A/HRC/27/33 addition, the Secretary-General stressed the need to advance the work for human rights, peace and development, and to expand the space for civil society to participate and contribute meaningfully. 8. The Secretary-General recalled that the panel’s discussions were based on the premise that space for civil society was a reflection of an entire society’s respect for human rights within its own borders and around the globe. Lastly, he urged the international community to seize the opportunity to strengthen the vital role of civil society. B. Deputy United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights 9. The Deputy United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights noted that, at the national level, the extent to which people contributed to and monitored decisions that affected their lives was a fundamental indicator of the enjoyment of human rights. Arenas for public participation ranged from local groups to national and global forums, including the Human Rights Council. She recalled that the Charter of the United Nations began with “We the peoples”, while the Universal Declaration of Human Rights guaranteed that “everyone has the right to take part in the Government of his country”. The Deputy High Commissioner affirmed that it was in the interest of peace, security and economic and social development that individuals were empowered to mobilize and participate, make their voices heard, claim their rights, and build responsive, inclusive and accountable institutions in their communities, societies and countries. She emphasized the fact that an informed debate, political engagement and strong mechanisms for accountability of public officials should be created and underpinned by a robust legal framework grounded in international human rights law. 10. Although there were obstacles, the objective of widening and deepening democratic participation was always grounded in the involvement of volunteers, associations, nongovernmental organizations and social movements, which fostered civic virtues and greater awareness of rights by teaching advocacy skills, shaping strategies, mobilizing claims and acting as a critical watchdog. The Deputy High Commissioner recalled that civil society could take different forms, such as groups of volunteers assisting new immigrants, activists raising environmental concerns, trade unionists calling for collective agreement, bloggers exposing corruption or a federation of non-governmental organizations campaigning for a new international human rights treaty. She stressed that all those actors played a fundamental role in helping people develop political consciousness and skills, and knowledge of their rights and duties. 11. The Deputy High Commissioner recalled that the Human Rights Council recognized the importance of civil society actors and their need to operate in an enabling environment in a series of resolutions, including resolutions that emphasized the important role of human rights defenders and a cross-regional resolution that provided the basis for the present panel. 12. The Deputy High Commissioner expressed her belief that a diverse, independent and vibrant civil society could only flourish with guarantees of a safe and enabling environment. She deplored the risks faced by many civil society actors around the world, including threats, intimidation, reprisals, prohibition from receiving funding, imprisonment for revealing corruption, bans on peaceful demonstrations, confiscation of computers, shutting down Internet access, and even killings. She called upon all actors to protect civil society from such practices. 13. The Deputy High Commissioner highlighted the fact that the endeavours by OHCHR to create space for the engagement of civil society in the promotion and protection of human rights had been one of its main achievements in the past 20 years, and would 4