Fear about the coronavirus has gripped the world. While nearly all cases have been in China, that has not stopped people in other countries from worrying. This new illness certainly is frightening and needs attention, but it’s important to note that far more people die from an illness that’s all too familiar — the seasonal flu. Why are we so afraid of this novel coronavirus when we are much more likely to catch the flu? Our guest, Baruch Fischhoff, PhD, is a professor at Carnegie Mellon University and an expert on public perception of risk and human judgment and decision-making. He explains why we worry about new risks more than familiar ones, how to calm our anxiety and what are the psychological effects of being quarantined. Listen to the episode here.
Since we made the first and second edition of these guidelines, much has happened. A new update is needed. In several countries schools and kindergartens are now closed. Adults and children in these countries are taking a collective responsibility to ensure that the infection does not affect too many people at one time. This, so that our health care systems have the capacity to treat those who are most ill.
The CP AoR Help Desk is managing a dropbox folder with collected global, regional, and country-level resources for COVID-19, and this document will be a living document stored in the dropbox folder.
This note aims to provide practical support to Gender-Based Violence (GBV) practitioners to adapt GBV case management service delivery models quickly and ethically during the current COVID-19 pandemic. It does not address all aspects of a gendered analysis that are necessary to create a robust response, nor is it a definitive set of guidelines. Rather, it is designed to be a “living” document, that will continue to draw upon the expertise of the global community in this new and evolving field.
Resource page for the COVID-19 pandemic including: Case study/best practices/examples from the field (Mozambique, Sudan, Libya, Iraq, South Sudan, Myanmar). Helpdesk Products. Report/literature review/research paper. Manual and toolkit. E-learnings, podcasts, videos
We are currently responding to ongoing emergencies in multiple countries, working to keep people safe while they are on the move and displaced from their homes.
This briefing note (Version 1.5) summarizes key mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) considerations in relation to the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
WHO and public health authorities around the world are acting to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. However, this time of crisis is generating stress in the population. These mental health considerations were developed by the WHO’s Department of Mental Health and Substance Use as messages targeting different groups to support for mental and psychosocial well-being during COVID-19 outbreak. Follow the link below.
COVID-19 has been declared a global pandemic and as it is spreading, identified vulnerabilities such as the situation of persons deprived of their liberty in prisons, administrative detention centres, immigration detention centres and drug rehabilitation centres, require a specific focus. Persons deprived of their liberty face higher vulnerabilities as the spread of the virus can expand rapidly due to the usually high concentration of persons deprived of their liberty in confined spaces and to the restricted access to hygiene and health care in some contexts. International standards highlight that states should ensure that persons in detention have access to the same standard of health care as is available in the community, and that this applies to all persons regardless of citizenship, nationality or migration status.
Persons deprived of their liberty comprise a particularly vulnerable group owing to the nature of the restrictions which are already placed upon them and their limited capacity to take precautionary measures. Within prisons and other detention settings, many of which are severely overcrowded and insanitary, there are also increasingly acute problems. The SPT gives advice on: Measures to be taken by authorities concerning all places of deprivation of liberty, including detention facilities, immigration detention, closed refugee camps, psychiatric hospitals and other medical settings. Measures to be taken by authorities in respect of those in official places of
quarantine. Measures to be taken by NPMs
Within the space of a few short weeks, Coronavirus (COVID-19) has had a profound impact on daily life, with many impositions of severe restrictions upon personal movement and personal freedoms to enable the authorities to better combat the pandemic through public health emergency measures.
The past weeks have seen some of the most developed health systems in the world struggle with their response to COVID-19. The emergence of the virus in much more vulnerable countries with fragile health systems in the Region, including Syria and Libya, is of special concern. Of equal concern are global shortages in laboratory testing kits and protective equipment for health workers, as well travel restrictions and border closures. All of these are impeding WHO’s ability to provide urgently needed technical expertise and supplies to these and other countries
Our work aims to make scientific information accessible, understandable and meaningful to all communities during emergencies so that their decisions, policies and actions are evidence-informed.
First of all, we need to be reminded of the fundamental human right to health, meaning that every human being has the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. As stated by WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, “the right to health means that everyone should have access to the health services they need, when and where they need them, without suffering financial hardship. No one should get sick and die just because they are poor, or because they cannot access the health services they need”.
During the coronavirus outbreak, it is especially important that we are reminded of this fundamental right. Key aspects of the right to health that are particularly important during the coronavirus outbreak include:
The Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) is a coalition of Chinese and international human rights non-governmental organizations. The network is dedicated to the promotion of human rights through peaceful efforts to push for democratic and rule of law reforms and to strengthen grassroots activism in China.
