International human rights watchdog urges states to protect rights defenders News
Υ.Γ., CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
International human rights watchdog urges states to protect rights defenders

The International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) issued a statement Wednesday calling upon nations to fulfill their obligation to protect human rights defenders and create an enabling environment for civil society amid declining funding for human rights organizations worldwide.

ISHR emphasized that protecting human rights activists and defenders is a fundamental duty of states, according to the United Nations (UN) Declaration on Human Rights Defenders and its supplement, Declaration +25. Article 2(1) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) mandates that States take all necessary measures, both individually and through international cooperation, to ensure the realization of the rights specified in the convention. This obligation extends beyond domestic resources to include international financial support.

Additionally, Article 13 of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders guarantees civil society activists the right to receive, solicit, and use resources to protect and promote human rights, whether individually or collectively. Article 4 of Declaration +25 further requires states to provide a safe and enabling environment for human rights defenders, which includes implementing adequate legal frameworks as well as ensuring access to funding.

ISHR noted that recent funding cuts for human rights organizations constituted a violation of international law and have severely affected their ability to offer vital services. It stressed that providing international aid to human rights organizations should not be regarded as an “optional” task or contingent upon “political goodwill.” However, ISHR highlighted that this decrease in international aid presents an opportunity to “reorient funding approaches toward a decolonized, human rights-centered model” that aligns with the needs and priorities of local communities and human rights activists on the ground.

This shift requires the empowerment of human rights organizations to allow them to set their own priorities independently of political agendas or international influences. It also implies that these groups need to adopt more sustainable and community-driven financing models. ISHR stressed that Articles 13 of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders and 10 of Declaration +25 provide a strong foundation to advocate for the right of organizations to access funding and also underscore the obligation of States to provide or facilitate such access.

The recent international funding cuts for human rights organizations have significantly disrupted the delivery of essential services to those in need in various regions around the world. For instance, the UN World Food Program in Bangladesh announced in March that it planned to halve food rations for Rohingya refugees, worsening the humanitarian crisis for these individuals. Moreover, Amnesty International warned in May that the suspension of US foreign aid halted critical human rights programs, including food and healthcare services for extremely vulnerable populations globally. Additionally, a report by UN Women revealed that women’s rights organizations were among the most affected by these foreign aid cuts and could face permanent closure without adequate funding.

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