Human rights defenders risk their lives fighting for what should be an aspiration for all – more just and peaceful societies. Their role is essential to the 2030 Agenda.
Human rights defenders risk their lives fighting for what should be an aspiration for all - more just and peaceful societies. Their role is recognized as essential to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Yet, in most parts of the world, human rights defenders face incredible threats of intimidation or reprisal.
UNDP is supporting human rights defenders in all regions of the world: working with women and young defenders, human rights defenders facing business-related human rights impacts, and indigenous peoples. UNDP supports national human rights institutions that support human rights defenders, routes to remedy and drafting legal frameworks to protect human rights defenders.
While such efforts are important, the situation of human rights defenders will not improve until states proactively expand and protect civic space and build safe environments including by removing legal and administrative barriers and practices that hinder defenders’ work and combat impunity. Without political will, the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders has noted, “any other action will be insufficient and possibly ineffective”.
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