A/HRC/44/25
understanding of the variety and specific protection needs of those at risk, including the
most excluded and discriminated groups, and to publicly and unequivocally condemn
physical and online attacks, threats, intimidation and reprisals against all civil society actors
and human rights defenders in a timely manner.
1.
Examples of policies and approaches
51.
While practices relating to protection vary widely across the United Nations system,
the following are examples of efforts to improve protection:
(a)
The environmental defenders policy of UNEP and its Environmental Rights
Initiative promote greater protection of environmental defenders, individuals and groups,
and identify options for mitigating the abuse of environmental rights. UNEP also runs a
special programme on environmental defenders, with a focus on women and discriminated
groups;
(b)
The Saving Lives Together framework of the Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs is aimed at enhancing security collaboration between the United
Nations and international non-governmental and other organizations on common security
concerns and on safe delivery of humanitarian and development assistance;
(c)
The Department of Peacekeeping Operations and issued a revised policy on
the protection of civilians in United Nations peacekeeping in 2019, which includes
provisions on protecting civil society actors, human rights defenders and journalists. It also
has non-mandatory guidelines on engagement with civil society;
(d)
UNAIDS has guidance for responding to various forms of HIV-related
human rights crises, including attacks on civil society organizations working on HIV or
those working with people most at risk of HIV infection;
(e)
UN-Women has developed an internal strategy that outlines a range of
strategic and practical options to support women human rights defenders, building upon
extensive consultations with civil society and women human rights defenders at the
international, regional and country levels;
(f)
The Department of Global Communications strives to ensure the safety of
civil society actors during its meetings and conferences, including by establishing dedicated
“media zones” for indigenous media representatives during the sessions of the Permanent
Forum on Indigenous Issues;
(g)
UNESCO is the global coordinator of the United Nations Plan of Action on
the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity and supports the global monitoring of
attacks against journalists and judicial follow-up to cases of killings through the biennial
report of the Director-General on the safety of journalists and the danger of impunity;
(h)
The United Nations human rights mechanisms, and in particular special
procedures and treaty bodies, contribute to the protection of civil society actors and human
rights defenders. For example, special procedures, individually or jointly, regularly bring
allegations of human rights violations, often linked to civic space, to the attention of
Governments.
52.
Many United Nations country teams actively engage with States and other
stakeholders on the issue of protection of civil society and human rights defenders. Among
many other activities, country teams also provide a safe and neutral space for civil society
on many occasions, build knowledge and awareness of civil society on the issue of reprisals,
follow the “do no harm” principle when engaging civil society and, in some cases, apply
the risk assessment framework of the human rights due diligence policy on United Nations
support to non-United Nations security forces. Some country teams use encrypted and
secure communication platforms, rather than email, phones or text messages. The country
team in Kenya facilitates a platform composed of 12 United Nations entities that produces
quarterly integrated analyses, including by compiling information on trends and patterns
concerning civic space and the safety of human rights defenders.
53.
United Nations peace missions:
(a)
Support civil society and human rights defenders through training
programmes on human rights monitoring;
12
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