un geneva

Open Letter: Addressing the situation of human rights in Belarus at the UN Human Rights Council
To Permanent Representatives of all
member states of the UN Human Rights Council

RE: Addressing the situation of human rights in Belarus at the UN Human Rights Council

Geneva, May 30, 2011

Your Excellency,

The undersigned NGOs are writing to urge your Government to support the adoption of a resolution on the human rights situation in Belarus at the 17th session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC). We believe that in light of the alarming situation a Human Rights Council resolution unequivocally condemning the widespread human rights violations perpetrated in the aftermath of the December 19, 2010 presidential election and setting forth a monitoring and reporting mechanism for Belarus is needed. The current level of repression in Belarus is unprecedented and the government's efforts to stop international monitoring and shut down debate on its human rights record need to be countered.

On 21 February 2011, 130 international and national NGOs and activists called on the HRC to condemn the violations and to maintain pressure on the Government of Belarus. On 11 April 2011, a group of international and regional NGOs called the European Union to take the leadership for the adoption of an HRC resolution on the situation of human rights in Belarus and to establish a mechanism to document and report on these violations at the Council. We call on your Government to support the initiative on Belarus to be taken at the on‐going session of the HRC.

An already poor human rights situation in Belarus deteriorated significantly in the wake of the December 19, 2010 presidential election. That night, tens of thousands of demonstrators protested the election outcome. Riot police violently broke up the largely peaceful gathering, beating dozens of people, including the elderly and those who were trying to leave the square, and arresting hundreds. At least 700 protesters were sentenced, in unfair summary proceedings, to 10‐15 days of detention.
Open NGO letter about the funding gap affecting UNHR mechanisms & the OHCHR
To:
All Permanent Missions to the United Nations in Geneva and New York

Cc:
UN Secretary General
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Chairpersons of the Human Rights Treaty Bodies
Coordination Committee of UN Special Procedures

It is with a sense of urgency that we convey our deep concern regarding the critical funding situation affecting the UN’s human rights mechanisms and OHCHR. We understand that the combination of delays in payments of UN member states’ assessed contributions to the regular budget and the 25% cut to travel of UN representatives, including treaty body experts and Special Procedure mandate holders, and other budget cuts (2018-2019) may adversely impact on the capacity of various human rights mechanisms to carry out their mandates effectively.

In April, the Chairpersons of the 10 human rights treaty bodies were informed that due to the financial situation, the autumn 2019 sessions of six treaty bodies may need to be cancelled.[1] Not only is the cancellation of treaty body sessions deeply worrying as it may involve cancellation of reviews already scheduled and delay decisions on individual communications pending before the Committees but it also sends a troubling message ahead of the 2020 treaty body strengthening discussions. This unprecedented development would come as we celebrate the 30^th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the 40^th anniversary of the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.

We understand that other independent expert mechanisms such as the Special Procedures, and other mechanisms created by the Human Rights Council such as Fact-Finding Missions and Commissions of Inquiry, may also be hampered in carrying out their mandates to monitor and investigate human rights violations.

As of 10 May, only 44 UN member states had paid all their assessments due to the UN. We would like to commend Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, China, Cuba, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Guyana, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Malawi, Malaysia, Monaco, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Poland, Rwanda, Samoa, Singapore, Slovakia, Solomon Islands, Sweden, Switzerland and Tuvalu for having done so.[2] 98 member states had paid their regular budget assessments by 20 May 2019.

The failure to pay assessed contributions is only the latest in a worrying trend of shortfalls and cuts affecting the UN budget allocated to its human rights mechanisms. In the 2018-2019 budget the General Assembly made adjustments to reduce the resources for experts by 15 per cent, reduce the travel of representatives by 25 per cent, and reduce resources for travel of staff by 10 per cent^{^[3]}, all without taking into account the disproportionate effect these decisions would have on the UN’s human rights mechanism. Only 3.7 per cent of the total UN regular budget is currently allocated to OHCHR[4]. We are extremely concerned by reports that the funding gap may affect the functioning of OHCHR and the human rights mechanisms in 2020 and beyond.

