Who are the Human Rights Defenders by Dr. Mahmoud Dugdug

12:30 PM June, 11 2024

Sudanese Online
محمود ابكر دقدق-الدوحه
My Library
Short URL



International Law Researcher
[email protected]
Human rights defenders are the people who are acting peacefully to promote or protect human rights of others. They might act individually or collectively to seek the promotion and protection of civil and political rights as well as the promotion, protection and realization of economic, social and cultural rights. There is no specific definition of who is or can be a human rights defender. The Declaration on human rights defenders refers to “individuals, groups and associations … contributing to … the effective elimination of all violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms of peoples and individuals”. That means anyone can be a human rights defender, regardless of their professional or gender, they are identified primarily by what they do, rather than by their profession. Human rights defenders can be human rights activists, environmentalists, whistle blowers, students, volunteers, lawyers working on human rights cases, journalists or media workers, trade unionists or development workers, and others. In principle they don’t earn from their work in favour of human rights. While some human defenders are earning from their work for some organizations, entities, or institutions. Human rights defenders mostly work at the local or national level, supporting respect for human rights within their own communities and countries. Some also work to engage with the international community on human rights, advocating at the United Nations institutions such as the Human Rights Council, the High Commission for Human Rights and at the regional bodies such as the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights, the African Court on Human Rights, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, the European Union or Council of Europe, and the European Court of Human Rights.
Many human rights defenders experience heavy resistance on their path to change. Because of their efforts, they face harassment, slander or even physical violence, serious danger for the work they do and sometimes they face mounting deadly threats and attacks. According to the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders, Mr. Michel Forst. “At a time when human rights defenders are being attacked, harassed and stigmatised around the world… we should pay tribute to these thousands of men and women to whom we owe so much.” This emphases the importance of adopting an effective strategies at states levels to protect the individuals who face reprisals for defending human rights and democracy by enhancing the capacity of the civil societies. Of course not all human rights work places or human rights defenders are at risk and some states defenders are generally well protected. While the majority of them are being subjected to the severity and scale of reprisals committed against them, were one of the primary motivations behind the adoption of the declaration on human rights defenders and the establishment of the mandate of Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights Defenders at the United Nations and Africa Union levels. 
The United Nation adopted a declaration on human rights defenders in 1998. A number of initiatives were taken, both at the international and regional level to increase the protection of defenders and contribute to the implementation of the Declaration. In this context, the following mechanisms and guidelines were established. 
The mandate of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders (2000)
The mandate of the Special Rapporteur of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights on human rights defenders (2004)
Finally, here are some examples, not an exhaustive list of some activities of human rights defenders:
All human rights for all, that means to be a human rights defender, a person can act to address any human right (or rights) on behalf of individuals or groups.
Human rights everywhere, this means that a human rights defenders should be active in every part of the world, because human rights are universal matters.
The importance of maintaining networks and relationships at the Local, national, regional and international levels, to ensure supporting respect for human rights within their own communities and countries. In such situations, their main counterparts are local authorities charged with ensuring respect for human rights within a province or the country as a whole. However, there are so many human rights defenders acting at the regional or international level, to achieve their goals, using the social media platforms.
Collecting and disseminating information on human rights violations, through investigations, gather information and reports on human rights violations.
Supporting victims of human rights violations, by providing the victims with legal advice, rehabilitation support, medical support, food assistance, housing and shelter and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Action to secure accountability and to end impunity. Accountability is much needed to ensure non-repetition of human right violations. Many human rights defenders work to secure accountability for respect of human rights legal standards.
Supporting better governance and government policy, by encouraging the government to fully respect and fulfill the obligations that enshrined in the treaties and conventions they ratified.
Human rights education and training by equipping people with the knowledge, skills and values to know how they can defend their rights. As various Human Rights organizations and NGOs have defined human rights education in their own ways, to provide the targeted individuals with the knowledge about the basic human rights principles and how they can claim their rights.

Arabic Forum