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INTIMIDATION & REPRISAL FOR THOSE WHO COOPERATE WITH INFORMATION FOR THE UN AS IN INVESTIGATIONS – RISKS AS FOR WOMEN INFORMANTS

 

For Full 19 Page Report – Go to Website: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/RegularSessions/Session30/Pages/ListReports.aspx

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United Nations

A/HRC/30/29

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General Assembly

Distr.: General

17 August 2015

 

Original: English

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Human Rights Council

Thirtieth session

Annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner

for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the

High Commissioner and the Secretary-General

Human rights bodies and mechanisms

               Cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights*

               Report of the Secretary-General

Summary

The present report is submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 12/2. In the report, the Secretary-General highlights relevant initiatives and efforts made by the United Nations system and other stakeholders in tackling the issue of reprisals. It contains information on alleged acts of intimidation and reprisal against individuals and groups for seeking to cooperate, cooperating or having cooperated with the United Nations, its representative and mechanisms in the field of human rights gathered from 1 June 2014 to 31 May 2015, including follow-up information on cases discussed in the previous two reports.

 

 

 

IV. Conclusions and Recommendations

44. The present report shows that acts of intimidation and reprisal against individuals and groups seeking to cooperate, cooperating or having cooperated with the United Nations in the field of human rights continue. The types of acts reported seem to have become more varied and severe over time, targeting not only the individuals or groups concerned but also their families, legal representatives, non-governmental organizations and anyone linked to them. This is a matter of grave concern to me and to the United Nations system as a whole.

45. Looking at the cases included in the present and in previous reports, a number of recurring, though non-exhaustive, types of act may be identified. They encompass threats and harassment by government officials, including through public statements, media smear campaigns and police surveillance, but also forced closure of organizations, including through the introduction of new legislation, physical attacks, travel bans, arbitrary arrest, detention, including incommunicado and solitary confinement, charges and sentencing, sometimes to lengthy prison terms, torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, including sexual violence, denial of access to medical attention and, sadly, even death. Such acts not only show a complete disregard for the functioning of the United Nations as a whole but also highlight the fact that, despite repeated calls for action by States to end all such violations, impunity continues to surround them.

46. While it is the primary obligation of the State to protect those who cooperate with the United Nations in the field of human rights and to ensure that they may do so safely and without hindrance, the cases described in the present report suggest, worryingly, that acts of intimidation and reprisal are often perpetrated by government officials or representatives of the State.

47. I reiterate that any act of intimidation or reprisal against individuals or groups for their engagement with the United Nations, its mechanisms and representatives in the field of human rights is completely unacceptable and must be halted, immediately and unconditionally. Civil society representatives are indispensable partners for the United Nations. Any act of intimidation or reprisal against them undermines the effective functioning of the United Nations as a whole. We must therefore step up efforts and collectively condemn such acts and take all measures necessary to ensure that all individuals and groups, without exception, may cooperate freely and safely with the United Nations, its mechanisms and representatives in the field of human rights.

48. I welcome the steps taken by the different parts of the United Nations, in particular the President of the Human Rights Council, the special procedures and the human rights treaty bodies, in developing ways of addressing the issue of reprisals in a more coherent and systematic manner, and encourage them to continue to coordinate their efforts in resolving this system-wide issue. I also welcome the efforts made by a number of States to provide protection to those individuals and groups engaging with the United Nations in the field of human rights, including during the sessions of the Human Rights Council in Geneva. Nonetheless, more concerted action is still urgently needed to address this issue at all levels. I urge all concerned to work cooperatively together to ensure that the current deadlock facing Council resolution 24/24 is overcome without further delay. In the meantime, I emphasize that the United Nations will continue to work for a solid and coordinated response to reprisals throughout the United Nations system as a whole.

49. In 2014 I also called upon States to take action at the national level and to refrain from, to take all appropriate measures to prevent the occurrence of, to ensure accountability for and to consider the establishment of a national focal point to address all acts of intimidation or reprisal against individuals and groups who seek to cooperate, are cooperating or have cooperated with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights. I urge all States to follow up and provide information, as appropriate, to the Human Rights Council on all measures taken, including on cases mentioned in the present report. In this context, I also recommend that the Council devote sufficient time to the discussion of the present report, and welcome the initial statements made by a number of States during the twenty-seventh session.

50. I encourage all stakeholders, including international and regional organizations, Member States, national human rights institutions, civil society and academic institutions, to continue to contribute to the future consideration of this issue by the Human Rights Council and the United Nations system as a whole.

           * The annex to the present report is reproduced as received, in the language of submission only.