Against the worrying background of a global pushback against the promotion and protection of human rights, we urge all UN member states to:
- Pay their assessed contributions without further delay, unless they have already done so, in order to assure the functioning of the UN’s human rights mechanisms.
- Prioritise securing adequate funding for the UN’s human rights pillar, with the promotion and protection of human rights being also indispensable to development, peace and security.
- Initiate, in due time ahead of the 2020-2021 budget negotiations, discussions on how to reverse the trend of reduced regular budget for OHCHR and assuring that the UN’s human rights mechanisms are not disproportionately affected by over-all cuts to the UN budget, including by restoring the budget allocation for travel of representatives for these mechanisms.
[1] https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24621&LangID=E

[2] http://undocs.org/en/A/73/443/Add.1, para. 26 and https://www.un.org/en/ga/contributions/honourroll.shtml accessed on 27 May 2019.

[3] https://www.un.org/press/en/2017/gaab4270.doc.htm

[4] https://www.ohchr.org/EN/AboutUs/Pages/FundingBudget.aspx

SIGNATORIES
Opening remarks at the 29th Session of the UN Human Rights Council
On the first day of the 29th Session of the Human Rights Council, CIVICUS provided opening remarks on human rights violations in Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Burundi, and Egypt.
Opening remarks by CIVICUS at 28th session of UNHRC
On March 3rd in Geneva, Switzerland at the 28th session of the UN Human Rights Council, CIVICUS in cooperation with UNDP and the Office of the Human Rights Commissioner, hosted the 'Annual High-Level Panel on Human Rights Mainstreaming'.To open the event, Renate Bloem from CIVICUS delivered the following remarks:
Opening Statement of the new High Commissioner for Human Rights
27nd Session of the Human Rights Council

Item 2
Opening Statement of the new High Commissioner for Human Rights
General Debate 9 September 2014
Delivered by Renate Bloem

Thank you Mr. President,

High Commissioner Zaid, CIVICUS warmly welcomes you to the Council and congratulates you for assuming the daunting task to become the chief of Human Rights, the 6th UN High Commissioner. You do this at a time when the world is on fire in too many corners.

We thank you for your first very rich update and concur with your frank analysis.

Read more
Oral Report of the High Commissioner on the Situation of Human Rights in Belarus
18th session of the Human Rights Council Item 4

Interactive Dialogue

20 September 2011

Delivered by Anna Dobrovolskaya

Thank you Mme President,

I speak on behalf of the Youth Human Rights Movement, a member/partner of CIVICUS.

Mme High Commissioner,

We welcome your oral update on the human rights situation in Belarus.
We would like to address the issue of freedom of peaceful assembly in Belarus, as this is a fundamental right, guaranteed by the constitution of the country and by international agreements where Belarus is a part. The situation of freedom of peaceful assemblies in Belarus remains below international standards and the situation show no signs of improvement, even compared to the violent crackdown of the demonstration after the election on 19 December 2010.
Outcomes from the 51st Session of the UN Human Rights Council: Progress & Shortcomings
Joint statement from the end of the United Nations' 51st Session of the UN Human Rights Council

12 organisations share reflections on the key outcomes of the 51st session of the UN Human Rights Council, as well as the missed opportunities to address key issues including human rights situations in Afghanistan, China, Philippines, and Yemen.

Thematic issues and resolutions

We welcome that for the first time, the Council heard from two representatives of directly impacted communities from the podium in the enhanced interactive dialogue with the High Commissioner and the International Independent Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in Law Enforcement: Collette Flanagan of Mothers against Police Brutality (MAPB) whose son was killed by U.S. police in 2013; and Jurema Werneck, director of Amnesty International in Brazil. As highlighted in the HC’s report, States are continuing to deny the existence and impact of systemic racism, especially institutional racism. Our view is that States actively protect the interests of police institutions in order to maintain the status quo which is designed to oppress Africans and people of African descent. We call on States to fully implement the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA), to fully cooperate with the International Independent Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in the context of Law Enforcement including accepting country visits, implement the recommendations from their report and the High Commissioner’s Agenda towards Transformative Change for Racial justice and Equality.

We welcome the ‘from rhetoric to reality: a global call for concrete action against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance’ resolution. The resolution, interalia, strongly condemns the discriminatory treatment, unlawful deportations, excessive use of force and deaths of African migrants and migrants of African descent, including refugees and asylum-seekers, at the hands of law enforcement officials engaged in migration and border governance. It calls on States to ensure accountability and reparations for human rights violations at borders and to adopt a racial justice approach, including by adopting policies to address structural racism in the management of international migration. It reiterates that the Transatlantic Trade in Enslaved Africans and colonialism were grave violations of international law that require States to make reparations proportionate to the harms committed and to ensure that structures in the society that are perpetuating the injustices of the past are transformed, including law enforcement and administration of justice and to dispense reparatory justice to remedy historical racial injustices.

