‘Environmental conservation requires the involvement of local communities living close to natural resources. These communities are key to effective protection and should be included in all decision-making processes to ensure their livelihood.’
Last month, human rights defenders from around the world excelled during ISHR’s flagship training– the Human Rights Defender Advocacy Programme (HRDAP24). For a week and a half, participants engaged with Special Procedures,diplomats and other stakeholders, read statements to the Human Rights Council, met with the OHCHR High Commissioner, Volker Turk, and more!
In São Tome and Principe, civil society knows very little about the instruments adopted by international and regional human rights protection mechanisms to protect their rights, and how these can be used in the event of a violation. A recent civil society workshop provided a first step to change this.
Between 9 and 11 July 2024, ISHR together with Colombian partners Asosciaciación Minga, the Colombian Commission of Jurists and the Somos Defensores Program organised a cross regional discussion on protection mechanisms for human rights defenders.
At the 56th session of the Human Rights Council, during the adoption of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) report of Chad, ISHR and the Ligue Tchadienne des Droits de l'Homme (LTDH) delivered a statement calling on Chad to strengthen the protection of civic space and ensure that freedom of peaceful assembly is protected.
During the 56th session of the Human Rights Council, the outcome of the 4th cycle UPR of the Republic of Congo was adopted. A joint statement by Christian Mounzeo on behalf of ISHR and the Rencontre pour la Paix et les Droits de l’Homme (RPDH) called on the government to adopt a national law to protect and promote the rights of defenders.
At the adoption of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) report for Mauritius by the Human Rights Council, ISHR and Dis-Moi delivered a joint statement calling on authorities to strengthen support for defenders and expand the mandate of the National Human Rights Commission.
As the Human Rights Council discussed the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) report for Nigeria, ISHR and Partnership for Justice urged authorities to ensure a safe and enabling environment for human rights defenders.
Civil society calls on the international community to protect civilians and to urge fighting parties to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law. This includes ending all forms of targeting of civilians on the basis of ethnic or political affiliations. Civil society further calls for fair trials and an end to the death penalty in Sudan.
ISHR has published ‘scorecards’ for States seeking election to the UN Human Rights Council for 2025-2027 to help inform voting States’ decisions in the upcoming election.
