Brussels & Geneva
Brussels – Front Line Defenders at the European Parliament
The Brussels launch of the Front Line Defenders Annual Report Stop the Killings of HRDs featured a hearing in the Subcommittee for Human Rights of the European Parliament. Andrea Rocca, Head of Protection, was joined by Brazilian HRD Manuela Picq in presenting the findings of the report and drawing attention the pressing concern of the widespread killing of HRDs, and subsequent impunity for the perpetrators. The event lasted an hour and a half, was attended by approximately one hundred people including staff from political groups, and a good attendance of about a dozen key MEPs.
Andrea Rocca presents the Front Line Defenders Annual Report
at the European Parliament
The presentation was an opportunity to follow up on the recent inclusion of the Parliament of a call to the EU to have a systematic policy of condemnation of assassination of defenders and in the Council Conclusions on EU priorities in UN HRC (adopted the day before) where the condemnation of all instances of harassment, intimidation, or persecution, including violent attacks and killings, of human rights defenders, journalists, or bloggers was included.
Manuela Picq presented and provided testimony on the violence faced by defenders in their everyday lives, the support international organisations such as Front Line Defenders provides, and the reaction of the EU to her case. MEPs were very interested in her story and asked many questions on Ecuador (though she is Brazilian, she has lived and worked in Ecuador for years) and on her situation, including possible EU response.
Andrea also included a presentation of the new EU HRD mechanism – ProtectDefenders.eu, in which Front Line Defenders plays a leading role.
The event was followed by individual meetings, including with the Vice President of the European Parliament, Ulrike Lunacek, and the human rights staff of political groups; as well as with the staff of Stavros Lambrinidis, the EU Special Representative on Human Rights, and the human rights staff of the European External Action Service.
The Human Rights Subcommittee as a whole issued a statement the following day citing Front Line Defender's report, highlighting the increasing numbers of killings of HRDs worldwide, and that:
"The Member States and EU Delegations should also step up their coordination and collective efforts in condemning killings and violence against HRDs whenever and wherever they occur, reaching out to them in consultations and by offering meaningful protection, as well as ensuring regular and continued presence in trial observation".
Geneva - Front Line Defenders at the UN Human Rights Council
Front Line Defenders organised a side event on "Strengthening the protection of human rights defenders: Perspectives from the Global South" on the margins of the 31st session of the Human Rights Council. The event was co-sponsored by the Permanent Missions of Brazil, Tunisia and Chile and by the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR). The aim of the event was to encourage countries from the Global South to be more active internationally on the protection of human rights defenders. Speakers included representatives of Brazil and Tunisia, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders Mr Michel Forst, and the Executive Director of the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project Mr Hassan Shire. Among the issues touched upon were the necessity to maintain genuine dialogue between governments and HRDs, the role of strong networks and national solidarity and the need for public recognition of the role of HRDs in national debates.
Mary Lawlor and panelists at the UN Human Rights Council side event.
The side event was organised in connection with the presentation by the UN Special Rapporteur of his report to the Human Rights Council, which focussed on good practices in the protection of HRDs. Front Line Defenders, together with 10 other groups, joined the oral statement delivered by ISHR during the Interactive Dialogue with the Rapporteur. The statement called for effective investigation of the killing of Berta Cáceres, which occurred just the night before, and for States to develop and implement specific national laws and mechanisms to protect HRDs.
Front Line Defenders also met with a number of diplomatic delegations attending the Council.