We welcome the HRC’s first discussion on the legacies of colonialism as a step towards challenging entrenched structures of racism and colonialism, including in its contemporary manifestations as exemplified by apartheid in the Palestinian context. Some of the most entrenched forms of systemic racism are the result of continuing legacies of slavery, the Transatlantic Trade in Enslaved Africans and colonialism. The DDPA recognizes that colonialism has led to racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and emphasises the structural forms of racism and racial discrimination that to this day require urgent attention, especially for Africans and people of African descent, Asians and people of Asian descent and Indigenous Peoples who were victims of colonialism and continue to be victims of its consequences. We concur with the Special Rapporteur on racism that “there can be no real way out of our most pressing global crises without meaningfully addressing the legacies of colonialism…[and] failure to address colonial legacies, especially by former and contemporary colonial powers is an important part of our global crises.” We call on the Council to keep colonialism on the agenda of the HRC until all of its manifestations are eradicated. A true decolonial approach must not only focus on the perceived “extreme” manifestations of racism and individual prejudice, but also on the systems of oppression that create an enabling environment for continued human rights violations.

We welcome the resolution on the “human rights implications of new and emerging technologies in the military domain”and its request for a study examining these implications. The adoption of the resolution adds to the growing attention that UN human rights mechanisms are paying to the negative human rights impacts of arms, including new technologies that can be weaponised. It is undoubtable that concerns relating to the military domain should not be seen as only relevant to disarmament fora. In response to comments from some States on whether international humanitarian law (IHL) falls within the remit of HRC, we recall that international human rights law and IHL are complementary and mutually reinforcing, as the HRC itself has reiterated on several occasions in past resolutions. We welcome the inclusion of paragraph on the responsibility to respect human rights of business enterprises, and in this regard, we recall the Information Note by the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights on the Arms Industry (“Responsible business conduct in the arms sector: Ensuring business practice in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights”) published in August 2022. While we welcome the reference in the resolution to the role of human rights defenders and civil society organisations in raising awareness about the human rights impacts of the use of new and emerging technologies in the military domain, we regret that it does not include a specific mention of the risks that the use of these technologies can pose for human rights defenders and civil society organisations.

We welcome the resolution on arbitrary detention and especially the inclusion of a new paragraph on the necessity to fully implement the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders. The resolution recognises the role of HRDs, peaceful protesters, journalists and media workers in safeguarding the prohibition of arbitrary deprivation of liberty and calls upon States to make sure that they are not arbitrarily detained as a result of their activities. We further commend the main sponsor, France, for having rejected any language that could have weakened the resolution, especially on the right to legal assistance.

We welcome the adoption of the safety of journalistsresolution. It has now been a decade since the first resolution on this topic, and the HRC has since created an elaborate and robust set of international standards to protect journalists. This iteration of the resolution adds new strong commitments on multiple new and emerging issues affecting journalists, from strategic lawsuits against public participation to extraterritorial attacks. It also strengthens language on investigations into attacks against journalists, calling on authorities to exhaust lines of enquiry that determine whether such attacks are linked to their journalistic work. We now urge States to implement these commitments to their full extent.

We welcome the approval by consensus by the Council of the resolution on terrorism and human rights, that has been updated with important paragraphs related to the centrality of the rule of law and human rights to counter terrorism, international human rights obligations in transfers of terrorist suspects, profiling of individuals, detention, the right to a fair trial and other due process guarantees, the right to privacy and freedom of expression, and in relation to children rights and civil society. We regret that paragraphs stemming from security based concerns have increased even though they are unrelated to the competence of the Council to promote human rights.

