GANHRI Statement to the 37Th Session of the Human Rights Council

March 1, 2018

STATEMENT

GANHRI statement to the 37th session of the Human Rights Council

Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders

Mr. President,

GANHRI welcomes the report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders and people on the move, which could not be more timely. NHRIs have increasingly come under pressurefor holding states accountable with regard to their human rights obligations towards people on the move.

NHRIs across the world regularly deal with human rights violations such as

-human rights defenders not being recognized as refugees,

-preventing human rights defenders from accessing internally displaced persons for counselling and data gathering purposes,

-threats by third parties towards volunteers working with refugees and migrants,

-hate speech in online media directed against refugees or migrants,

-attacks on journalists covering anti-refugee demonstrations,

-martial laws preventing human rights defenders to advocate for legal improvements for people on the move.

Mr. President,

Two Global Compacts on people on the move are currently under negotiation. We trust that states will consider the Special Rapporteurs’ recommendations.

For both Compacts to be reflective of existing state human rights obligations, protection of the inherent dignity of every human being is a prerequisite, independent from residency status. Human rights defenders including NHRIs need an enabling environment free from intimidation to hold states accountable to these. GANHRI will continue to engage in the development of both Compacts to ensure a consistent standard of human rights and integrate a transparent and participatory follow up review mechanism.

As a global network of NHRIs that works collectively in promoting and monitoring international human rights treaties and the SDGs, we gladly align ourselves with the Special Rapporteur’s recommendations that NHRIs engage in the monitoring of people on the move and support human rights defenders of people on the move.

We particularly support the Special Rapporteur’s recommendations that national human rights protection mechanisms and judicial remedies be accessible to people on the move,and include protection of migrants and refugees from deportation or detention when they report labour rights or other human rights violations. Also, states should take all measures to allow humanitarian assistance to be delivered without hindrance and discrimination.

GANHRI seizes the opportunity to highlight the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families as a useful framework for migrant workers’ protection which would benefit from increased ratification.

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