Human rights defenders
Human rights defenders are individuals and groups, such as non-governmental organisation (NGO) workers, lawyers, journalists and private individuals, who work to raise awareness of human rights and a government’s responsibility to protect them.
They are key to strengthening respect for human rights in their countries. But because they bring failings to light they are frequently the target of government criticism. In some circumstances they face the risk of arrest, detention and even death
The FCO, working on the basis of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders and EU Guidelines [PDF, opens in a new window] encourages governments to see human rights defenders as legitimate actors working in the interests of their countries. Our Embassies and High Commissions reinforce this message through showing them visible support.
We work closely with our EU partners when raising individual cases, drawing on the advice in the EU Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders. This includes raising specific instances of abuse or detention with governments, encouraging dialogue between governments and human rights defenders, and through specific projects.
We also encourage our Embassies and High Commissions to work with the UN and regional support mechanisms for Human Rights Defenders by raising concerns and referring individual cases to them.
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Friday 10 December 2010
Human rights defenders
via fco.gov.uk