Human rights situations on the Council’s agenda

We warmly welcome the adoption of the resolution on the human rights situation in the Russian Federation, mandating a Special Rapporteur on Russia for the first time. Over the last several years, and particularly since Russia's renewed illegal invasion of Ukraine began on 24 February, the Russian authorities have engaged in a systematic campaign of repression of human rights and restriction of civic space including by shutting down independent media, intimidating and harassing human rights defenders and activists, banning peaceful protest, and imposing impermissible restrictions on the operations of independent civil society organisations in the country, including those that seek justice and effective remedies for human rights violations. The Russian Federation’s growing repressive policies, combined with the country’s exclusion from the Council of Europe – victims of new human rights violations committed by the Russian Federation from 17 September lost protection under the European Convention on Human Rights– and its diplomatic isolation from those States which have been supportive of human rights and civil society in Russia, have made it increasingly difficult for Russian human rights defenders, activists, and civil society organisations to engage with the international community. Russian civil society had been vocal in calling for a Special Rapporteur's mandate, strongly believing it will help to create a bridge between the United Nations and Russian civil society and the wider general public in Russia at an acute moment of widespread domestic human rights violations, both ensuring their voice is heard at an international level, and that the United Nations can further develop its understanding and analysis of the deterioration in Russia's domestic human rights situation and the implications that has had - and continues to have - for Russia's foreign policy decisions.

We welcome the extension and strengthening of the OHCHR capacity to collect, consolidate, analyse and preserve evidence and information and to develop strategies for future accountability, as well as to extend the mandate for enhanced monitoring and reporting by the OHCHR on Sri Lanka. Given the complete lack of any credible avenues for accountability at the national level, the OHCHR’s Sri Lanka Accountability Project remains the only hope of justice, more than thirteen years after the war, for thousands of victims of war time atrocities and their families.

We welcome the UN Secretary General’s reporton missing people in Syria; and urge States to support and implement the report’s findings, in line with resolution A/HRC/51/L.18 which underscored "the report’s finding that any measure towards addressing the continuing tragedy of missing persons in the Syrian Arab Republic requires a coherent and holistic approach going beyond current efforts, which must be inclusive and centered on victims". Addressing the issue of missing persons in Syria requires a "new international institution" mandated to clarify the fate and whereabouts of missing persons, to “work in cooperation and complementarity with existing mechanisms”, the body having “a structural element that ensures that victims, survivors and their families [...] may participate in a full and meaningful manner in its operationalization and work” as recommended in the study of the Secretary General.

The Council has taken a vitally important step in renewing the mandate of the Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuelaand of the reporting mandate of OHCHR for a further two years. In its most recent report, A/HRC/51/43, the Fact-Finding Mission deepened its investigation of alleged crimes against humanity, making clear that alleged perpetrators remain in power. The ongoing accountability drive through the work of the Mission allied with the work of OHCHR, is key to providing victims of violations with hope for justice. It is also key to the prevention of ongoing violations, particularly in the context of upcoming elections, and of encouraging political processes that respect human rights.

Human rights situations which should be on the Council’s agenda

We regret that the Council failed to respond adequately to several human rights situations including Afghanistan, China, Philippines, and Yemen.

We welcome the extension and strengthening of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan. However, this in no way makes up for the Council’s repeated failure to respond to the calls from Afghan human rights defenders, especially women human rights defenders, and civil society for an independent accountability mechanism with a mandate and resources to investigate the full scope of violations abuses that continue to be committed in Afghanistan by all parties and to preserve evidence of these violations for future accountability. It is particularly concerning that despite the overwhelming evidence of gross violations and abuses in Afghanistan that the Council failed to muster consensus on even the bare minimum.

We deplore that this Council was unable to endorse the proposal for a debate on Xinjiang, after the UN identified possible crimes against humanity committed by the Chinese government against Uyghurs and Turkic peoples. Dialogue is a pillar of multilateralism, and is fundamental, even on the hardest issues. Despite the leadership of the core group and all 18 States who voted in favour, this Council looked the other way. We strongly condemn the 19 countries who blocked this proposal, and regret all the abstentions that enabled it. We particularly regret that leading OIC States Indonesia and Qatar, as well as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, the UAE, Côte d’Ivoire, Mauritania, Sudan, Gabon, Cameroon and Eritrea, decided to abandon Uyghurs and Muslim minorities in China. We command Somalia for being the only Muslim Council member to stand up for Muslim minorities. Uyghur and international human rights groups won’t give up efforts to hold Chinaaccountable. We urgently call on current and future Council members to support efforts to prevent the continuation of atrocity crimes in Xinjiang, and uphold this Council’s credibility and moral authority.

