Cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights

Summary

The present report is submitted pursuant to resolution 12/2 of the Human Rights Council.

The Secretary-General highlights activities, policy developments and good practices within the United Nations system and beyond to address intimidation and reprisals against those seeking to cooperate or having cooperated with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights. It presents the activities of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, the senior official leading the efforts of the United Nations in this area.

The report contains information on alleged acts of intimidation and reprisals, including in follow-up to cases included in the previous report (A/HRC/39/41) and prior to that. Owing to the word limit, more information on selected cases is set out in annex I. Information on follow-up to cases included in previous reports is provided in annex II. The report concludes with a summary of trends and recommendations to address and prevent acts of intimidation and reprisals.

Introduction 1. The Human Rights Council, in its resolution 12/2, expressed concern over continued reports of intimidation and reprisals against individuals and groups seeking to cooperate or having cooperated with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights. The Council further condemned all acts of intimidation and reprisal committed by Governments and non-State actors and invited me to submit a report to the Council at its fourteenth session and annually thereafter, containing a compilation and analysis of any available information, from all appropriate sources, on alleged reprisals and recommendations on how to address the issue. The present report is the tenth report based on resolution 12/2.1.

Activities in response to acts of intimidation and reprisal 2. Forms of reprisal, retaliation for ongoing or past cooperation, and intimidation, designed to discourage future participation or cooperation, have continued in relation to cooperation with a wide range of United Nations organizations at Headquarters and in the field, perpetrated by both State and non-State actors. During the reporting period, incidents or trends were addressed within the United Nations system in the Secretariat and its field offices and peace missions and by the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Human Rights Council and its mechanisms, the human rights treaty bodies, the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the Commission on the Status of Women, the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations and the World Bank Group.

3. Pursuant to General Assembly resolution 72/247, the Secretary-General prepared a report on the twentieth anniversary of the Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, in which he discussed strengthening the response to incidents of intimidation and reprisals (see A/73/230, paras. 21–26 and 64–66). The Assembly held a high-level plenary in December 2018 and urged States “to prevent and put an end to the arbitrary arrest and detention of peaceful protestors and human rights defenders … including in relation to cooperation with the United Nations”. 4. Responses and recommendations were raised at the Human Rights Council, including in country resolutions and during the third cycle of the universal periodic review (2017– 2021). Out of 98 States reviewed, five received explicit recommendations, including two during the reporting period.3 The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed concern about “reprisals against victims, human rights defenders and non- governmental organizations that cooperate with the United Nations”.

5. The Human Rights Council recognized the importance of the rights of environmental human rights defenders to have access to and communication with the United Nations and invited the Secretary-General to continue to include alleged acts of intimidation and reprisal against them in the annual report.5 6. Successive Human Rights Council presidents, through their good offices, sought to address alleged reprisals during Council sessions and side events by State representatives, as well as restrictions on travel to attend Council sessions. In March 2019, the President stressed the “vital contribution” of civil society and noted that “it is up to us to provide them with enough safe space to make these contributions”.