United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders

Who is a Human Rights Defender? What can the Special Rapporteur do?

Official Statements

A collage of photos of Bahraini human rights defenders Abduljalil Al-Singace, Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja and Naji Fateel.

Bahrain: deteriorating health condition and ill-treatment of HRDs Abduljalil Al-Singace, Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja and Naji Fateel in prison (joint communication)

This is the summary of a joint communication sent to the Government of Bahrain about the deteriorating health condition and ill-treatment of HRDs Abduljalil Al-Singace, Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja and Naji Fateel in prison.

Read Statement • 28th Nov 2023

See more official statements

Latest Information Received

Flyer for the side event on 10 October 2023 in New York, titled "Participation and protection: Increasing support for WHRDs in conflict, post conflict and crisis-affected situations" Location: Conference Room 6, UN Headquarters, New York City, Time: 13:15-14:15 (EDT). The event will be live streamed media.un.org/en/webtv. Panelists are Mary Lawlor, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of HRDs, Mariam Oyiza, a WHRD from Nigeria and Wai Wai Nu, a WHRD from Myanmar. Moderator will be Ambassador Fergal Mythen, Permanent Representative of Ireland to the UN. Opening Remarks will be given by Ambassador Bob Rae, Permanent Representative of Canada to the UN and Ambassador Maritza Chan Valverde, Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to the UN. Closing remarks will be given by Ambassador Ana Jiménez, Chargé d’Affairs of the Permanent Mission of Spain.

UNGA side event – “Participation and protection: Increasing support for WHRDs in conflict, post conflict and crisis-affected situations”

Latest Information

On 10 October 2023, a side event will take place on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York, discussing my new report: “Pathways to peace: women human rights defenders in conflict, post-conflict and crisis-affected settings”.

• 4th Oct 2023

Screenshot of a video call featuring nine participants, including UN Special Rapporteur Mary Lawlor and several human rights defenders from Tunisia.

Tunisia: restrictions against defenders, violence and reversal of gains

Latest Information

[English / العربية / Français] In a hearing with Tunisian human right defenders, I heard very worrying information about increasing restrictions on their work, danger to their physical safety, and the threat of reversals to significant gains made in fundamental rights in recent years.

• 22nd Sep 2023

Screenshot of a video call featuring a dozen participants, including UN Special Rapporteur Mary Lawlor and several human rights defenders from the DRC.

Hearing with human rights defenders in the DRC

Latest Information

[English / Français] Earlier this month, I held a hearing with human rights defenders in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It was an opportunity for me to learn more about their work and the challenges they face as they go about promoting and protecting human rights.

• 20th Sep 2023

More Information Received “Information received” does not necessarily reflect the views of the Special Rapporteur or the United Nations.

Human Rights Defenders

Headshots of HRDs in a grid with different coloured backgrounds behind each

Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) are people who act peacefully to promote or protect human rights in accordance with the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.

“Human rights defenders are ordinary people who do extraordinary things. They work peacefully for the rights of others and help build civil and just societies based on the rule of law.”

Mary Lawlor, Special Rapporteur on the situation of HRDs

Violations committed against HRDs Submit Information on HRDs at risk

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