We are deeply disappointed that despite the High Commissioner’s clear recommendation and demands by victims and their families as well as civil society from the Philippines, the Council has failed to put forward a resolution mandating the High Commissioner to continue monitoring and reporting on the situation, allowing the Philippines to use the rhetoric of cooperation and the UN Joint Programme for Human Rights to window-dress its appalling human rights record without any tangible progress or scrutiny.

We are dismayed by an Item 10 resolution that will not allow for reporting to the HRC on the human rights situation in Yemen. Despite a truce that now looks in danger of collapsing, the humanitarian and human rights crisis in Yemen has not ended. The lives and well-being of millions of Yemen citizens continue to be threatened from attacks against civilians, one of the world's largest humanitarian crisis and widespread violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. Yet many governments at this Council have chosen silence and appeasement of the warring parties over the protection of victims and upholding the rule of law. To abandon the people of Yemen out of political convenience not only betrays the fundamental purposes of this Council but also encourages parties to the conflict to continue to use violence and war crimes as a means of accomplishing their goals. Lasting peace in Yemen requires a sustained commitment by the international community to ensure accountability and redress for the millions of victims in Yemen. We call on UN member states to give meaning to the pledges they have made and begin to work toward the establishment of an international independent investigative mechanism on Yemen.

Signatories:
1. Al-Haq, Law in the Service of Man
2. American Civil Liberties Union
3. ARTICLE 19
4. Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)
5. Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS)
6. CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation
7. Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR)
8. Franciscans International
9. International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI)
10. International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)
11. Southern Africa Human Rights Defenders Network
12. The Global Interfaith Network (GIN-SSOGIE)
Over 200 NGOs call on the UN HRC to support resolution on civic society space
Re: Call for your support and solidarity in rejecting amendments to HRC32 draft resolution protecting civil society space (A/HRC/32/L.29)

Open Letter to Member States of the UN Human Rights Council 29 June 2016

Your Excellency,

We, the undersigned 244 civil society organizations, spanning across all regions of the world, call on your delegation to stand in solidarity with civil society by supporting the draft resolution on the protection of civil society space, to be considered for adoption at the 32nd session of the Human Rights Council (on 30 June or 1 July).[1] We urge you to cosponsor the draft resolution, reject all amendments, and vote in favour of the resolution if a vote is called.
Over 40 civil society organisations urge States to oppose proposed amendments that would weaken draft Human Rights Council resolution on civil society space
Over 40 civil society organisations have sent a joint letter to members of the UN Human Rights Council to support a landmark resolution on civil society space. The resolution, which will be voted on this week, mandates the OHCHR to create practical recommendations on how to effectively protect civil society space at the international, regional and national level.

Read the full letter
Pakistan Announces New Policy for Foreign Aid Groups Amid Crackdown
Pakistan’s new policy to regulate the registration and operations of international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) has been strongly condemned by civil society.

Issued on 1 October 2015, the new rules place substantial burdens on INGOs while subjecting them to debilitating bureaucratic controls including through excessive interference in their activities and limits on placement and retention of staff.
Préoccupations de CIVICUS concernant la situation de la liberté d’expression, d’association et de réunion en Côte d’Ivoire
Dans ce document, CIVICUS fait état de ses inquiétudes concernant l’environnement dans lequel les organisations de la société civile, les défenseurs des droits de l’homme et les journalistes travaillent en Côte d’Ivoire ; CIVICUS y relève aussi les menaces auxquelles font face ces individus et organisations dans l’exercice de leur liberté d’expression, d’association et d’assemblée. La restriction des libertés fondamentales est exacerbée par les effets des années de conflits et de la violence postélectorale.
Reaction to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights global update
Statement at the 51st session of the UN Human Rights Council

General Debate on the High Commissioner’s update

Delivered by Lisa Majumdar

Thank you, Mr President, and High Commissioner.

We congratulate Volker Turk on his appointment to High Commissioner. The sheer breadth of countries and issues on the agenda of this session is a reflection of global human rights challenges and emerging crises today.

The invasion of Ukraine and the conflict in Ethiopia which have resulted in grave human rights violations have underscored a key role for the UN in preventing violence and ensuring justice for victims. Recognising and addressing deteriorating situations has never been so important: both through preventive diplomacy, and by taking stronger action towards accountability. Civil society can be an essential partner in these endeavours, and in welcoming the new High Commissioner we look forward to his meaningful engagement with independent civil society and human rights defenders across the world.

