‘Human rights defenders are key to conflict resolution,’ says Türk
GENEVA (13 January 2025) – Human rights defenders play a crucial role in preventing and resolving conflicts, and must be protected, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said on Friday.
“Human rights defenders are often the first to sound the alarm about human rights violations that can lead to conflict,” Türk said. “They work tirelessly to promote peace, justice and reconciliation, and their work is essential to building sustainable societies.”
Türk’s comments came as he addressed a meeting of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. He said that human rights defenders are often targeted by governments, armed groups and other actors who seek to silence them.
“These attacks are not only a violation of human rights, but they also undermine the ability of human rights defenders to carry out their work,” Türk said. “We must do more to protect human rights defenders and ensure that they can operate freely and without fear.”
Türk called on governments to take steps to protect human rights defenders, including by adopting laws that criminalize attacks against them and by providing them with adequate resources. He also urged armed groups and other actors to respect the rights of human rights defenders and to refrain from targeting them.
“Human rights defenders are essential to building a more just and peaceful world,” Türk said. “We must do everything we can to support and protect them.”
Background
Human rights defenders are individuals or groups who work to promote and protect human rights. They may work on a wide range of issues, including civil and political rights, economic and social rights, and the rights of specific groups, such as women, children and indigenous peoples.
Human rights defenders often face threats, harassment and violence as a result of their work. In some cases, they may be killed.
The UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted in 1998, sets out the rights and responsibilities of human rights defenders. The Declaration calls on governments to protect human rights defenders from harm and to ensure that they can carry out their work freely and without fear.
‘Human rights defenders are key to conflict resolution,’ says Türk
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