Front Line Defenders provides rapid and practical support to human rights defenders at risk. It maintains its headquarters in Dublin, an EU Office in Brussels, and regionally-based field staff in the Americas, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
Support for the work of human rights defenders, their protection and the development of an enabling environment for their activities lie at the core of the Commissioner’s mandate.
The Norwegian Human Rights Fund (NHRF) works to protect and promote human rights internationally through direct support to organisations working in the first line of defence for human rights.
Through our detailed research and determined campaigning, we help fight abuses of human rights worldwide. We bring torturers to justice. Change oppressive laws. And free people jailed just for voicing their opinion.
Amnesty International is a global movement of more than three million supporters, members and activists in over 150 countries and territories who campaign to end grave abuses of human rights.
This is the website of the Special Rapporteur. The Special Rapporteur acts in complete and strict independence of any State and any entity involved (civil society, companies, etc.). His mandate is to promote the Declaration on human rights defenders. This is done through cooperation and dialogue with governments, relevant stakeholders and other interested actors. His goal is to ensure that the Declaration is widely known, as well as encouraging States to implement the Declaration within their territory and their legislation.
The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders defines women human rights defenders as both female human rights defenders, and any other human rights defenders who work in the defence of women’s rights or on gender issues (A/HRC/16/44). The Declaration on Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) recognizes the important role of HRDs, including women defenders, and outlines relevant rights of all HRDs and obligations of States.
Human Rights Watch is a nonprofit, nongovernmental human rights organization made up of roughly 400 staff members around the globe. Its staff consists of human rights professionals including country experts, lawyers, journalists, and academics of diverse backgrounds and nationalities. Established in 1978, Human Rights Watch is known for its accurate fact-finding, impartial reporting, effective use of media, and targeted advocacy, often in partnership with local human rights groups.
Human Rights House Foundation establishes, supports, and connects Human Rights Houses – coalitions of civil society organisations working together to advance human rights at home and abroad. Today, more than 80 civil society organisations are united in Human Rights Houses in an international network active across Eastern Europe, the Western Balkans, and the Caucasus.
The Observatory is an action programme based on the belief that strengthened co-operation and solidarity among defenders and their organisations will contribute to break the isolation they are faced with. It is also based on the absolute necessity to establish a systematic response from NGOs and the international community to the repression against defenders.
This report addresses the problem of the misuse of criminal law by State and non-State actors with the aim to criminalize the work of human rights defenders. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR or “the Commission”) has continued to receive alarming reports of a trend indicating that human rights defenders in various contexts are systematically subjected to unfounded criminal proceedings in order to paralyze or delegitimize their causes.
An introduction to the mandate given by United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, in consultation with the High Commissioner for Human Rights, to Assistant Secretary General for Human Rights, Andrew Gilmour, to lead UN work on ending intimidation and reprisals against human rights defenders.
The handbook highlights the risks that defenders can face from interacting with those systems, and suggests ways in which defenders can leverage the weight of the UN and regional human rights mechanisms to provide some degree of protection against those risks. In doing so it does not aim to provide a fully comprehensive protection solution. In all cases defenders should consider which option might be best, based on the context and particulars of a case. (also available in French, Spanish, Russian and Chinese)
The purpose of this handbook is to share information to make sure that human rights defenders and others exposed to reprisals will understand the risks they could face due their engagement in the promotion of human rights, and what means are available to protect themselves in case of intimidation and reprisals.
The protection of human rights is one of the main pillars of Norwegian foreign policy, and providing support for human rights defenders is a central part of these efforts. The objective is that efforts to promote and defend human rights in all parts of the world can be carried out without restrictions or threats to human rights defenders or their families. Human rights defenders are peopl
With many countries assenting to and domesticating an expanding regime of international human rights treaties in their respective jurisdictions, human rights advocates emerged over the last few decades to monitor these standards, and to take on governments, corporations, and some of the most powerfully entrenched systems on earth. But this type of confrontational work does not come without costs, some of which are personal and very steep.
Many advocates enter the human rights field with little to no training in how to mitigate the harms of exposure to trauma and or in how to foster resilience in themselves, their colleagues, and their community. Over the past few years, our human rights clinic—in which students learn how to be advocates by working on human rights investigations and advocacy—has been part of a growing community of advocates, educators, and psychologists seeking to improve well-being and how we educate the next generation of human rights advocates in sustainable and resilient advocacy. This post draws upon our shared experiences as supervisors and students and offers 11 lessons learned for those in educator or manager roles.