A strong and robust civil society is vital for the advancement of human rights, and there are significant opportunities for the advancement of civic space and the protection of civil society at this session. Thematically, the Council can reaffirm the importance of respecting human rights while countering terrorism, and advance norms and standards on the safety of journalists.

On country situations, the Council must take stronger action to address the worsening human rights situation in Afghanistan, particularly for women and girls. The Council must renew its mechanisms on Burundi, Ethiopia and Venezuela, while ensuring continued OHCHR monitoring of the human rights situation in the Philippines and accountability in Sri Lanka. Its credibility depends on its ability to address a robust report on China, and to create a long overdue mechanism on Russia, which has clearly shown that ongoing and unchecked internal repression can have significant global implications.

Now is the time for the new High Commissioner, and this Council, to stand up and resolutely address these challenges.

We thank you.
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression Interactive Dialogue
23rd session of the
Human Rights Council
Item 3

Report of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
Interactive Dialogue

Statement delivered by Enrica Barago

Thank you Mr. President,
CIVICUS warmly welcomes the report of the Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression. We wish to stress once again the fundamental importance of Freedom of Opinion and Expression not only as a fundamental right per se, but also as an essential prerequisite for the promotion and protection of all other human rights.

Mr Special Rapporteur, as emphasized in your report, the lack of security in the field of communications has a chilling effect on victims of all forms of violence and abuses; victims who may later be reluctant to report to the authorities fearing double victimisation. The right to privacy being unequivocally recognised as a fundamental human right, could you please elaborate on the absence of an explicit definition of this right in the existing international human rights instruments knowing that this relative legal vacuum has a direct impact on the enforcement of this right.
Report on the 16th Session of the UPR Working Group
Report on the 16th Session of the UPR Working Group
Review of Azerbaijan (Tuesday 30 April 2013, 14:30 ~ 18:00)
Led by H.E. Mr. Khalaf Khalafov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs

Opening Remarks
In the opening remarks, the Deputy Minister H.E. Mr. Khalafov stated that Azerbaijan is committed to the promotion and protection of Human Rights in accordance with the UPR mechanism. Azerbaijan, for this Universal Periodic Review (UPR) session, established a working group with participation of civil society and the Ministry of Interior.

In his statement, he raised a concern about ethnic cleansing carried out by Armenia in Azerbaijan and this resulted in the Armenian delegation repeatedly asking for a point of order. The head of Azerbaijan's delegation criticised this attempt to stop the dialogue at the Human Rights Council. The point of order was rejected by the President of the Council.

In 2011, The National Action Program for human rights protection in Azerbaijan was set up to cover issues and recommendations made to the country during its 1st UPR. Overall it develops measures to cover the legal framework and activities of state agencies. This National Action Program contains several categories including job creation, promotion of cultural diversity, fighting against corruption, Promotion of E-technology, rights of women. It set up a working group that coordinates its implementation and periodically submits implementation reports to the president of the country.
Report on the side event “Criminalisation of Human Rights Defenders in the Russian Federation”
6th March 2013

Summary
On Wednesday 6 March, the Human Rights House Foundation together with CIVICUS, Freedom House, Human Rights Watch, Youth Human Rights Movement, the International Federation for Human Rights and the Civil Society and Freedom of Speech Initiative Center for the Caucasus hosted a side event titled "Criminalisation of Human Rights Defenders in the Russian Federation" at the United Nations in Geneva.

The meeting, which was attended by over forty people, provided an opportunity for activists on the ground in the Russian Federation to testify about the real situation the country is in, showing the real face of a campaign of repression to silence independent voices. Moreover, the event offered a unique opportunity to discuss the devastating impact of the criminalisation of the work of human rights defenders in the Russian Federation, with the main purpose of addressing key areas of concern to be highlighted during the upcoming UPR examination of the Russian Federation, on Monday 29 April 2013.

The session featured a high level panel of experts including Anna Dobrovolskaya, Programme Coordinator at the International Youth Human Rights Movement; Abdulla Duduev, Executive Director of the Russian magazine DOSH; Boris Pustyntsev, Chair of Citizens’ Watch and Maria Kozlovskaya, Programme Manager from the Russian LGBT- Network. The panel was moderated by Florian Irminger, Head of International Advocacy and HRHF Geneva Office.

