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NGOs: Human rights defenders need greater protection

Human rights defenders across the Asia Pacific continue to face intimidation, harassment and attacks because of their work and need greater support from national human rights commissions in the region, NGO representatives told participants at the recent APF Annual Meeting in Kuala Lumpur.

A joint statement presented by NGOs highlighted the grave personal cost that some human rights defenders face in standing up for basic rights and freedoms, which in Iran included “systematic floggings, torture, stoning, mutilations, arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances”.

The International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) told the meeting: “In the absence of a regional human rights body, defenders turn to national human rights institutions for support and protection.”

More than 40 NGOs from across the region worked together during a parallel meeting to identify a number of practical steps that the APF and its member institutions could take to support human rights defenders.

The recommendations presented to the APF Annual Meeting included:

establishing a ‘focal point’ for human rights defenders in each APF member institution
integrating the issue of human rights defenders and women human rights defenders into each reference topic considered by the Advisory Council of Jurists
increasing collaboration and engagement between the APF and the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders
requesting that APF member institutions include a specific section in their annual reports on the steps they have taken to protect human rights defenders at the national level
developing a ‘human rights impact assessment tool’ that could be used to monitor policies that adversely affect economic, social and cultural rights.

Speaking after the conference, Andrea Rocca from the ISHR said it was vital that NGOs had the opportunity to participate in forums such as the APF Annual Meeting.

“It helps us to give visibility to the issues facing human rights defenders in the region, as well as provide national institutions with concrete suggestions to improve the protection they can provide to defenders,” he said.

“These recommendations are designed to build on the important functions and powers that national institutions already can use to support human rights defenders, such as receiving complaints and undertaking investigations.”

Another topic raised NGO representatives at APF 13 was the need to strengthen the relationship between NGOs and their national human rights institution, which some NGOs described as ‘rocky’.

“Establishing a process for regular consultations between NGOs and national institutions was seen as the key starting point,” said Rocca.

“Whether it is in relation to engaging with the international human rights system or discussing the impact of laws and policies that affect human rights and defenders at the country level, regular and genuine dialogue can help build productive relationships and better coordination between both groups.

“After all, while NGOs and national institutions have different roles, they both still work towards the same goal of promoting and protecting human rights,” he said.