New Delhi, 18th February, 2015

Keeping in view the importance of the role of Human Rights Defenders (HRDs), the National Human Rights Commission is organising a day-long Workshop of Human Rights Defenders in New Delhi tomorrow on the 19th February, 2015. There have been many issues of human rights violations which have been brought to the notice of the Commission by the HRDs thereby ensuring relief to the victims. Therefore, the Commission treats them as equal partners in its endeavour towards promotion and protection of human rights. No doubt, while raising the voice for the protection and promotion of human rights of fellow citizens, the Human Rights Defenders also sometimes become victims of rights violations. Not only this, there are many other challenges facing the people who have committed themselves to the cause of promoting human rights.

The National Human Rights Commission has always kept itself abreast with the concerns of Human Rights Defenders. It has set-up a Focal Point for Human Rights Defenders with a dedicated telephone number to take cognizance of issues relating to their rights violations. It organised a National Seminar on Human Rights Defenders on the 12th October, 2009 to make an assessment of issues related to them. Accordingly, it had come out with a series of recommendations for implementation by the respective governments at Centre and State level. In 2013, it had also written letters to the States with the aim to sensitize various functionaries about the problems being faced by NGOs and Human Rights Defenders so as to treat them as partners and bringing about a positive change in the human rights environment in the States.

The aim of the workshop which is to be held tomorrow is to access the status of the implementation of the recommendations made by the Commission. Various sessions during the workshop will be devoted to discussing the present protection mechanisms available to HRDs in the country and how these can be strengthened for better promotion and protection of human rights will also be analyzed.

The participants will be representatives of civil society, including the members of the NHRC's Core Group of NGOs, State Human Rights Commissions and senior functionaries of the Union Home Ministry and/State Home Departments.

Some of the other objectives of the workshop will be as follows:

(a) Discuss and analyze roles, functions and obligations of the State and the Human Rights Defenders in promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms especially with reference to international standards.

(b) Share difficulties faced by human rights defenders and suggest appropriate remedial measures.

(c) Deliberate upon the ways and means to evolve a better partnership between the State actors, NHRC and the HRDs for all around promotion and protection of human rights in the country.

(d) Discuss the best practices devised by the States in pursuance of NHRC's letter dated 11.12.2013 and how it could be implemented in other States where the same is lacking.

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