The whole event was carried out in a conducive atmosphere, there was a meaningful exchange of views between the panellists and the participants at the side-event. The spirit of the dialogue remained moderate, following the guidelines provided by the organisers. The general tone may have been a result of the fact that Russian Officials were in attendance.
Reprisals, protection, prevention - CIVICUS statement to UN Human Rights Council
20th session of the UN Human Rights Council

Item 5

Reprisals, protection, prevention

Delivered by Renate Bloem, CIVICUS UN Geneva Representative, 26 June 2012

Thank you Mme President

CIVICUS wishes to raise the issue of reprisals against persons cooperating with the UN. The joint statement of Special Procedures at today’s International Day in Support of Victims of Torture brings it to the point: “Reprisals against people who cooperate with the United Nations mechanisms in protecting and advancing human rights are absolutely unacceptable and are in violation of international law and States’ legal obligations. There must be an effective means of ensuring that reprisals do not occur, and if they do, the individuals involved and the State must be held accountable”.
Side Event - Civil Society Space: Addressing the Implementation Gap
Silence is not an option: A call from Civil Society for the UN Human Rights Council to address the grave human rights situation in Egypt, and ensure respect for democratic development
As civil society from around the world we express support for those struggling for a future in Egypt based on human rights and democracy. At this critical juncture in Egypt’s history, at a time when peaceful political activists, human rights defenders and all forms of independent media in Egypt are under attack, we write to urge your delegation to work with other members and observer states of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) to address the grave situation of human rights in Egypt at the upcoming 25th Session of the UN HRC. We believe that the serious and rapid deterioration of the human rights situation in Egypt requires the HRC to take a principled position of addressing this situation now, through the adoption of a resolution on Egypt.

According to Egyptian and international human rights organizations, repression in the country has reached levels unprecedented since the 2011 uprising. The security forces have embarked on a severe and comprehensive crackdown against persons who have dared to publicly criticize the military-backed government, including members of the Muslim Brotherhood, supporters of deposed president Mohamed Morsi, as well as pro-democracy and human rights movement activists within the country.
South Sudan: the Commission’s mandate remains crucial as the civil & political space continues to deteriorate.
Statement at the 52nd Session of the UN Human Rights Council

Enhanced Interactive Dialogue on the report of the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan

Delivered by Nicola Paccamiccio

Thank you, Mr President,

CIVICUS and its South Sudanese partners welcome the report of the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan. The Commission’s mandate remains crucial as the human rights situation worsens and the civil and political space continues to deteriorate.

Freedoms of assembly, association and expression are under severe threat. In the past year, South Sudanese authorities have continued, with impunity, to repress and harass peaceful protesters and civil society actors. Many are subjected to arbitrary arrests, detentions and extrajudicial killings.

Freedom of association remains severely restricted as civil society organisations are subjected to raids by the National Security Service and activists calling for good governance and the rule of law are harassed, intimidated and arrested. Journalists continue to face threats, intimidation, and arbitrary arrests resulting in self-censorship.

The high levels of localised violence and the increase of conflict-related sexual violence, including the use of rape and gang rape as a weapon of war, are of great concern. Nationally instigated intercommunal conflicts in Tonj, Warrap State, Magwi, Nimule and Kapoeta in Eastern Equatoria State, as well as in Greater Upper Nile State, and parts of greater Jonglei and Unity State are alarming. This situation is worsened by the numerous obstacles to humanitarian aid, reported intimidation and harassment of and attacks against humanitarian workers, including killings, and extrajudicial executions of prisoners.

In light of the ongoing restrictions on civic space in the country, we call on the Council to extend the mandate of the Commission for a further period of two years to ensure continued scrutiny on the human rights situation in the country and to enable it to comprehensively report on the election and transition process.

We thank you.

Civic space in South Sudan is rated as "Closed" by the CIVICUS Monitor
Statement at HRC 29 Interactive Dialogue with Working Group on Discrimination Against Women
29th session of the Human Rights Council

Thank you Mr. President. CIVICUS welcomes the important report of the Working Group on discrimination against women, a report, especially in an Egyptian context, so very relevant at this critical time.

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