share information on human rights defenders, with special focus on human rights awards and laureates
Today the OHCHR announces a series of one-pagers (two-sided!) that provide concise and practical information on complex human rights issues:
Core human rights in the two Covenants
Free, prior and informed consent of indigenous peoples
Gender-related killings of women and girls
Maternal mortality and morbidity and human rights
National action plans against racial discrimination
(Indigenous people in Totonicapán, Guatemala. Photo: OHCHR/Rolando Alfaro)
Yesterday’s post about the G.A. report of UN Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders pointing to the pressure on environmental HRDs, is followed immediately by another on a similar topic: on 28 October 2013 the ‘UN Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises‘ made its report to the General Assembly and concludes that States and corporations need to do more to prevent the violation of indigenous peoples’ rights as a result of business-related activities.
The next thematic report of the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, Margaret Sekaggya, to the General Assembly in October 2013 will focus on the links between large-scale development projects and a safe and enabling
To this end, the Special Rapporteur is requesting Member States, national human rights institutions, non-governmental organizations and regional human rights mechanisms to answer a questionnaire. If you would like to contribute to this exercise, kindly complete the questionnaire and send it to defenders@ohchr.org. Deadline: 24 June 2013!. Should you have any question, please send an e-mail to the same address. Questionnaire to be found via Questionnaire on large-scale development.
A specialised but very concrete source of assistance is announced : the Fund for Indigenous Peoples Human Rights Defenders at Risk for urgent needs of indigenous human rights defenders, funded by the EU
via Asia: Fund For Indigenous Peoples Human Rights Defenders At Risk.
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 