The ICJ today joined an open letter to Permanent Representatives to the UN Human Rights Council calling for rejection of proposed revisions to resolutions affecting the work of human rights defenders.
During the course of the Human Rights Council’s 24th regular session (9 to 27 September 2013), two draft resolutions affecting the work of human rights defenders are being negotiated by representatives to the Council: A/HRC/24/L.24 on ‘civil society space’; and A/HRC/24/L.17 on ‘cooperation with the United Nations’. Both are essential to efforts to promote and protect civil society space and to address the issue of reprisals and intimidation against those who cooperate with the UN human rights system.
Amendments to those resolutions – proposed by Cuba, Pakistan and the Russian Federation – run counter to the spirit and purpose of these important resolutions. The International Service for Human Rights, the ICJ and 18 other nongovernmental organisations therefore joined in writing to Permanent Representatives to the Council to reject the proposed amendments.
The resolutions will be considered for adoption during the last two days of the Council session.
HRC24-HumanRightsDefenders-NGOJointLetter-2013 (download letter in PDF)