Honduras’ second Universal Periodic Review (UPR) took place on Friday 8th May during the 22nd session of the UPR. Notwithstanding that a draft law for the protection of human rights defenders (HRDs) was recently passed - an initiative coming out of Honduras’ first UPR in 2010, civil society actors and HRDs expressed concern that the situation for human rights defenders and journalists in Honduras has worsened since its first UPR. The Government’s failure to date to make public this law puts into question the extent of the Government’s genuine commitment to protect HRDs.  

Honduras’ second Universal Periodic Review (UPR) took place on Friday 8th May during the 22nd session of the UPR. Notwithstanding that a draft law for the protection of human rights defenders (HRDs) was recently passed - an initiative coming out of Honduras’ first UPR in 2010, civil society actors and HRDs expressed concern that the situation for human rights defenders and journalists in Honduras has worsened since its first UPR. The Government’s failure to date to make public this law puts into question the extent of the Government’s genuine commitment to protect HRDs.  

ISHR prepared a Briefing Paper on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders in Honduras to assist States to formulate recommendations for the protection of HRDs. In the briefing paper, ISHR called on Honduras to pass the law for the protection of HRDs, to refrain from criminalising the legitimate activities of HRDs, and to strengthen the role and independence of Office of the National Commission for Human Rights.

A number of States made recommendations in respect of the law for the protection of human rights defenders and the judiciary, calling on Honduras to:

• Implement the law for the protection of human rights defenders, including in consultation with civil society, and allocate sufficient resources for that purpose. This recommendation echoes a demand recently made by ISHR and other civil society organisations to the Honduran Congress to incorporate civil society feedback into the draft law. 
• Guarantee the autonomy, independence and impartiality of the judiciary, including by adopting safeguards to prevent irregular dismissals and appointments of judges. A similar concern was shared by Tirza Flores, a Honduran defender of human rights and judicial independence, in an ISHR human rights defender profile published last week.

ISHR welcomes the following recommendations made to Honduras in respect of HRDs that are consistent with recommendations set out in its briefing paper, including:

• Australia's and Estonia’s call for Honduras to ensure that the right to freedom of expression is protected and steps are taken to end threats and attacks against journalists and HRDs, including defenders of LGBTI rights;
• Chile’s call for Honduras to establish effective mechanisms to guarantee the safety of HRDs, judges, prosecutors and journalists, and to end impunity by ensuring acts of violence against these groups do not remain unpunished;
• the recommendation made by a number of States (including Italy, Argentina, Timor-Leste, Austria, Colombia, Slovenia, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Estonia) for Honduras to improve the effectiveness of its investigation and prosecution of perpetrators of attacks against HRDs;
• the Netherlands’ recommendation for Honduras to develop a National Action Plan to implement the UN Guiding Principles on the Business and Human Rights; and
• Guatemala’s recommendation to strengthen the Office of the National Commission for Human Rights, in line with the Paris Principles on NHRIs. 

During its review Honduras received 152 recommendations in total, including several which as outlined above, reflected issues of human rights defenders, journalists and civil society. Honduras indicated its support for all of the recommendations set out above, noting in respect of some that it considers they are already being implemented or are in the process of being implemented. While ISHR welcomes Honduras’ support for these recommendations, ISHR encourages the Honduran Government to remain committed to these recomendations over the next four years and consult with civil society in the follow up of each of these recommendations to ensure they are effectively implemented.