Tools to Promote Mental Health & Well-Being for Human Rights Advocates. This website is a collaborative space run by the Human Rights Resilience Project to bring together resources, research, and tools to improve resilience and well-being within the human rights community. The crucial work undertaken by advocates to investigate abuse and advocate for justice can often expose them to traumatic material, threats, stressors, and violence that can affect well-being. This space aims to meet the urgent need for advocates to have improved access to tailored education, training and research materials.
This chapter reviews some of the effects that trauma can have on someone’s ability to recall and recount events. This can help HROs to have a trauma-sensitive approach to human rights monitoring, but also for Human rights defenders. This part provides basic guidelines for HROs on how to interview trauma survivors, how to analyse information gathered from them, and what interventions may be helpful to support survivors recovering from traumatic human rights violations. Further information on these topics is provided in separate chapters of this Manual (see chapters on Gathering and verifying information and on Interviewing, and Part VIII on Intervention for corrective action).
Torture in any form and for any reason has been banned by international law, but it is still practiced on a million people each year around the world. Survivors of torture are found everywhere. Victims of torture and their families need rehabilitation to make it possible for them to re-establish control over their lives. Many Human rights defenders have survived torture in detention or in prisons, this thematic page might be useful.
This thematic page covers a variety of links related to PTSD. PTSD is considered to be caused either by psychological or physical trauma, more frequently a combination of both. Traumatic events that may cause symptoms of PTSD are f.e. (experiencing or/and witnessing) violent assault, abuse, torture, being a hostage or kidnapping – so we are talking about a wide range of settings from violence in private context up to war, conflict, disaster and catastrophes. Many Human rights defender might experience different types of trauma and could find this page useful.
This important manual is a valuable asset for all women engaged in the task of constructing and inhabiting a world in which all of us can fulfill our best potential. An indispensable tool, it invites us to stand our ground while attempting to undo the injustices meted out to us, and nurture the inherent resources that are so easily depleted: our bodies, affection, intelligence, creativity, spirituality…and ourselves.
Rapporteur focuses on the situation of women human rights defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues, the risks and violations that they face and the perpetrators involved. After a section on the legal framework and the approach of the mandate to the challenges faced by these defenders.
Women human rights defenders are often targeted with particular forms of violence and harassment. Defenders working on sexual and reproductive health and rights are at heightened risk in many countries. This “cannot be conceived as separate from the political, social, economic, environmental, and other systemic factors which produce and reproduce conflict, displacement, inequality, violence, patriarchal attitudes and practices which are at the root of these challenges. The security of such defenders is inherently linked to the security of their communities and can only be fully achieved in the context of a holistic approach which includes the deepening of democracy, the fight against impunity, the reduction of economic inequalities, and striving for social and environmental justice, among others.
The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders defines women human rights defenders as both female human rights defenders, and any other human rights defenders who work in the defence of women’s rights or on gender issues (A/HRC/16/44). The Declaration on Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) recognizes the important role of HRDs, including women defenders, and outlines relevant rights of all HRDs and obligations of States.
Women’s human rights defenders (WHRDs) are both female and any other human rights defenders who engage in promotion and protection of women’s rights and gender equality as well as all women working on any issue related to human rights and fundamental freedoms individually and in association with others in any region of the world.
Colombia continues to suffer one of the worst humanitarian and human rights crises in the world. In this context, those who defend human rights and the rule of law in Colombia have continuously been victims of systematic stigmatization, threats, sexual violence, unfounded criminal proceedings, violent attacks and killings carried out by all armed actors in the conflict. Amongst this group of defenders, women play a crucial role.
Over the past decade especially, young feminist-led organizations have garnered a reputation as outspoken, courageous, and creative movement-builders, pushing transformative change and social justice around the world. Until now, however, no comprehensive global study has been done to map key characteristics of young feminist organizing, including their current financial status.
The main focus of the Global Report is on the context in which WHRDs work, recognizing that the social, cultural, economic and political environment substantially influences the challenges WHRDs face and can exacerbate their vulnerability. Identifying context also enables the experience of WHRDs to be understood as more than individual occurrences, but rather as part of a systemic and structural oppression of WHRDs because of their gender and/or the work that they do on gender-related issues. Focusing this report on context is testament to the analytical tools and frameworks used by WHRD groups to identify the root causes of risks to defenders and appropriate ways to respond.
The investigation asserts that both the violence experienced by women human rights defenders, as well as the impact that such aggressions have on their lives and activism, makes it necessary to adopt protection mechanisms that address the different needs and realities of women human rights defenders.
