Table of Contents
Foreword.......................................................................................................................3
Summary.......................................................................................................................4
List of Abbreviations ...................................................................................................5
Introduction..................................................................................................................6
1. Challenges and obstacles faced by human rights defenders ..............................11
1.1. Challenges faced by human rights defenders ...............................................................11
1.2. Threats to, and attacks on, the physical integrity of human rights defenders .........11
1.3. Right to liberty and freedom of movement of human rights defenders ....................16
1.4. Freedom of association of human rights defenders .....................................................19
1.5. Freedom of assembly of human rights defenders.........................................................23
2. Good practices regarding human rights defenders ............................................26
2.1. Respecting the rights of human rights defenders: creating an open space for action
....................................................................................................................................................26
2.2. Protecting the rights of human rights defenders .............................................36
2.3. Creating an enabling environment for human rights defenders ....................38
2.4. Listening to, and addressing the concerns of, human rights defenders.........42
Annex I:
List of Responses Received to the OSCE/ODIHR Questionnaire on
Human Rights Defenders……….…………………………………….49
Annex II: List of Comments on the draft Report ………….……………….….51
Annex III: Compilation of Relevant OSCE Commitments…………..…………53
Annex IV: OSCE/ODIHR Focal Point for Human Rights Defenders and
National Human Rights Institutions……………..………………….64
Annex V: UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders……………………....66
Annex VI: Declaration of the Committee of Ministers on the Council of Europe
action to improve the protection of human rights defenders and
promote their activities…..…………………………………………..73
Annex VII: Principles Relating to the Status of National Institutions (Paris
Principles)…………………………………………...………………...76
Annex VIII: OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Resolution on Strengthening
OSCE Engagement with Human Rights Defenders and National
Human Rights
Institutions………………………………………………….................79
Annex IX: EU Guidelines on Protecting Human Rights Defenders…….…..….82
Annex X: Indicators Identified by the UN Special Representative on Human
Rights Defenders to Assess Compliance with the UN Declaration on
Human Rights Defenders………………………………………..........86
Annex XI: OSCE/ODIHR Questionnaire on Human Rights Defenders in the
OSCE Region 2008…………………………………………..………..88
2