II. Activities
A. Communications
17. The Special Rapporteur has chosen to use his voice to focus the attention of some States and the international community. During the period under consideration, he has issued more than 20 public statements on the situation of human rights defenders in 16 countries. These address a variety of issues, such as the general situation in a country, including legislative changes that may negatively affect the situation of human rights defenders; individual cases relating to defenders, including reprisals against those that have attempted to engage with the United Nations, its mechanisms and representatives in the field of human rights; and questions relating to certain groups of defenders working in a specific country, such as individuals who promote the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) persons.
III. Strategic workplan
B. Identification of the threats to which human rights defenders are most exposed, with a view to providing for more effective protection
54. During his first consultations in Geneva and Brussels and the bilateral discussions that he held with representatives of regional networks of human rights defenders, the Special Rapporteur was struck by the repeated statements drawing his attention to the groups that were most exposed: those working on economic, social and cultural rights and minority rights; environmental defenders; defenders of LGBTI rights; women defenders and those who work for women’s rights; defenders who work in the area of business and human rights; those who work in an area exposed to internal conflict or a national disaster; defenders living in isolated regions; and those working on past abuses, such as the families of victims of enforced disappearance.
V. Recommendations
124. Member States should:
(f) Pay particular attention to the most exposed groups: those who work for economic, social and cultural rights or minority rights; environmental defenders; defenders of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex rights; women defenders and those who work for women’s rights; defenders who work in the area of business and human rights; those who work in an area exposed to internal conflict or a natural disaster; defenders living in isolated regions; and defenders working on past abuses, such as the families of victims of enforced disappearance;
Link to full text of the report: Report-SRHRD-2014-eng