States should categorically reject attempts to weaken a draft resolution on the protection of civil society space due to be adopted by the UN Human Rights Council later this week, 43 non-governmental organisations said today.

(Geneva) - States should categorically reject attempts to weaken a draft resolution on the protection of civil society space due to be adopted by the UN Human Rights Council later this week, the International Service for Human Rights today.

In an open letter to all delegations, ISHR joined with ARTICLE 19, the International Commission of Jurists and 40 other non-governmental organisations calling on States to resist efforts by Bahrain, China, Egypt, India, Russia, South Africa and others to substantially weaken the Irish-led resolution on civil society space.

'Around the world we bear witness to increasing restrictions on civil society organisations and worsening attacks against civil society activists,' said Michael Ineichen of ISHR.

'The draft resolution - led by Ireland, Chile, Japan, Sierra Leone and Tunisia - seeks to counter this trend by reaffirming standards and providing guidance to States to ensure that civil society is able to operate in a safe and enabling environment free from hindrance, attack and insecurity,' Mr Ineichen said.

The resolution also recognises the positive steps that have been taken by some States to enact national laws and policies to protect civil society space, an example being a law on the protection of human rights defenders recently adopted by Cote d'Ivoire, and calls on States to ensure effective implementation of such initiatives.  

'It is deeply regrettable that a group of States is trying to undermine this resolution with amendments that run counter to international human rights law, including the right to freedom of expression enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,' Mr Ineichen said.

'This is particularly the case for States like India and South Africa, the constitutions of which enshrine the rights to freedom of expression and association and in which civil society organisations and activists have played such a positive and historic role'.

Various of the amendments also seek to weaken the right to access and communicate with the UN, the right to be protected from intimidation and reprisals for cooperating with the UN, and the right of NGOs to solicit, receive and utilise resources, all of which are explicity enshrined in the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.

'Regrettably many of those States which restrict civil society at home - such as Bahrain which imprisons human rights defenders, Russia which restricts NGO access to foreign funding, and China which frequently arrests and detains those who engage with the UN - are now seeking to impose that agenda at the international level. Such efforts must be unequivocally rejected,' Mr Ineichen said.

'A free, vibrant, independent civil society is crucial to democracy, development and the rule of law,' Mr Ineichen said.

'ISHR calls on all States to support the draft resolution as tabled and to reject all of the hostile amendments, including by calling a vote and voting against them if necessary.'

Contact: Michael Ineichen, Director of Human Rights Council Advocacy, ISHR, on [email protected]