (SYDEV)
245. Oyu Tolgoi Watch
246. Panamerican and Caribbean Union for Human Rights -PACUHR-
247. Paradigm Initiative
248. Peace Brigades International
249. PeACE-ONG
250. Penal Reform International
251. People Forum for Human Rights(people Forum)
252. People´s Health Movement – PHM
253. Plan International
254. Plataforma de Infancia
255. Polish Foster Care Coalition (in Polish: Koalicja na rzecz Rodzinnej Opieki Zastępczej)
256. POS Foundation
257. POURAKHI Nepal
258. PRAKSIS
259. Presentation Sisters in Ireland & England
260. Privacy International
261. Programa Venezolano de Educación Acción en Derechos Humanos (Provea)
262. PROMEDEHUM
263. Psychological Responsiveness NGO, Mongolia
264. Punanga Tauturu Inc
265. QADER for Community Development
266. RAJES
267. Realizing Sexual and Reproductive Justice
268. Red para la Infancia y la Familia – Peru
269. Red Umbrella Fund
270. REDE DE MULHERES NEGRAS DE PRNAMBUCO
271. Rede Nacional de Feministas Antiproibicionistas
272. Rede Nacional de Mulheres Negras no Combate à Violência
273. RÉSEAU DES ASSOCIATIONS ET CLUBS UNESCO UNIVERSITAIRES DE CÔTE D’IVOIRE ( CAU-CI)
274. RÉSEAU DES ONG ACTIVES POUR LE CONTRÔLE DU TABAC (ROCTA-CI)
275. Réseau des Organisations de la Société Civile pour l’Observation et le Suivi des Elections en Guinée – ROSE
276. Reseau Guineen des Maisons et Foyers des jeunes et de la culture REGUIMAJEC
277. RESET, Politicas de drogas y derechos humanos, Argentina
278. Right to Education Initiative
279. Rivers without Boundaries Coalition
280. Rural Reconstruction Nepal
281. Ruşen Yakut
282. Rutgers
283. SAMAAP
284. Save the Children
285. Save the Children South Africa NPC
286. Sayanaa Wellbeing Association
287. Sex og Politikk (IPPF Norway)
288. Sexual Rights Initiative
289. Shakti Samuha
290. Sisters Trust
291. Skoun, Lebanese Addictions Center
292. South African Child Rights Coalition
293. Stepping Stones International
294. Steps Without Borders NGO
295. org / Zwischengeschlecht.org
296. Suomen Setlementtiliitto
297. TACTEENNAEIL_ECPAT KOREA
298. TAMIL UZHAGAM
299. Tamil-Style
300. Tanzania Child Rights Forum
301. TB-Net
302. Terre des Hommes International Federation
303. The Advocates for Human Rights
304. The Coalition of Finnish Women’s Associations NYTKIS
305. The Concerned Japanese Citizens for The Rights of The Child to Eradicate Child Guidance Centre Sufferings (JCREC)
306. The Finnish Women´s Association Unioni
307. The Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
308. The Hong Kong Scots
309. The National Council of Women of Finland
310. The Norwegian Forum for Development and Environment (ForUM Norway)
311. The Norwegian Human Rights Fund
312. The Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara
313. The Norwegian Tibet Commitee
314. Tibet Justice Center
315. Together (Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights)
316. TOURNER LA PAGE
317. Transbantu Association Zambia
318. Transitional Justice Institute, Ulster University
319. Trasek
320. Treshold Association
321. UN CEDAW
322. UN Program, Occidental College
323. Una Ventana a la Libertad
324. Unicef DK – Greenland
325. UNICEF Ireland
326. Universal Rights Group
327. Urgent Action Fund for Feminist Activism
328. Vicaría de Derechos Humanos de la Arquidiócesis de Caracas
329. VRC Social Innovations Pty
330. WO=MEN Dutch Gender Platform
331. Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF)
332. Women’s World Summit Foundation
333. World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)
334. WORLD Policy Analysis Center, University of California Los Angeles
335. World Uyghur Congress
336. World Vision International

*This is a public letter, open to all who support civil society access and participation at the Human Rights Council. Signatures are collected on a rolling basis, and ISHR has not reviewed or vetted sign-ons.