Washington, DC., 4 April 2011 – During its final period of sessions, which ends today, the IACHR announced the creation of a Rapporteurship on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders. The Rapporteur will be Commissioner José de Jesús Orozco Henríquez, from Mexico.
In a press conference Commissioner Orozco said that the Rapporteurship, or special office, had been created in response to the increase in the number of violations committed against Human Rights Defenders and to demonstrate the concern felt by the Commission at this trend. It is also intended to support the important work that Human Rights Defenders and employees of legal systems – who will also be covered by the mandate of the Rapporteurship – carry out in order to strengthen the Rule of Law.
The 94 signatory organizations of this communiqué (22 NGOs in addition to the TDT Network, which has 72 members) greet the creation of the Rapporteurship with great enthusiasm, since it was expressly requested by them during the hearing that was held before the Commission on 29th March.
We reiterate, furthermore, our concern at the continuing harassment of Human Rights Defenders, and note that it has increased in some countries. Attacks continue to be carried out by state actors or by groups that act with their support or acquiescence; a new pattern of attacks has also emerged involving organised crime, or companies with economic interests in the region. Human Rights Defenders have been victims of different pressures including surveillance by state intelligence agents, the theft of information, the improper use of criminal law procedures against them, and attacks on their lives and physical integrity, and that of their families.
Given this reality, we are optimistic that the Rapporteurship will constitute an important contribution to the strengthening of the important role of the Commission in monitoring the work of Human Rights Defenders across the region.
The decision brings to eight the number of Commission Rapporteurships in areas as important as the rights of women, indigenous peoples, freedom of expression, detained persons, afro-descendents and racial discrimination, migrant workers and children.
List of Signatory Organizations: Amazon Watch/ Amnesty International/ Asociación Pro Derechos Humanos (Aprodeh) / Centro de Derechos Humanos de las Mujeres de Chihuahua / Centro de Derechos Humanos Miguel Agustín Pro Juárez (Centro Prodh) / Centro de Derechos Humanos de la Montaña “Tlachinollan”, México/ Centro de Derechos Humanos Fray Bartolomé de las Casas, México/ Centro por la Justicia y el Derecho Internacional (CEJIL)/ Corporación de Defensa y Promoción de los Derechos del Pueblo (CODEPU) /Comisión Mexicana de Defensa y Promoción de los Derechos Humanos, A.C. (CMDPDH) / Comité de Defensa integral de Derechos Humanos “Gobixha”, AC. / Comité de Familiares de Detenidos Desaparecidos en Honduras (COFADEH) / Comité de Familiares de Víctimas (COFAVIC)/Consultoría para los Derechos Humanos y el Desplazamiento (CODHES) / Corporación Colectivo de Abogados José Alvear Restrepo (CCAJAR)/ Fundación Regional de Asesoría en Derechos Humanos (INREDH) / Instituto de Derechos Humanos de la Universidad Centroamericana “José Simeón Cañas (IDHUCA) / Global Rights Partners for Justice/ Observatorio Ciudadano, Chile/ Peace Brigades International (PBI)/ Programa Venezolano de Educación Acción en Derechos Humanos (PROVEA) / Red Nacional de Organismos Civiles de Derechos Humanos “Todos los Derechos para Todas y Todos” (Red TDT) / Unidad de Protección a Defensoras y Defensores de Derechos Humanos (UDEFEGUA) / Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) /