Participants in Front Line
Seminar in Brussels

“How can development agencies protect human rights defenders?”, was the key question on the menu of an international conference organised on 15-16 October 2007 in Brussels. The conference brought together key development agencies, human rights defenders and representatives of the European Union.

Further Information

“As a local proverb in Sudan says, it is irrelevant to give a round of applause using one hand”, stated Dr Mudawi Ibrahim Adam, chair of the Sudan Social Development Organisation (SUDO), in his opening speech. “Development and respect for human rights are increasingly interrelated and promote each other. Without transparency, good governance, accountability and respect for human rights, development aid in an environment such as Sudan is just like throwing tax payers' money into the sea. Empowering human rights defenders should be, and must be, a prerequisite for any funding.”

The conference examined how development agencies - both governmental and non-governmental - could effectively participate in the protection of human rights defenders throughout the world. It was acknowledged that there is no development without respect for human rights, and there is no promotion of economic and social rights without freedom of expression and freedom of association. Although it appeared that given their growing exposure to and involvement in human rights-related activities, numerous development agencies have integrated a human rights-based approach into the design of their programmes, there is obvious room for improvement as regards implementation on the ground, more specifically regarding the involvement of human rights defenders, who should be seen as relevant actors, rather than 'dangerous' people that might create trouble and undermine aid programmes.

Examples were given of potential detrimental impact of development programmes in situations where human rights are violated. In Colombia, infrastructure programmes have led to forced evictions of populations; in Sudan, in a village called Kazgail, in North Kordufan State, clean water facilities built by a charity organisation were hijacked by a government agency, who now sells water to the villagers. Therefore, participants stressed the need for development programmes to implement a “do not harm” approach, with the active participation of local human rights defenders. This will help defenders work in a more open and secured environment.

Developing synergies between development agencies and human rights defenders is thus perceived as crucial for the effectiveness of aid programmes. “Development agencies must understand their own interest in such synergies,” underlined by a Member State representative. “If human rights defenders are not fully integrated in the whole process, from design to evaluation, development agencies may face problems on the ground. There is a need to break any closed circle, for example when training on human rights for policemen are conducted by other policemen.”

The last conference session focused on key political messages, such as building alliances and developing coherent and consistent EU policy. This would include better structures, processes and tools, at central and local levels. European Commission's representative from EuropeAid stressed the need for “developing skills, building confidence to overcome fears, envisaging conditionality as an incentive rather than punishment”. The Commission also mentioned the necessary reduction of the gap between policy and practice, through genuine dialogue between its Delegations and human rights defenders.

Devising local joint strategies in order to respond to the specific needs expressed by human rights defenders and the specific environment where development agencies work, is one of the concrete recommendations that came up from the conference. They may include awareness raising activities, training, outreach and advocacy on behalf of human rights defenders at risk. “In the meantime, concluded Andrew Anderson, Deputy Director of Front Line, practical steps can be taken right now. Don't be 'prisoners of consensus', small steps can make a big difference.” The conference was organised by Front Line, the International Foundation for the protection of human rights defenders, and the European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM), with the support of the King Baudouin Foundation and the European Commission.

/ENDS

Background information

This conference was organised as a follow-up to the awarding of the prestigious 2007 King Baudouin International Development Prize to Front Line, the International Foundation for the protection of human rights defenders. It focused on the links between Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) and Development agencies, bringing together policy makers and practitioners from both communities of actors (development and human rights), with the support of the European Commission and the King Baudouin Foundation.

Eighty participants, human rights defenders, development practitioners from NGOs and donor agencies, as well as representatives of human rights NGOs, the European Union Institutions, EU Member States and International organisations, participated to this conference.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Vincent Forest Head of Front Line’s EU Office Telephone: +32 2 230 93 83 Mobile: +32 486 368760 E-mail: vforest@frontlinedefenders.org