FIDH, through many of its member leagues, has been notoriously subjected to the effects of these funding restrictions (e.g. Ales Bialiatski’s case) and has worked intensely on this issue, highlighting the urgency in it’s recently released comprehensive study on restrictions on human rights defenders’ access to funding, which demonstrates how NGOs’ access to funding is increasingly being hindered by governments around the world as states resort to restrictive laws, smear campaigns and judicial harassment against human rights defenders.
On the 28th of February, FIDH presented this extensive report in Geneva, giving a press conference and organising a side-event calling upon the UN member states for a strong and impacting resolution. FIDH and its members applaud the adoption of this unprecedented resolution and call for all relevant UN mechanisms to build on this text to enhance the protection of human rights defenders targeted by legislations and practices curtailing their legitimate activities.