A/HRC/19/55 the State to create the necessary social and economic conditions for the enjoyment of rights and freedoms in practice are legitimate and fall within the scope of the Declaration (A/HRC/4/37, paras. 27–30). 63. The Special Rapporteur is aware of the particular risks that these defenders face, often at the hands of non-State actors or unknown individuals acting in collusion with them. She has received, and continues to receive, allegations indicating that security guards employed by oil and mining companies allegedly use death threats, acts of intimidation and attacks against defenders who denounce the perceived negative impact of the companies’ activities on the enjoyment of human rights by local communities (A/65/223, paras. 9–12). (b) Activities, risks and challenges faced by defenders working on land and environmental issues 64. Between December 2006 and May 2011, a large number of communications sent during the reporting period (106) concerned alleged violations against defenders and activists working on land and environmental issues. According to the information received, this group is thoroughly heterogeneous. It includes defenders carrying out a vast range of activities related to land and environmental rights, including those working on issues related to extractive industries, and construction and development projects; those working for the rights of indigenous and minority communities; women human rights defenders; and journalists. 65. Therefore, this section of the report has been structured on the basis of the different subgroups identified, with each subsection including information on profile of activities, alleged violations, perpetrators and regional trends. It is also worth mentioning that there is certain overlap between the different subgroups, particularly between the group of those defenders working on issues related to extractive industries and construction and development projects and those working for the rights of indigenous and minority communities. Defending land and environmental issues in connection with extractive industries and construction and development projects 66. During the period, the mandate holder sent 34 communications regarding defenders working on land and environmental issues in connection with the activities of extractive industries as well as construction and development projects. The main context in which these violations occurred was ongoing land disputes with both State and non-State actors, including multinational corporations and private security companies. 67. The violations reported were the result of activities connected to different extractive industries, construction and development projects, including hydroelectric power stations and cement factories (Guatemala, Brazil); dams (Brazil, India); dumps (Mexico); gas pipelines (Brazil); gated communities and marinas (Bahamas); residential and leisure complexes (Mexico); the operation of mines (China, Mexico, Ecuador, Papua New Guinea, Peru); nuclear power plants (Philippines) and the production of oil and petrol (China, Nigeria, Peru), as well as logging (Brazil, Cambodia, Honduras, Mexico). 68. According to the information received, defenders working on such issues seem to face a high risk of violations to their physical integrity, including attempted killings (Brazil, Ecuador), killings (Brazil, Cambodia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Philippines), attacks (Brazil, Mexico, Papua New Guinea), assault and ill-treatment (Philippines), and excessive use of force by the police during demonstrations (India). They have also been subjected to threats and death threats (Brazil, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Philippines) and different forms of intimidation (Peru, Bahamas, Brazil, Guatemala, Papua New Guinea) and harassment (China, Mexico, Peru). 12