Stress, burn out, uncontrollable emotional outbursts, depression, anxiety, migraines and cancer, are some of the effects that human rights defense work has on WHRDs around the world, and the ones that often make them quit their important work. AWID spoke with Jessica Horn, Senior Advisor for the African Institute for Integrated Responses to Violence Against Women and HIV/AIDS (AIR) about the politics of self-care and well-being for women human rights defenders.
Children who take action to promote their human rights, the rights of their peers or the rights of others (including adults) are human rights defenders.
Journalists and human rights defenders around the world face major risks as a result of their work. Governments and other powerful actors, seeking to escape scrutiny and stifle dissent, often respond to critical reporting or activism with attempts to silence them.
Human rights defenders working on issues related to sexual orientation, gender identity and expression (SOGIE) face not only the same threats and risks as all HRDs, but are also targeted simply because of their identity. Click here to learn more about cases of LGBT HRDs at risk.
WHRDs are self-identified women and lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LBTQI) people and others who defend rights and are subject to gender-specific risks and threats due to their human rights work and/or as a direct consequence of their gender identity or sexual orientation.
National Human rights Institutions (NHRIs) are state-mandated bodies, independent of government, with a broad constitutional or legal mandate to protect and promote human rights at the national level. This publication illustrates their role in supporting Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) in a context of shrinking democratic space in Europe, through a collection of relevant practices from ENNHRI members. This publication aims to inspire a range of actors to join forces to further protect and strengthen HRDs and build a sustainable human rights environment in Europe with a vibrant democratic space and respect for the rule of law.
Ahead of Human Rights Day, Dunja Mijatović, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, calls on member states to halt the attacks against human rights defenders and improve their safety and working environment. “In spite of an international declaration and clear standards protecting the work of human rights defenders, there remains a huge gap between the principles and reality,” says the Commissioner.
A group of UN bodies responsible for monitoring human rights has adopted a significant policy to combat intimidation and reprisals against those who provide information or contribute to the treaty bodies’ work to promote and protect human rights.
Addressing acts of intimidation and reprisal against those who seek to cooperate, cooperate or have cooperated with the UN. They have consistently raised their concerns about this unacceptable practice individually and as a system. As a result of the mandate holders agreed during the 22nd Annual Meeting of Special Procedures, to consolidate and enhance special procedures’ response to this unacceptable practice by establishing a coherent framework for action, the main points of which can be found in this webpage.
Support for human rights defenders is already a long-established element of the European Union’s human rights external relations policy. The purpose of these Guidelines is to provide practical suggestions for enhancing EU action in relation to this issue. The Guidelines can be used in contacts with third countries at all levels as well as in multilateral human rights fora, in order to support and strengthen ongoing efforts by the Union to promote and encourage respect for the right to defend human rights.
These recommendations focus on women human rights defenders at risk in migration contexts (hereinafter, migrant women human rights defenders)–that is, women, girls and gender-diverse persons of all ages who promote and protect the human rights of people on the move, whether they are migrants themselves or not, regardless of their migration status, and irrespective of whether they self-identify as a woman human rights defender or use human rights concepts and language to frame their work.
On 27 November 2013 the United Nations General Assembly’s Third Committee adopted the first-ever resolution on women human rights defenders. But, this advance in protecting those who face risks and attacks for who they are and their work to promote women’s human rights came with strong opposition from conservative governments and consistent interference from the Holy See, which resulted in crucial language being compromised.
This Fact Sheet has been prepared with the aim of supporting human rights defenders in their invaluable work. It is addressed primarily to State authorities, national and international non-governmental organizations, United Nations personnel, major private sector actors (including transnational corporations) and human rights defenders themselves. The Fact Sheet is also aimed at the wider public and may be useful to journalists and others in disseminating information on the role and situation of human rights defenders. It is hoped that the manual will support training on security and protection and will help defenders to undertake their own risk assessments and define security rules and procedures which suit their particular situation. Available in English, French, Spanish, Arab, Indonesian and Swahili.
The purpose of this manual is to provide human rights defenders with additional knowledge and some tools that may be useful for improving their understanding of security and protection. It is hoped that the manual will support training on security and protection and will help defenders to undertake their own risk assessments and define security rules and procedures which suit their particular situation.
The present guidelines are based on OSCE commitments and universally recognized human rights standards that OSCE participating States have undertaken to adhere to. The guidelines do not set new standards or seek to create “special” rights for human rights defenders but concentrate on the protection of the human rights of those who are at risk as a result of their human rights work. As such, the guidelines aim to contribute to promoting equal protection of human rights for all. Available in multiple languages here.