Dublin Statement on the Process of Strengthening the United Nations Human Rights Treaty Body System: Response by non-governmental organisations,  November 2010

Quatre vingt douze (92) délégués représentant trente (30) Etats
parties, neuf (9) Institutions nationales des droits de l’homme, cinq (5)
organisations internationales et intergouvernementales et quarante et
une (41) ONG africaines et internationales étaient représentés à la
47ème Session ordinaire de la Commission africaine. Au total, cinq cent
vingt trois (523) délégués ont participé à la 47ème Session ordinaire

Madam Special Rapporteur, the remarkable and commendable commitment of women in the promotion and protection of human rights needs to be encouraged and protected. This requires taking into account the specific risks incurred by them. Constituting a major breakthrough since the 1998 Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, the Resolution 13/13 adopted by the United Nations Human Rights Council in March 2010 asks Member States to take into account the particular risks faced by them, including acts of violence they face in carrying out their activities.

The right of every individual to form associations with others in order to promote and protect fundamental rights and freedoms recognized and guaranteed by international and regional human rights is being undermined in some States Parties through the adoption of laws restricting freedom of association, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and movement, the right to receive money in order to promote and protect human rights, the right to access information etc. It is worth remembering that the guarantees of these rights allows human rights defenders to fulfill their mission of promotion and protection of human rights and provides them with the necessary information for assessing the periodic reports of States Parties.

As you know, Mr. Special Rapporteur, human rights defenders working in economic social and cultural rights have the difficult task of promoting rights the justiciability of which remains problematic. For this reason in particular, the recognition by States of their activities as activities of human rights promotion and protection, as well as their own claim to act for the protection and promotion of human rights, remains a challenge. This challenge that is specific to defenders working in economic, social and cultural rights was recognized as such by the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders in its 2007 report. To meet this challenge, the Special Rapporteur has specifically called upon States to recognize the legitimacy of the promotional activities of these rights. The Special Rapporteur also stressed the need for States to protect human rights defenders in carrying out their activities, taking into account the specific challenges they face.