Poster from the Protest in New York on Black Lives Matter. © Photo: XYZ / Shutterstock
Everyone has the right to unhindered access to, and communication with, international bodies on matters of human rights and fundamental freedoms — free from intimidation and reprisals.
The right to safe and unhindered access to international and regional justice mechanisms, and to be free from any forms of intimidation or reprisals for seeking justice, is both a fundamental human right and essential to the relevance and effectiveness of these mechanisms.
The participation of human rights defenders in the work of international and regional mechanisms makes for better outcomes. Defenders bring crucial information and perspectives regarding human rights situations on the ground and international and regional mechanisms depend on that knowledge and input to make informed decisions.
Yet the right to unhindered access to and cooperation with human rights mechanisms is undermined systematically by many States through reprisals, intimidation and other obstacles aimed at creating fear or blocking access.
ISHR seeks to ensure that international and regional human rights systems have the mechanisms to prevent reprisals and ensure accountability where they occur. ISHR provides protective publicity to human rights defenders at risk and works to bring cases of alleged intimidation and reprisals to the attention of relevant officials in an effort to press for effective preventative measures and responses.
Each year the Secretary-General prepares a report that documents acts of intimidation and reprisals aimed at creating fear or blocking access to the United Nations of people who defend human rights .
In order to assist stakeholders with research, analysis and action on cases of reprisals and intimidation, ISHR has launched an online database compiling cases or situations of intimidation and reprisals documented by the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General since 2010.
Impressive new database launched by @ISHRglobal compiling data from over 10 years of @UN Secretary General reports on #reprisals against Human Rights Defenders and others.
A necessary tool in the fight to #EndReprisals 👉https://t.co/sP5ZAIImNg pic.twitter.com/4EzZDvPV7x
— Mary Lawlor UN Special Rapporteur HRDs (@MaryLawlorhrds) July 14, 2022
With ISHR’s #EndReprisals Database, users can more easily navigate the information contained in those reports, and research, analyse, and take action on the cases or situations so that together we can #EndReprisals.
Access the databaseCheck out all the latest updates to this topic.
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