A/HRC/13/22
86.
In Colombia, a campaign for the right to defend human rights in the country has
recently been launched.
87.
The training instruments for the protection of human rights defenders developed by
the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project are also commendable
initiatives. In particular, the project regularly organizes training for human rights
organizations focusing on protection and security management for human rights defenders.
88.
The South Caucasus Network of Human Rights Defenders, which unites 30 human
rights NGOs in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, was set up in July 2009. The network
seeks to facilitate the creation of a safer and enabling environment for human rights
defenders in the South Caucasus, and strengthen their voices in the region and
internationally. The Special Rapporteur welcomes the creation of the network and looks
forward to engaging with it constructively.
89.
The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (Forum-Asia) is a
membership-based human rights organization, uniting 46 member organizations across
Asia. Forum-Asia seeks to facilitate capacity-building and networking among human rights
defenders, civil society actors and organizations in Asia. In November 2009, Forum-Asia
launched the Protection Plan for Human Rights Defenders at Risk to strengthen protection
and assistance for the defenders in Asia.
90.
The Special Rapporteur also welcomes the recent creation of the Arab Human
Rights Defenders Union and calls upon other human rights defender networks to share best
practices with this new network, in particular on security training.
91.
The Special Rapporteur greatly supports such initiatives and calls on civil society to
continue to develop such tools, which are vital to maximize the protection of human rights
defenders. Several NGOs with specific human rights defender programmes have also
developed relocation packages and protection plans (including Front Line, Protection
International and Forum-Asia protection plans).
2.
(a)
Universal and regional protection mechanisms
African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights
92.
The mandate of the Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders in Africa, set
forth by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, includes seeking,
receiving, examining and acting upon information on the situation of human rights
defenders in Africa. The Special Rapporteur also submits reports to the African
Commission at every ordinary session and develops and recommends effective strategies to
better protect human rights defenders.
93.
The African Commission has developed a mechanism for adopting provisional
measures in its rules of procedure (rule 111): “Before making its final views known to the
Assembly on the communication, the Commission may inform the State party concerned of
its views on the appropriateness of taking provisional measures to avoid irreparable damage
being caused to the victim of the alleged violation … . The Commission … may indicate to
the parties any interim measure, the adoption of which seems desirable in the interest of the
parties or the proper conduct of the proceedings before it.”
(b)
Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations
94.
The 42nd ministerial meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) on 20 July 2009 adopted the terms of reference for the ASEAN
Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights. The Commission was formally
16
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