A new report highlights the significant risks and dangers faced by human rights defenders working on land and environmental issues.

The report demonstrates that the work of land and environmental defenders often bring them into conflict with powerful interests as they protest against extractive industries, and other companies exploiting natural resources, as part of their efforta to protect the human rights of the local population. Women human rights defenders and indigenous rights defenders are particularly vulnerable to attack.

A new report highlights the significant risks and dangers faced by human rights defenders working on land and environmental issues.

The report, Land and environmental rights defenders in danger: An overview of recent cases (December 2013), has been compiled by a group of 11 leading NGOs, including the International Service for Human Rights, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation against Torture (OMCT).

The report demonstrates that the work of land and environmental defenders often bring them into conflict with powerful interests as they protest against extractive industries, and other companies exploiting natural resources, as part of their efforta to protect the human rights of the local population. Women human rights defenders and indigenous rights defenders are particularly vulnerable to attack.

The report presents a compilation of cases in which these defenders have been targeted for their work. The high level of vulnerability of this group is illustrated by the fact that one-third of these cases involve the killing of one or more defenders. Other violations suffered include judicial harassment, intimidation, death threats, arbitrary arrest, detention and imprisonment, enforced disappearance, and torture.

Government forces, non-State actors, and members of organised crimes or terrorist groups have all been identified as perpetrators of the attacks faced by defenders engaged in ensuring accountability for business-related human rights violations.

“Human rights defenders working on behalf of communities affected by large-scale development projects are increasingly being branded ‘anti-government’, ‘against development’ or even ‘enemies of the State'”, UN Special Rapporteur Margaret Sekaggya warned in her last report to the UN General Assembly.

In contrast to the powerful interests ranged against them, the defenders themselves are often under-resourced, have weak organisational capacity, and lack knowledge about their own rights.

Human rights defenders working in the area of business and human rights play a critical role in exposing and ensuring accountability for the human rights violations committed by businesses. As the report makes clear, there is an urgent need to ensure that these defenders can carry out their work safely and securely.

It is the responsibility of States to provide that protection. Furthermore, businesses must carry out appropriate consultation with human rights defenders and conduct human rights impact assessments in connection with large-scale projects.

The report will be formally launched at a side-event held in parallel with the 2013 UN Forum on Business and Human Rights in Geneva on 3 December.