“How to Respond to Challenges Facing Civil Society Organisations Working on Human Rights?” is the topic of a side event on Monday, 25 June 2018(12:30 – 14:00) at the Palais des Nations, Room XXIII.
Challenges to the work of civil society organisations exist in every part of the world and take a variety of forms. Based on recent reports on civil society space of the OHCHR and the EU Fundamental Rights Agency, this event gathers various stakeholders, including NGOs, governments, UN agencies and other intergovernmental organizations, to reinforce the importance of civil society engagement, and address the many challenges which hinder its effective functioning. This surely will include the question of reprisals against HRDs cooperating with the UN.
Questions to be addressed include: What are the major challenges facing civil society organisations? What are some examples of emerging good practices? How can we ensure that the needs of underrepresented parts of civil society are taken into account? What is the role of the Human Rights Council in ensuring a safe and enabling environment? Can we identify ways forward and concrete next steps?
SPEAKERS
- Ambassador Michael Gaffey, Permanent Representative of Ireland to the UN in Geneva
- Michael O’Flaherty, Director of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA)
- Lopa Banerjee, Director of UN Women’s Civil Society Division
- Peggy Hicks, Director of the Research and Right to Development Division of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
- Phil Lynch, Director of International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)
Moderator: Hilary Power, Amnesty International
For some of my earlier posts on this topic: https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/tag/civil-society-organisations/
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FEf6ho01IE65f0u84nY7cmlYlSdgBziS/view
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 
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