The adoption of these Guidelines is a genuine step towards the
protection of Human Rights Defenders around the world and represent a
very important achievement for NGOs that have worked to establish
mechanisms for their protection. The Observatory has systematically
transmitted relevant information to the EU as regards the situation
of Human Rights defenders at risk and regularly calls on the EU to
make the issue of Human Rights Defenders and freedom of assembly an
integral part of its external relations.
Since the 2000 EU Forum on human rights, the Observatory, as well as
FIDH and OMCT, have been working towards the adoption of an European
Union protective mechanism. The Observatory first submitted a set of
recommendations to the members of the EU Council Working Group on
Human Rights (COHOM) in March 2004. More recently, on May 12, 2004,
the Observatory, along with other international NGOs involved in the
protection of human rights defenders, participated in a meeting
convened by the Irish Presidency in Dublin, entitled "Towards the
Development of an EU Policy on Human Rights".
The Guidelines provide for:
– an important role for EU Heads of Missions, which are to address
the situation of Human Rights Defenders "in their reporting, noting
in particular the occurrence of any threats or attacks against
defenders" and which "should make recommendations to COHOM for
possible EU actions, including condemnation of threats and attacks
against human rights defenders, as well as for demarches and public
statements where human rights defenders are at immediate or serious
risks".
– an important role for EU Missions in third countries (Embassies of
EU Member States and European Commission Delegations), which will
"maintain suitable contacts with human rights defenders, including by
receiving them in Missions, and visiting their areas of work [and]
appoint specific liaison officers, where necessary on a burden
sharing basis, for this purpose";
– the inclusion, "where relevant", of the situation of human rights
defenders in "the human rights component of political dialogues
between the EU and third countries and regional organisations. The EU
will underline its support for human rights defenders and their work,
and raise individual cases of concern whenever necessary";
– "the strengthening of existing regional mechanisms for the
protection of human rights defenders";
– efforts to ensure that human rights defenders in third countries
can access resources, including financial, from abroad".
In addition the Guidelines provide that the COHOM will "keep under
review the implementation and follow-up to the Guidelines" and report
to the Council of Ministers.
The Observatory wishes to express its support to the EU in its
efforts to protect HRDs and offers its assistance in the
implementation of these Guidelines. Our organisations believe that
the Council Secretariat should identify a coordinator responsible for
a permanent follow up between the COHOM sessions, guarantying a
permanent coordination and an effective implementation of these
Guidelines.
Finally, the Observatory regrets that the Guidelines make no
reference to the granting of temporary visas to human rights
defenders at grave risks or to the facilitation of asylum procedures.
In this regard, the Observatory encourages EU Member States to
develop and implement temporary admission programmes for human rights
defenders at risk at both national and European levels.
The Observatory will ensure that the guidelines are widely
distributed to Human Rights Defenders across the globe as well as to
its 400 partner organisations.
For more information about the Guidelines please see the website of
the Council of the European Union at http://ue.eu.int
The full text of the Guidelines is available at
http://ue.eu.int/uedocs/cmsUpload/GuidelinesDefenders.pdf
For further information, please contact :
FIDH: 0033.1.43.55.25.18
OMCT: 0041.22.809.49.24