The continual failure of States to cooperate with the Special Procedures mechanisms is gravely concerning, ISHR said today in a statement to the 28th session of the Human Rights Council.

The continual failure of States to cooperate with the Special Procedures mechanisms is gravely concerning, ISHR said today in a statement to the 28th session of the Human Rights Council.

In its statement, ISHR highlighted particularly egregious examples of reprisals against human rights defenders in the past year, such as the murder of five Peruvian defenders in relation to their land rights work, and 52 men, mostly minors, detained and ill-treated for peacefully protesting the regime in Egypt. 'None of these cases received a reply from the government concerned,' ISHR said.

'The very integrity of this forum is undermined when Council members are insufficiently responsive,' ISHR continued, citing GA resolution 60/251 which requires Human Rights Council members to 'fully cooperate with the Council.' ISHR's statement follows the recently published joint communications report of the Special Procedures, which details communications made to States between 1 June to 30 November 2014, and responses received between 1 August 2014 to 31 January 2015. 

The joint communications report indicates that 65 States failed to respond to at least one communication it received, including the following States which are Council members: Pakistan, China, Qatar, El Salvador, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Mexico, Nigeria, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Maldives, Cuba, India, Congo, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh and Brazil.

ISHR concluded by making a procedural recommendation to the Council - that States that fail to respond, or substantively respond, to communications should 'be given the floor first during future interactive dialogues with relevant mandate holders,' with the hope that this will hold them to a higher level of accountability for non-cooperation with Special Procedures.