Training

Implementing ICCO’s HRDs Guidelines

19 Jan. 2009

Objectives

• Provide information

• Practice skills

• Exchange experience

• Implement ICCO’s HRDs guidelines

• Support and protect HRDs (partners)

HRDs

• Fact Sheet 29

Who are they?

“any person or group of persons who act to promote or protect human rights”

HRDs

• “what is important in characterizing a person as a HRD is not the person’s title or name of the organization he or she works for but rather the human rights character of the work undertaken”

HRDs

• Non-violence

• Universality

• Correctness of argument or nature of alleged victim doesn’t matter

HRDs

What do they do?

• Political and civil rights

• Economic, social and cultural rights

• Rights of individuals or groups

HRDs

• Different levels• Investigate, document, report• Support victims• Accountability and ending impunity• Democracy, good governance, corruption,

elections• Development projects• Human rights education

UN Declaration on HRDs

• Adopted 9 December 1998

• Rights of HRDs

• Duties of states

“does not create new rights but instead articulates existing rights in a way that makes it easier to apply them to the practical role and situation of HRDs”

UN Declaration

Rights of HRDs (examples)

• Freedom of association and assembly

• To make complaints

• To attend trials

• To protection by state

• Access to resources from abroad

UN Declaration

Duties of states (examples)

• Investigate alleged HR violations

• Protect human rights and HRDs

Violations against HRDs

• Killings

• Death threats

• Kidnapping

• Beatings

• Torture

• Arbitrary arrest and detention

• Prosecution and imprisionment

Violations against HRDs

• Harassment

• Defamation

• “security measures”

• Closing down organizations

• Restricting movement

• Blocking funding

• Break-ins, searches of homes and offices

Protecting HRDs

• State

• HRDs themselves

• International NGOs

• Foreign governments (Netherlands, EU)

HRDs themselves

• Assessing environment and risk

• Responding to/preventing threats, attacks, detention, kidnapping

• Making security plans

• Security of Internet/e-mail and information

HRDs themselves

• Using the diplomatic community (EU, Norway)

• Networking

• Safe houses

• Documentation

• Action alerts/urgent appeals

• MANUALS

International NGOs

• PBI: physical accompaniment, training and capacity-building, lobby and advocacy, protection website (www.protectionline.org)

• Front Line: website (www.frontlinedefenders.org), funding, lobby and advocacy, “hotline,” emergency relocation, training

International NGOs

• Amnesty International: research, urgent action, reports, lobby and advocacy

• Amnesty International Netherlands: Brazil, Colombia, China, India, Turkey, Serbia, Israel, Ethiopia (EU Guidelines)

Netherlands

HRDs a priority in own policy (action plan)

• Responsible in implementation of EU Guidelines

• Raising cases in EU dialogues

• Meeting with HRDs on 10 December

Netherlands

• Raising HRDs in bilateral meetings and visits; meetings with HRDs

• Demarches, declarations, prison visits, trial observation

• Funding

• “HRDs Tulip”

EU Guidelines on HRDs

• Adopted June 2004

• “to enhance EU action” in supporting/protecting HRDs

• Implementation of UN HRDs Declaration

• Objective: “bring about an environment where HRDs can operate freely”

• Proactive role for EU missions

EU Guidelines on HRDs

• Monitoring, reporting

• Coordinating/sharing information

• Visible recognition

• Observing trials

• Raising HRDs situation/cases during visits and in political dialogue

• Demarches, public statements

EU Guidelines on HRDs

• Evaluations

• Dutch Manual

• Local implementation strategies

• Revision by French EU Presidency

• EU (i.e. Presidency) AND individual states

Proactive measures

• Prevention and preparing for reaction

• Raising awareness

• Concept of HRDs and rights

• Improving environment

• Communicate ICCO HRDs policy

• Build relationships with gov’t. and HRDs

• Clarify mechanisms and expectations

Reactive measures

• Partner action and ICCO action• Action by partners and international NGOs

strengthens lobby• Documentation and consultation• Formulating specific requests for action• Monitoring, follow-up and feedback• Direct contact Embassy/Ministry and HRD• Partner priority?

Role play

• Collecting information, formulating specific requests, identifying targets, conducting lobby meetings

• Amnesty report: background

• Using Amnesty report: citing “best practices” and inconsistencies, lessons learned on impact, anticipating and countering arguments not to act

Role play

• Using ICCO and EU Guidelines, Dutch HR policy

• Different roles of ICCO staff• Narrowing request• Building on initiatives of partners and

international NGOs• Persistence• Getting commitments to taking action and

agreements on follow-up