Brussels, 9 December 2024
More than two decades after the United Nations General Assembly adopted its Declaration on Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) to enhance the recognition of their role and encourage states to create a more protective environment, and 15 years after the EU adopted its guidelines on Human Rights defenders, many human rights defenders face an increasingly hostile environment from repressive governments and non-state actors.
In order to mark Human Rights Defenders day, the subcommittee on Human Rights organised a public conference, in association with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The event featured contributions from human rights defenders and civil society organisations, representatives of the UN and EU institutions, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, and EP Vice-President Nicolae Ștefănuță (The Greens/EFA, RO).
Two panels focused on policies and mechanisms to support human rights defenders, and on improving the protection of those at risk.
Read the full event programme and watch the replay of the event.
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Marta Temido (S&D, ES), Vice-Chair of the Subcommittee on Human rights, declared:
“Today, on International Human Rights Defenders Day, and ahead of International Human Rights Day tomorrow, we wanted to send a strong message of support and solidarity with human rights defenders, who, despite the risks they face in many places, work tirelessly to bring about changes for the better. We are inspired by their commitment – and the discussions that took place today will help us steer our work in the coming years to better protect them across the world.”
Background
Support for human rights defenders is a long established component of the European Union’s external human rights policy and one of its major priorities.
Parliament’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought is the EU’s most visible action in support of HRDs. It has a significant impact on laureates, providing them with recognition and, in many cases, indirect protection.
The European Parliament’s urgent resolutions on human rights breaches around the world, some of which have focused on individual HRDs and the particular threats they face, have drawn attention to the difficulties facing HRDs in many countries. The subcommittee on Human Rights is tasked to ensure coherence between all the Union’s external policies and its human rights policy.