Encuentro de Feministas Diversas; "Nos están matando"; March 13, 2018; CC BY-SA 2.0

‘Nos están matando’: defensores de derechos humanos pagan con su vida en Colombia

by Geneva and URG LAC Team EHRD BORRAR, Thematic human rights issues

miércoles 29 de abril de 2020, Bogotá En un reporte para el Consejo de Derechos Humanos tras su visita a Colombia en los últimos meses de 2018, el Relator Especial de la ONU sobre la situación de los defensores de derechos humanos Michel Forst, reconoce los esfuerzos del Gobierno de Colombia para crear un entorno seguro para la defensa de los …

URG Insights :

Incendios en el Amazonas: los derechos en llamas

by URG LAC Team Blog INVALID 6, Blog INVALID 7, EHRD BORRAR, Thematic human rights issues

El 24 de septiembre, el presidente de Brasil, Jair Bolsonaro dio un discurso de alto nivel durante el debate general de la sesión número 74 de la Asamblea General (AG) de las Naciones Unidas (NU). En este, afirmó que su gobierno está firmemente comprometido con la protección y conservación del medio ambiente, así como con el desarrollo sostenible en el …

URG Insights - The Amazon fires: the burning of rights.

The Amazon fires: the burning of rights

by URG LAC Team Blog BORRAR, Blog BORRAR, EHRD BORRAR, Environmental human rights defenders, Thematic human rights issues

On 24th September, the President of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, delivered a high-level speech during the general debate of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly (GA). In it, he claimed that his Government is firmly committed to environmental protection and conservation, as well as to sustainable development more broadly. Yet, in the same speech, he questioned claims about the …

The history of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders: its genesis, drafting and adoption

by Petter Wille, Special Adviser to the National Human Rights Institution of the Kingdom of Norway and JANIKA SPANNAGEL, RESEARCH ASSOCIATE, GLOBAL PUBLIC POLICY INSTITUTE Blog BORRAR, Blog BORRAR, By invitation, By invitation BORRAR, EHRD BORRAR, General Assembly BORRAR, Human Rights Council BORRAR, Human rights institutions and mechanisms, Human rights institutions and mechanisms BORRAR, Thematic human rights issues

Introduction Human rights defenders have been on the agenda of the United Nations (UN) for several decades. After more than 13 years of negotiations, the UN General Assembly adopted the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders in 1998 . This was a historic achievement. It was the first UN instrument to particularly recognise the importance and legitimacy of the work of human rights defenders, as well as their …

It is time for the United Nations to recognise the human right to a healthy environment

by Professor John H. Knox, former UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment Blog BORRAR, By invitation, By invitation BORRAR, Climate, Contemporary and emerging human rights issues BORRAR, EHRD BORRAR, Human rights institutions and mechanisms, Special Procedures, Thematic human rights issues

Earlier this month, on World Environment Day, the Executive Director of UN Environment, Erik Solheim, and I jointly stated that the historic moment has arrived for the United Nations to recognise the human right to a healthy environment at the global level. The fundamental UN human rights treaties do not include this right because the modern environmental movement began in the late 1960s, …

It’s time we all recognise the human right to a healthy environment

by Professor John H. Knox, former UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment Blog BORRAR, By invitation, By invitation BORRAR, Climate, Contemporary and emerging human rights issues BORRAR, EHRD BORRAR, Human rights institutions and mechanisms, Special Procedures, Thematic human rights issues

Note: This article is based on a Joint Statement by UN Environment and the Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment ahead of World Environment Day.   Speaking ahead of World Environment Day on 5 June, the head of UN Environment, Mr Erik Solheim, and the Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment, Mr John Knox, issued a …

What are the human rights priorities of world governments in 2018?

by the URG team Blog BORRAR, Corruption and human rights, EHRD BORRAR, HRC BORRAR, Human rights implementation and impact, Human rights institutions and mechanisms, Implementation BORRAR, Prevention, Prevention, accountability and justice BORRAR, Special Procedures, Thematic human rights issues, Treaty Bodies, Universal Periodic Review

An independent analysis of the High Level Segment of the Human Rights Council  At the opening of the 37th session of the Human Rights Council, nearly one hundred world leaders (e.g. presidents, prime ministers, ministers) delivered high level speeches commenting on the state of global human rights in 2018, and presenting their country’s priorities for the year ahead. The Universal Rights …

Latin American defenders share experiences and gain safety net

by Liliana Jauregui Blog BORRAR, Contemporary and emerging human rights issues BORRAR, EHRD BORRAR, Thematic human rights issues

Currently, Latin America is the most deadly region in the world to be an environmental defender. IUCN NL and other partners recently held a  meeting  in Bogota, Colombia, centered on improving the safety of these defenders. Attendee and IUCN NL Environmental Justice Expert, Liliana Jauregui, learnt that we need to take action on three levels; Protection mechanisms on the ground, sharing …

Mapping and overcoming the risks, threats, and challenges faced by Environmental Human Rights Defenders in Latin America, with a particular focus on indigenous and rural defenders

by Mariana Montoya EHRD BORRAR, Environmental human rights defenders, Prensa BORRAR, Thematic human rights issues

On the 8th and 9th November, 2017, the URG Latin America, with the support of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment, Professor John Knox and the International Union for Conservation of Nature – National Committee of the Netherlands (IUCN-N), convened a two-days regional consultation on the situation of environmental human rights defenders (EHRD) in Latin America. Around …

Indigenous peoples and the environment: challenges and opportunities for the UN human rights system

by Mariana Montoya, Universal Rights Group and Geneva Blog BORRAR, Contemporary and emerging human rights issues BORRAR, EHRD BORRAR, Thematic human rights issues

On 1 August 2017, the Embassy of Turkey in Colombia, the Fundación el Nogal, and the Universal Rights Group, with the support of Club El Nogal, organised an event to raise awareness of the situation of the rights of indigenous peoples (IPs) in Colombia. This event saw the participation of high-level representatives of the Colombian Government, leaders of indigenous communities, …