#HRC57: States still falling short on human rights commitments despite technical assistance

Statement at the 57th Session of the UN Human Rights Council  

Item 10 General Debate

Delivered by Sigrid Lipott

Mr. President, 

CIVICUS regrets that, despite technical assistance provided, lack of commitment to civic space by States continues to hinder full enjoyment of human rights.   

In Zimbabwe, over 160 individuals were arrested since June, including elected officials, opposition members, union leaders, students, and journalists, amid reports of torture and other ill-treatment during detentions. 65 individuals remain in detention on charges of participating in unlawful gatherings. We urge the government to cease its crackdown on civil society and opposition members and release all those arbitrarily detained. We are further concerned about the recent arbitrary arrests, detentions and prosecution of hundreds of peaceful protesters, including young activists, in Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria and call for their release.  

In Cambodia, restrictive laws continue to be used to criminalise activists, suppress civil society and restrict protests. The unlawful detention and prosecution of journalist Mech Dara is emblematic of the rapidly shrinking civic space in Cambodia. We urge the government to release all detained activists and respect and protect fundamental freedoms. We also call for accountability for the human rights defenders and activists who were arbitrarily imprisoned and ill-treated for their participation in the recent protests in Bangladesh and Indonesia. 

In Honduras, killings of human rights defenders remain a serious concern. Since 2023, at least four defenders linked to the Guapinol River struggle have been killed. We remain concern about the criminalisation of defenders particularly with “usurpation” charges, which have led to intensified evictions and legal actions, whilst the situation is further exacerbated by the ongoing state of emergency where emergency powers have been used to harass defenders in rural communities. In Venezuela, over 2,000 people, including protesters and activists, remain arbitrarily detained with no chance of receiving adequate legal representation for alleged crimes, including at least 100 teenagers as well disabled people and Indigenous people. 

While welcoming continued technical assistance in the field of human rights, particularly in the areas of law enforcement, penitentiary system, security and justice, we underscore the responsibility to protect human rights primarily lies with States and in this regard, we urge States to take tangible and consistent measures to protect and promote civic space.  

I thank you.

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