8 October 2024. The two documents aim to map the existing protection landscape, identify gaps and challenges, and propose ways to build a stronger ecosystem for the protection of human rights defenders (HRDs) and civil society organisations (CSOs) within the European Union (EU).
Why these papers?
The new Commissioner-designate for Democracy, Justice, and the Rule of Law has been mandated to "work to strengthen protection of civil society, activists and human rights defenders in their work".
This component of the Commissioner’s mission is expected to be pivotal over the next five years, against a backdrop of growing attacks on civil society actors and an increasing need for protection of human rights defenders (HRDs) and civil society organisations (CSOs) in Europe in recent years.
While the European Union has adopted guidelines and established a protection mechanism, ProtectDefenders.eu – nearly a decade ago – to support human rights defenders from outside the EU nothing similar exists for human rights defenders from EU Member States. These are under immense pressure, facing multiple threats including smear campaigns, assaults and criminalisation, which significantly limits their ability to exercise their essential watchdog role in a democratic society built on the rule of law and respect for human rights. The EU has a responsibility to step up efforts to afford effective protection to HRDs in Europe and defend those who stand up to protect the values on which the EU is built.
What do the papers cover?
The Mapping paper aims to provide a concise overview of the existing protection landscape in Europe in order to inform potential policy options to be considered by the new European Commission and Parliament and by the Council of Europe. It looks at what exists and what the gaps are, who is protected, what are the main risks and what HRDs and CSOs would like to see achieved.
Supported by the Mapping paper, the policy brief Pathways Towards an Effective Protection Ecosystem identifies different options for the creation of a holistic protection ecosystem for European HRDs and CSOs.
Both papers highlight existing expertise and mechanisms but point to the need for greater coherence to ensure a comprehensive and agile framework that provides:
- alerts so that human rights defenders can officially report attacks, triggering investigation and action;
- rapid response ensuring holistic protection both as a preventive measure and immediately following an attack. Support might include physical, psychosocial, legal or digital protection.
What is next?
Over the next months, a concerted effort will be needed to elaborate the components of an effective protection ecosystem for Europe. Realising this aim will ensure that human rights defenders are adequately protected and supported against the risks associated to their essential and legitimate human rights work and can operate in an enabling environment.