Human Rights Defenders

Ceasefire in Gaza could begin on January 19, an estimated 1,422 human rights defenders among those killed

Photo: “Relatives of Palestinian journalist Ahmed Al-Shayah mourn next to his body after he was killed in an overnight Israeli airstrike, at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, 16 January. Photograph: Haitham Imad/EPA.” The Guardian reports: “Hamas and Israel have agreed to a ceasefire deal, Qatar announced on Read more…

By Brent Patterson, ago

UN Special Rapporteur Mary Lawlor calls for a strengthening of the CORE to provide redress for human rights defenders

Photo: PBI-Canada meets with Mary Lawlor and Michael Phoenix, her Head of Research and Campaigns, in Ottawa, June 26, 2024. On February 5, The Globe and Mail reported: “Starting this year, over a six-month period, the government said it will assess the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise’s ‘effectiveness and progress Read more…

By Brent Patterson, ago

Nepal’s foreign minister visits Canada, international delegation of lawyers call for strengthened transitional justice

Photo: Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nepal, meets with Melanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, in Ottawa in September 2024. The Kathmandu, Nepal-based Himalayan Times reports: “Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Arzu Rana Deuba and her Canadian counterpart, Melanie Joly had a bilateral meeting Read more…

By Brent Patterson, ago

Can the UN COP16 conference in Colombia help save the lives of frontline environmental defenders?

Webinar speakers: Michel Forst, Yannick Wild, Berenice Celeita, Javier Garate. In his opening message today to the United Nations COP16 biodiversity conference in Colombia, UN Secretary General António Guterres said: “Our task at this COP is to move from words to deeds.” Those words, to be further negotiated at COP16, Read more…

By Brent Patterson, ago

PBI-Canada to host webinar on COP16, COP29, the Binding Treaty and the language needed to protect environmental defenders

Photo: Yannick Wild, Berenice Celeita, Javier Garate. Join us on Thursday October 24 at 12 pm (Colombia) / 1 pm (Ottawa) / 7 pm (Geneva) for a webinar that will link the protection needs of environmental defenders and the upcoming United Nations COP16 Biodiversity, COP29 Climate and Binding Treaty talks. Read more…

By Brent Patterson, ago

PBI-Colombia accompanies CAHUCOPANA at meeting prior to COP16 that could strengthen protection for defenders

The PBI-Colombia accompanied Humanitarian Action Corporation for Coexistence and Peace in Northeast Antioquia (CAHUCOPANA) has posted: “Now in Bogota. Cahucopana Nordeste participates in the capital of Colombia in the meeting prior to #COP16 #PeaceWithNature, highlighting the importance of biodiversity in the territories #SerraniaSanLucas to advance towards #Peace.” The United Nations Read more…

By Brent Patterson, ago

PBI-Honduras accompanies the Agrarian Platform at “mega-mobilization” at the Supreme Court of Justice

PBI-Honduras has posted: “From PBI we accompany the Agrarian Platform and the peasant, indigenous and Garifuna communities in the exercise of peaceful citizen mobilization, where they demand the vindication of their rights for the protection of the environment.” The Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH) has Read more…

By Brent Patterson, ago

PBI-Mexico comments on the structural challenges of the Protection Mechanism following the release of Working Group report

The full civil society statement on the Working Group report can be read here. PBI-Mexico has posted: “Today the two-year report of the Working Group to strengthen the @Mecanismo_MX [Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists operated by the Ministry of the Interior] was delivered, promoted by @ONUDHmexico [Office Read more…

By Brent Patterson, ago

Does DEFSEC Atlantic have human rights obligations following the ICJ ruling on plausible genocide?

Photo: Protest against DEFSEC Atlantic 2023. The Canadian Defence Security & Aerospace Exhibition Atlantic, or DEFSEC Atlantic, will take place this coming October 1-3 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. DEFSEC Atlantic says: “[It is] now the second largest event of its kind in Canada.” In 2023, it had 168 exhibiting organizations, Read more…

By Brent Patterson, ago

European Parliament debate denounces the criminalization of Canadian environmental defender Paul Watson

Video still: French MEP Emma Fourreau. On September 19, the European Parliament held a plenary session on the “Possible extradition of Paul Watson: the danger of criminalisation of environmental defenders and whistle-blowers, and the need for their protection in the EU.” This past summer, the Associated Press reported: “Greenland police Read more…

By Brent Patterson, ago