30th session of the Human Rights Council (HRC30): Joint Statement on the need to combat reprisals against those who engage with the United Nations
Item5 – General debate – Joint statement on behalf of 15 organisations, including International Service for Human Rights,Amnesty International, ARTICLE 19, Asian Legal Resource Centre, Association for thePrevention of Torture, East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project, Geneva forHuman Rights - Global Training (GHR), Global initiative For ESC Rights, Human Rights HouseFoundation, Human Rights Watch, International Commission of Jurists, International Federationfor Human Rights Leagues, International Lesbian and Gay Association, Reporters withoutBorders, World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), African Centre for Democracy andHuman Rights Studies (ACDHRS)
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Mr President,
In his seventh annual report to the Councilon alleged cases of reprisals and intimidation, the Secretary General sharesthat the types of acts reported ‘seem to have become more varied and severe’and target ‘not only individuals or groups concerned but also their families,legal representatives NGOs and anyone linked to them’.
It is clear from the report that reprisalsconstitute a systematic and deliberate strategy to deter civil societyengagement with human rights bodies. While the UN’s response remainsinadequate, impunity reigns and sustains this disturbing status quo.
Thereport evidences the consistent failure by States to respond to requests forinformation on allegations. The number of cases cited that continue withoutinvestigation by States shows a remarkable lack of concern and contempt for theCouncil by States in question.
Perhaps most disturbingly, the SG documentsseveral cases of reprisals and intimidation by Member States of this Council —Members who are meant to ‘uphold the highest standard in the promotion andprotection of human rights’ and ‘fully cooperate with the Council’.
Beyond the abject failure of China,Kazakhstan, Maldives, Russia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates,Venezuela, and Viet Nam, among others, to meet these membership standards, theHuman Rights Council is failing to carry out its own institutional mandate,which obliges it to promote the full implementation of States’ human rightsobligations and to review States’ compliance with such obligations.
To discharge this obligation, including theobligation to prevent reprisals against individuals who cooperate with UN humanrights mechanisms, the Council should:
(1) Heed the Secretary-General’srecommendation that the Council “devote sufficient time to the discussion ofthe present report” by scheduling a stand-alone interactive dialogue;
(2) Seek information concerningaction taken by States cited in the report to prevent and ensure accountabilityfor reprisals, assess that State’scompliance with its international human rights obligations and call on thatState to take further action where it falls short of meeting those obligations;and
(3) ensure that States mentioned inthe SG’s report inform the Council regularly and in a timely manner of stepstaken to investigate cases of reprisals, prosecute perpetrators, and provideremedies to victims.
Mr President, we welcome the steps taken byyou and your Bureau to better address reprisals, as positively noted by the SG,and urge your successor to build on this practice. For their part, however, MemberStates of this Council must confront the reality that by failing to takeadequate or concrete steps to prevent, condemn, investigate, ensureaccountability, and end impunity for reprisals, they are complicit inundermining the system they have created to promote and protect human rights.