A/HRC/31/55 VII. Conclusions and recommendations A. Conclusions 110. The protection of human rights defenders should be seen in the context of three obligations that international human rights law imposes on States: to respect human rights by refraining from violating them; to protect such rights by intervening through protective action on behalf of defenders against threats by others; and to fulfil them by ensuring a safe and enabling environment for defenders to enjoy their rights and to carry out their activities. 111. The Special Rapporteur proposes seven principles that, in his view, should underpin good practices by States in the protection of human rights defenders: • Principle 1: They should adopt a rights-based approach to protection, empowering defenders to know and claim their rights and increasing the ability and accountability of those responsible for respecting, protecting and fulfilling rights. • Principle 2: They should recognize that defenders are diverse; they come from different backgrounds, cultures and belief systems. From the outset, they may not self-identify or be identified by others as defenders. • Principle 3: They should recognize the significance of gender in the protection of defenders and apply an intersectionality approach to the assessment of risks and to the design of protection initiatives. They should also recognize that some defenders are at greater risk than others because of who they are and what they do. • Principle 4: They should focus on the “holistic security” of defenders, in particular their physical safety, digital security and psychosocial well-being. • Principle 5: They should acknowledge that defenders are interconnected. They should not focus on the rights and security of individual defenders alone, but also include the groups, organizations, communities and family members who share their risks. • Principle 6: They should involve defenders in the development, choice, implementation and evaluation of strategies and tactics for their protection. The participation of defenders is a key factor in their security. • Principle 7: They should be flexible, adaptable and tailored to the specific needs and circumstances of defenders. B. Recommendations 112. The Special Rapporteur recommends that all stakeholders engaged in the protection of human rights defenders: (a) Apply the seven above-mentioned principles in the design and implementation of their protection practices; (b) Continuously develop good practices, critically reflecting on any gaps, gender-specific inequalities or cases of inequitable distribution of protection resources that may arise; 21