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Defending rights during conflict is essential and the right to do so must be robustly promoted and protected. ISHR joins 37 national, regional and international NGOs to call on Human Rights Council members to support a strong resolution on human rights defenders operating in conflict and post-conflict situations that reflects the gravity of the situation faced and provides them with necessary protection and support.

The passage of a human rights defender resolution by the Third Committee of the GA by consensus, with 85 co-sponsors, is another important step in ongoing work to strengthen the promotion and protection of those who defend rights.

In a welcome move, Belgium, the Dominican Republic, Estonia, Germany, and the United Kingdom convened an unprecedented informal meeting of the Security Council to address reprisals against women human rights defenders and women peacebuilders who engage with the Security Council.

Civil society organisations welcomed significant outcomes of the Human Rights Council's 40th session, including the consensus adoption of a resolution on environmental human rights defenders, continued Council scrutiny over Sri Lanka, Myanmar, South Sudan, Syria and Iran, as well as initiation of Council action on Nicaragua and several joint statements on Saudi Arabia, Chechnya and Cameroon.

The UN Working Group on business and human rights, together with States, must consider the particular threats and attacks on defenders working on rights related to land and environment, ISHR and a group of environmental defenders told the Human Rights Council. ISHR also emphasised that States providing diplomatic support to business should also require a clear commitment to respect, consult and protect defenders.

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On 24 April 2018, ISHR organised a workshop in Nouakchott, Mauritania, to raise awareness on the existence of various diplomatic initiatives targeted at supporting human rights defenders, to assess their implementation in Africa, and to formulate recommendations to strengthen their scope and application.

The Third Committee of the General Assembly adopted - without a vote - a resolution marking the 20th anniversary of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders in 2018 and outlining a series of activities to encourage its promotion and implementation.

The Human Rights Council has united to adopt a consensus resolution on the protection of human rights defenders. The resolution, extending the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur, comes at a time when the work of defenders has never been more important nor more threatened.

Member States of the Human Rights Council should resist attempts to weaken the resolution mandating the UN’s expert on the protection of human rights defenders, the International Service for Human Rights said today.

Member States of the Human Rights Council should resist attempts to weaken the resolution mandating the UN’s expert on the protection of human rights defenders, the International Service for Human Rights said today.