Liberties and an informal coalition of civil society organisations present the Mapping paper and the Options paper for a Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders and Civil Society Organisations in Europe. The papers aim to map the existing protection landscape and, based on the gaps and challenges, propose ways to build a stronger ecosystem for the protection of human rights defenders (HRDs) and civil society organisations (CSOs).
Why better protection needed for rights defenders
The new Commissioner-designate for Democracy, Justice, and the Rule of Law has been requested to “work to strengthen protection of civil society, activists and human rights defenders in their work”. This is an important component of the Commissioner’s mission for the next four years and builds on signals over the past 18 months of the increasing need to sure up the protection of human rights defenders.
It is those individuals and communities who stand up and protect all our rights who find themselves increasingly under attack. Smear campaigns are launched, designed to confuse and sever trust, organisations have had their offices attacked and the number of lawsuits against human rights defenders is rapidly increasing.
While the European Union has guidelines to support human rights defenders outside the EU and nearly a decade ago set up Protect Defenders, to rapidly support human rights defenders at risk, nothing similar exists within the European Union. Defenders find themselves illusively searching for support at a moment when they are also under severe stress.
Holistic protection preferred
To address this gap an informal coalition of civil society organisations, including Liberties, have come together to map the existing protection landscape and based on the gaps and challenges propose ways to build a stronger ecosystem for the protection of human rights defenders and civil society organisations.
The two reports highlight existing expertise but point to the need for greater coherence to ensure a framework that provides:
· Alerts and investigations so that human rights defenders can officially report attacks, triggering investigation and action; and
· Rapid response ensuring holistic protection both as a preventive measure and immediately following an attack. Support might include physical, psychosocial, legal or digital protection.
Over the next months, a concerted effort is needed to elaborate the components of an effective protection ecosystem for Europe. Realising this aim will ensure that human rights defenders are in a better position knowing that they can seek appropriate support when the risks of protecting rights are intensified.
Download the papers here
Pathways Towards an Effective
Protection Ecosystem
More resources
Liberties Rule Of Law Report 2024
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