In advance of the 26th Session of the UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR), CIVICUS has issued six joint and stand-alone UPR submissions on the space for civil society in South Sudan, Syria, Togo, Uganda, Venezuela and Zimbabwe. The submissions, developed in coordination with our members and partners, analyse the legal and policy environment of the rights to freedom of assembly, association and expression and restrictions on the activities of human rights defenders since November 2011. The submissions further provide a number of substantive and targeted recommendations to develop and maintain a safe and enabling environment for civil society in line with their international human rights obligations.
In South Sudan, CIVICUS and DefendDefenders (East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project) underscore cases where human rights defenders and journalists have been targeted, killed, intimidated and threatened for engaging in human rights activities and reporting on issues considered sensitive by the government. The submission further examines the use of legislation to restrict associational rights and the use of violence to disperse peaceful assemblies. It provides recommendations to the Transitional Government of South Sudan to ensure the full realization of human rights governing civil society space.
In Syria, CIVICUS and the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM) highlight serious concerns regarding the brutal treatment of human rights defenders and the almost complete closure of civic space during result of the conflict in Syria. The submission focuses on State’s unlawful use of Military Field Courts and the Counter Terrorism Court against civilians and civil society activists. CIVICUS and SCM call on the Syrian authorities to live up to their commitments under international law, to cooperate with internationally-mandated bodies to allow access to conflict zones by observers and to release lists of all of detained and disappeared people.
In Togo, CIVICUS and Concertation de la Société Civile du Togo (CNSC-Togo) address grave concerns relating to the freedom of expression and assembly since 2011. Freedom of expression and press is threatened by a number of worrying provisions that undermine these constitutional guaranteed rights, especially provisions found in the 2015 Penal Code and the 1998 Press and Communication Code. Furthermore, the right to assemble and protest peacefully is in practice limited by refusals by local authorities and excessive force by security forces.
In Uganda, CIVICUS and the Foundation for Human Rights Initiative (FHRI) highlight physical attacks on civil society organisations, human rights activists and journalists to prevent them from doing their work and the use of restrictive legislation to curb associational rights. The submission also discusses the use of force to disperse peaceful protests and intimidation and judicial persecution of human rights defenders to prevent them from documenting and reporting on human rights violations. It concludes with several recommendations to the Government of Uganda on how to improve the space for civil society and the media.
In Venezuela, CIVICUS highlights concerns regarding violations of fundamental rights for civil society in particular the unwarranted legal proscriptions, attacks and intimidation of human rights organisations and defenders in Venezuela. CIVICUS also highlights the harassment and persecution of critical journalists and media outlets and addresses violations of the right to free assembly, in particular during the mass protests in 2014 and the torture and unjustifiable persecution of protesters.
In Zimbabwe, CIVICUS and Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum raise concerns over restrictions imposed on civil society organisations and peaceful protests under the widely criticized Public Order and Security Act. The failure of the Government of Zimbabwe to align national legislation with the new Constitution is further examined in placing restrictions on human rights defenders. The submission further provides a number of policy recommendations to create a more enabling environment for civil society.