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OSCE meeting in Vienna calls on States to increase support for human rights defenders
VIENNA 31 March 2006
VIENNA, 31 March 2006 - A call for increased support for human rights defenders was one of the main conclusions of a two-day OSCE conference on the challenges faced by human rights defenders, which concluded in Vienna today.
Speakers stated that the situation of human rights defenders was worsening in many countries of the OSCE region, and that it was often linked to a weakening of the rule of law.
"Leaders of indigenous and other minority communities, leaders of movements of the poor, environmental and anti-globalization activists, trade union leaders and defenders of the rights displaced persons, migrants and refugees are increasingly being targeted," said Hina Jilani, UN Special Representative on Human Rights Defenders, one of the keynote speakers.
She stressed that the protection of human rights defenders was a shared responsibility of States, civil society and the international community.
A number of participants suggested creating a special mechanism on human rights defenders for the OSCE region. They also called on the annual Ministerial Council to explore the possibilities of adopting clear tasks for all the Organization's Institutions and missions to support and protect human rights defenders in concrete ways.
Ambassador Christian Strohal, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, pointed out the challenges that many human rights defenders face, saying: "We realize that for many human rights defenders coming to this meeting and making a public statement was a human rights activity in itself."
He did not exclude the possibility that on their return to their countries some participants might encounter reprisals triggered by their remarks. "I can only again call on States to acknowledge the usefulness of their non-governmental organizations contributions and act on their responsibility to protect human rights defenders," added Strohal.
Speakers stated that the situation of human rights defenders was worsening in many countries of the OSCE region, and that it was often linked to a weakening of the rule of law.
"Leaders of indigenous and other minority communities, leaders of movements of the poor, environmental and anti-globalization activists, trade union leaders and defenders of the rights displaced persons, migrants and refugees are increasingly being targeted," said Hina Jilani, UN Special Representative on Human Rights Defenders, one of the keynote speakers.
She stressed that the protection of human rights defenders was a shared responsibility of States, civil society and the international community.
A number of participants suggested creating a special mechanism on human rights defenders for the OSCE region. They also called on the annual Ministerial Council to explore the possibilities of adopting clear tasks for all the Organization's Institutions and missions to support and protect human rights defenders in concrete ways.
Ambassador Christian Strohal, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, pointed out the challenges that many human rights defenders face, saying: "We realize that for many human rights defenders coming to this meeting and making a public statement was a human rights activity in itself."
He did not exclude the possibility that on their return to their countries some participants might encounter reprisals triggered by their remarks. "I can only again call on States to acknowledge the usefulness of their non-governmental organizations contributions and act on their responsibility to protect human rights defenders," added Strohal.