The 3rd committee of the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) passed an important new resolution on human rights defenders on 17 November 2009. The resolution is intended to help protect human rights defenders whose safety is threatened because of their work.

Download a draft of resolution A/C.3/64/L.38/Rev.1 here.

Key aspects of the resolution:

(The General Assembly)

·         Expresses concern that national security and counter-terrorism legislation is misused to target human rights. Urges States to ensure that such legislation does not hinder the work and safety of defenders.

·         Recognizes that impunity for threats and attacks against defenders persists and that this has a negative impact on their work and safety. Urges States to address such impunity (including for gender-based violence) by ensuring that complaints from defenders are promptly investigated and addressed in a transparent, independent and accountable manner.

·         Recognizes the serious nature of the risks faced in particular by women human rights defenders.

·         Recognizes the important role that defenders play in promoting human rights.

·         Emphasizes and calls upon states to adopt strong and effective measures for the protection of human rights defenders.

·         Includes a new reference urging States to prevent and eliminate human rights violations against defenders.

·         Where registration of NGOs exists, calls upon States to adopt measures that are transparent, non-discriminatory, expeditious, inexpensive, allow for the possibility to appeal and avoid requiring re-registration.

·         Calls upon States to give serious consideration to responding favourably to the requests of the Special Rapporteur to visit their countries.

·         Strongly encourages States to translate the UN Human Rights Defenders Declaration and to take measures to ensure its widest possible dissemination and engage in training and awareness raising about the Declaration.

·         Includes a new reference to the Universal Periodic Review, welcoming the fact that some states have accepted recommendations on the protection of human rights defenders.

·         Includes new elements regarding freedom of association, calling on states to ensure that the rights to freedom of expression and association are respected.